Week 86: Vacation!

After a few weeks in the village my sister and I were ready to go on vacation. We had quite the vacation planned including a safari, Cape Town, and due to its convenient location and transportation hub, Johannesburg. The trip started with a car rental pick up that set the tone for adventure. After riding the combi’s and busses for the last few weeks my sister and I may have forgotten some details about private vehicles, for instance that with an accidental click of a button we had the power to open the trunk. Once we had the car and were taking it back over the border to Botswana (we rented the car in South Africa) this button must have been clicked unbeknownst to us and the car alarm going off in the parking lot was in fact our car since the trunk had been open the whole time we were going through customs. As we walked out of the building pleased with ourselves for getting the car and coming back home, I heard the alarm and said, “Wouldn’t it be funny if that was our car.” Good thing I was serious and we both got quite a laugh out of our own foolishness and were much more careful during the rest of the trip.

Later in the trip we were spending a night in Johannesburg where I may have been unnecessarily hyper alert (and we had already returned the car, so there was no fear of another trunk incident). As a PCV I had to get special approval from the country director of Peace Corps South Africa. This along with Jozi’s (one of the many nicknames that locals have for their city) less then steller reputation left me hyper aware of my surroundings and extra cautious. My sister and I were staying in an adorable neighborhood called Melville that some other PCV friends had stayed in only a few weeks earlier. We also met a Dutch couple during the first part of our trip who had resettled in Melville and sang its praises as well as drew us a map of the neighborhood with all of their favorite restaurants, book shops, coffee houses, and even their house which was two blocks from where we were staying. All this information made me more excited to go but no less vigilant. As my sister and I changed out of our travel cloths and into something for dinner I put some rand in my pocket not wanting to carry a purse. My sister was going to simply take a clutch. I said that I felt uneasy with her carrying her wallet so out in the open, she trusted my judgment or simply wanted to calm my nerves and put her money in a pocket as well. As we walked down the flower lined cobble stone streets to the main restaurant drag, we came across an older woman who immediately started walking with us. She was a Melville native and going out to a trivia night at one of the bars with her friends. She was delightful and reminded me of one of the reasons I love traveling and although its best to ere on the side of caution not all of Jo-burg’s reputation is rightfully deserved. As with any city it is good to be aware of your surroundings and what neighborhood you are in, but then enjoy! Make friends with middle-aged women who enjoy trivia and compliment you on your fitness level.