On the last Saturday, Francois, Dee and I, left Sasolburg very early to visit friends in the East Rand or Ekurhuleni, as it was renamed when South Africa became a democracy in 1994. Ekurhuleni is a Tsonga word, meaning "The Place of Peace".
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| Cattle farm |
We drove through picturesque countryside. Kilometers covered in luscious green corn fields and cattle farms as far as the eye could see. Indeed, it's a picture of peace and tranquility.
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| Corn fields |
South Africa, or as it is often called, The Rainbow Nation, is a country of widely diverse cultural, ethnic and linguistic differences. It has 9 Provinces and 11 official languages, namely English, Afrikaans, Sepedi, Sotho, Xhosa, Tshonga, Tswana, Swati, Ndebele, Venda and Zulu. All of these are represented in the Ekurluleni Metropolitan Area.. With this much diversity throughout the nation it is understandable that the anthem of South Africa, is the only neo-modal anthem in the world and employs 5 of the 11 official languages, i.e. Xhosa, Zulu, Sotho, Afrikaans and English.
The lyrics of South Africa's Anthem
Nkosi sikeleli' iAfrika
Maluphakannyisw' upondo lwayo,
Yiswa imithandazo yethu,
Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo
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Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso
Fedise dintwa le matshwenyeho
O se boloke, O se boloke setjhaba sa heso
Sethaba sa South Africa - South Africa
Uit die blou van onse hemel,
Uit die diepte van ons see,
Oor ons ewige gebergtes,
Waar die kranse antwoord gee.
Sounds the call to come together,
And united we shall stand,
Let us live and strive for freedom
In South Africa our land.
Our first stop was in Nigel, Gauteng, where I met with Oageng, my pretend "son" and Retha, both former work colleagues from years ago. Both became and remain dear friends. We had a lot of catching up to do, but the little time we spent together was precious. Gifts and hugs were exchanged and it was with great sadness that I left them behind. Luckily the photos and memories are mine to keep..
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| With Oageng and Retha |
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| With Oageng |
Nigel, like so many towns on the outskirts of Johannesburg, are famous for the discovery of gold in the 19th century. In 1886 gold was discovered on the farm Varkensfontein (The Fountain of the Pigs) and the Nigel Gold Mining Company was established. Naturally the town grew around the mine.
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| Aerial View Nigel - Photo Beeld |
Midday came too soon and it was time to stop for a bite. The "kids" (Dee and Francois) had the majority vote and the Colonel (KFC) provided the clean restroom and the lunch.
According to the Y-generation, who grew up with all that technology has to offer, KFC and McDonald's always provide the best value for money when it comes to buying instant meals. Both Francois and Dee are part of this generation. Me, as a baby-boomer never had the luxury of fast food outlets when I was their age and still find it unhealthy and over-priced.
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| Francois and Dee |
Our next stop was, of course, the highlight of my day. Jenny and I have been friends for many years. She is one of the most humble persons I've ever met. She has been my sister, my friend, my mentor, my crutch and my guru ever since we met at the Department of Education way back when. I salute you Jen!
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| With Jenny |
Jenny stays with her husband and kids, in Springs, a town 50 kilometers east of Johannesburg. Originally called 'The Springs' and declared a town in 1904. In 1888 a good quality coal was discovered in 'The Springs' and in 1899, it is believed that gold was discovered accidentally when the coal shafts were sunk.
Many famous South Africans were born in Springs. Nadine Gordimer, the first South African Nobel prize winner in literature (1974), was born in Springs and attended the very popular and prestigious Veritas College.
Penny Heyns, the double Olympic gold medalist in swimming (1996), was also born in Springs and attended local primary and high schools.
Springs enjoys a four season climate and grassland vegetation. The famous Blesbokspruit Wetland Area houses more than 300 species of birds, water mammals, black wildebeest, springbok, zebra, reptiles, lizards and the well known African bullfrog.
It was good to walk down memory lane for one day.
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| SA Bullfrog |
My next trip will be to Pretoria, one of the three capital cities of South Africa.
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Delicioso diario de viajes. El viaje físico, diferente y necesaria visión de Sudáfrica, alejada de tópicos comunes, llena de colorido multiétnico, histórico y cultural. Y el viaje personal, íntimo y entrañable.
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