A brief Journey Though Swaziland and Johannesburg, South Africa
My journey through Swaziland and Joburg, South Africa was brief — my first land crossing. Traveling on local transport, I cross the Border in Goba, and into Swaziland. Aside from the Maputo/Swazi border, Swaziland’s only surrounding country is South Africa. I crossed the border with mostly women traders returning from Maputo from their weekly trip to replenish their merchandise.
The crossing was mostly seamless except for a Mozambican man who appeared to be working Swaziland without a “proper permit”. I learned that in Southern Africa, citizens are free to move around from country to country visa-free. However, work permits are required if they are to work which can be very difficult to obtain.
I spent most of my time recharging in Swaziland. The scenery and the pace of the country set the tone for the rest of my days there — calm and at peace.
Driving around Swaziland’s exceptional roads was a nice break from the rugged northern Mozambique roads. Beautiful acacia trees that open up like an umbrella are just a few meters from the winding roads as we drove west from Maputo towards Manzini — Swaziland’s second largest city.
On this scenic road, over one mountain, you can watch the sun disappear behind the trees and moments later as the car takes a sharp turn you can again watch the sun being pulled under another mountain.
After two nights in Swaziland, I headed over to Johannesburg (Joburg) on a minivan packing 17 people when the legal capacity is 10. Joburg is quite a contrast to Swaziland — fast paced, loud and crowded! It took a little while to readjust to the chaos. About 5 years ago, I spent two week in South Africa and left with the feeling that South Africa is an exceptionally beautiful country with glaringly complex racial challenges. This time, I am simply passing through.
After arriving in Joburg, I spent a few hours walking around and people-watching. It was amazing to witness the evening rush hour crowd — kids leaving school on their uniforms, tuk-tuk drivers fighting over passengers and businesswomen in formal business attire, proudly (my interpretation) sporting a whole range of hair styles — intricate african braids, dreadlocks, low cuts, etc…
My couple of days in Joburg this time was a homey experience. I stayed with generous family-friends who took me in as family. We shared meals and had wonderful conversations. On my last night, I joined on their Wednesday night tradition of dinner and a movie — things I rarely do in New York, let alone while traveling. I left Joburg enlightened and encouraged!
Off to Gaborone, Botswana. I bought a camera in South Africa, so expect better (and more) pictures in up-coming entries!
