AFRICA SO FAR

I arrived in Johannesburg almost four weeks ago. I had planned to stay only two nights, and yet, here I still am, loving it.
The couchsurfer I stayed with, Joey, was an amazing, fun and generous host. He brought me into his huge social circle and I immediately met lots of other cool people and new friends through him. And because of that, I'm still here.
My time here so far has mostly been like a holiday so far. The weather is mostly hot and dry and the apartments where I stay have a pool, so it feels like a holiday resort to me. I took a trip to Swaziland alone which was very interesting. I also traveled long the Panorama Route and to Kruger Park with a Korean friend. I'll blog about these trips later.
My time here in Jo'burg has mostly been spent partying - bars, clubs, pool parties, birthday parties, waterparks, and other awesome stuff like that. I have also visited a township and some markets, but mostly I’ve just been eating great food and socialising with locals and expats. So far so good.
Jo’burg itself is a fascinating city with a clear and large gap between the rich and poor. I’ve sampled the animosity people often speak of here and I’ve seen snipets of the poverty. I’m also experiencing the finer elements of life here – maids that visit daily, rooftop bars, cruising in fancy cars and other things that I’m highly UNaccustomed to. But I’ll write more about this notorious city later since I’m seeing and experiencing new and unusual things every day.

Big Madiba at Nelson Mandela Square.

PRE-DEPARTURE FEELINGS (AFRICA)

Tomorrow I fly to Johannesburg, South Africa, to start my own solo trip through the Dark Continent. I don't know where I'll go, what I'll do, who I'll meet or when I'll come home. But I do know that it will be an adventure.
I've been dreaming of this trip for years. And now I finally go. I've been nervous, apprehensive and downright scared over the last few weeks while reading up on some of Africa's countries. But now that the time is near, I feel excited and confident.
I'm living the dream life. I'm lucky and privileged to have this chance. I'm going to grasp it with both hands see where it takes me.
People have been asking me why Africa; why I want to go there. I can't seem to find an answer that satisfies them. I guess the most honest answer is Because I haven't been there. And because it will be a great challenge, and I want to test myself. I'm curious about the world and want to see everywhere, but especially Africa as it seems so different to everywhere else I've been. In ten years of travel, I have never set foot aywhere in Africa, not Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt. Not even a stopover on a flight to Asia. So it will really be a new, untouched world to me.
There isn't some specific thing which draws me to Africa. There are no mountains, beaches, natural wonders or festivals that I've been dreaming of. Of course there will be an abundance of natural beauty, rich cultures and interesting foods. But mostly I just want to travel in Africa, alone, and see that I can rise to the challenges that are presented to me whilst, hopefully, learning about new peoples and places. That's it.