Blog Posts — WILL DRINK FOR TRAVEL

On my way to Zambia in Dulles airport, I spotted a black girl behind me in line.

There was only one Ethiopian airlines flight leaving at the time, so I knew she was getting on my flight. I wondered if she was on her way to Zambia too and if so, for what purpose. It was just a passing thought so I went about my business, lugging three suitcases along in the line because I was too stubborn to pay for a luggage cart (Seriously Dulles, why make passengers pay for luggage carts? It's cruel.).

My flight was scheduled to depart from Dulles to Ethiopia, and then from Ethiopia to Zambia...or so I thought. We landed in Ethiopia and as we deplaned, there was an Ethiopian Airlines representative directing us which way to go depending on what our next route would be. He told me to head to Gate 2, but as I get to Gate 2, I see that it's heading to Zimbabwe. Surely he knew that Zimbabwe and Zambia are two different countries. I thought, "Why did he send me this way?"

I see the same black girl I spotted in Dulles also waiting at Gate 2, so naturally she's the first person I think to ask about my confusion. After we figure out that the flight is going to Zimbabwe and THEN to Zambia (it pays to read your itineraries, kids), we strike up a conversation and I find out that her name is Lucill'e and that she was coming from Detroit after recently marrying her Zimbabwean husband who lives there for work. She was heading to Zimbabwe for a few months to spend some time with his family. Lucill'e told me that she's from Cape Town and I casually mention how I was thinking of either going there or Zanzibar during a long holiday weekend, but I hadn't decided yet.

Lucill'e raved about Cape Town and told me I must visit her beautiful hometown.

I had already been to Zanzibar so I was totally sold! Since Lucill'e was going to be in Zimbabwe for a few months, she wouldn't be in Cape Town when I got there. Still, she told me how her brother is still in the city and offered to put me in touch with him so I would know at least one person in town. Perfect! I got such a good, genuine vibe from Lucill'e that I didn't think she'd be put me in contact with her brother if she thought he was crazy or unreliable. I booked my trip to Cape Town a few days after meeting Lucill'e and friended her brother, Fabian, on Facebook.

Fabian and I chatted about my arrival and discussed what I wanted to see while I was there. We messaged each other on and off for about two weeks before my trip, exchanging ideas about the best ways to make use of my limited time in Cape Town. As my weekend getaway came near, I gave Fabian's name and picture to one of my friends at work just as a precaution. In case I went missing, they would know exactly who to look for and where to find him! Still a little nervous about hanging out as a solo traveler in a foreign city with an absolute stranger, off I went to Cape Town, excited and nervous for what lied ahead.

Fabian and I met, and it was like we were old friends.

We had a plan to meet in one of Cape Town's trendiest areas for dinner. Luckily it was near my hotel so I could just go home if our meeting somehow went left. We had dinner and the conversation flowed naturally. I felt a sense of relief. While I didn't expect him to spend his entire weekend with me, he did just that. We went to Robben Island, Camps Bay, Paarl, Franschhoek, Gordon's Bay and a few other local places. Fabian was just as excited to show me his Cape Town as I was to see it. The weekend went far better than I expected and I saw a side of Cape Town I wouldn't have seen unless it were for him. In talking to Fabian, I learned a lot about Cape Town from a local's perspective and he's helped to answer so many questions I have about life in South Africa. We became fast friends and never once did I fear for my safety or wonder if I had made the right decision by meeting up with a total stranger.

I am forever grateful to both Lucill'e and Fabian for reminding me that it pays to be kind to strangers because you never know how you can help each other.

The more I've thought about this over the last few months, the more I'm in awe of Lucill'e's and Fabian's kindness and generosity. Lucill'e didn't have to chat with me in the airport or offer to put me in touch with her brother. And Fabian did not have to spend his entire weekend playing tour guide to a complete stranger.

This experience makes me want to be a better host to people who are visiting Baltimore or D.C. and need a local's perspective in order to see the 'real' city, and not just the touristy areas. I hope that this story encourages you to open yourself up for whatever the universe brings your way. I now have two new friends in Cape Town, whom I can call when I'm there or have any questions about the city. I look forward to one day repaying Lucill'e and Fabian by showing them 'my D.C.' and playing tour guide with the same kindness and generosity they showed this complete stranger.

Fabian and me at a winery in Franschhoek

With only 48 hours, I thought a tour of Johannesburg would allow me to make the most of my limited time in city. I ultimately decided to go with MoAfrika Tours because they received good reviews on TripAdvisor and the tour guide was guaranteed to be from Soweto, one of the areas I was most interested in visiting. The tour cost about $65 but I thought this was completely reasonable for a full day tour.

At about 9:30 am, my tour guide, Sunny, came in to get me inside my hotel and I joined other tourists on the bus. We rode around for about another hour picking up other guests and since Johannesburg is huge, riding around for an hour was not hard to do. There was a bit of a mix-up with other guests, but Sunny remained flexible and wanted to keep the rest of us happy. We ended up getting a bit off schedule so instead of beginning with a city tour of Johannesburg, we started at the Apartheid Museum.

Apartheid Museum

Upon entering the museum, everyone was handed a ticket that read either "Blankes/White" or "Nie-Blankes/Non-White," which determined the entrance we were to use. I was handed a ticket that labeled me as White and with that small act, I became unsure if I'd be able to emotionally handle going through the museum.

The museum touches on everything you every wanted to know about the rise and fall of Apartheid in South Africa. I am ashamed to admit that I had no idea that Apartheid was so deeply rooted in South Africa's history.

Before my visit to Tanzania a few years ago, I did not feel a connection to Africa as a black American. However, throughout my travels on the continent, I have come to appreciate the black American and African connection and it hit me like a ton of bricks in the museum. But that's a different post for a different day.

We went through the museum in about 2 hours, but I definitely suggest about double that to thoroughly go through each exhibit and process the information.

Soweto

After the museum, we headed to Johannesburg's largest township, Soweto. Short for "South Western Township," Soweto was a vibrant portion of the city and quite frankly, where I felt most comfortable. I always thought Soweto was the township where they moved all of the poor Black people during Apartheid. And while that is true, Soweto also contains upper and middle class neighborhoods.

We stopped at a local outpost called Chaf Pozi for lunch and to this day, I can't stop thinking about how good the food was. We had beef sausage, chicken, steak, and ribs, accompanied by chakalaka (a vegetable dish made of shredded carrots, onions, tomatoes, and beans), and pap (maize porridge). Chakalaka is by far one of the best local dishes I've had in my travels. I get excited just thinking about it.

We paid R40 (about $3) for lunch and for any drinks we had. They offered water, juice, soda and beer. With my Savannah Dry cider, my total meal came to about $5. Well worth it the very reasonable price.

After Chaf Pozi, we toured more of Soweto, including Vilikazi Street, where Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela's homes are located, as well as the Hector Pieterson Museum. Along Vilikazi street, there were also restaurants and vendors selling souvenirs since this is one of the most popular tourist areas in Soweto.

While we didn't get a chance to tour Desmond Tutu's home or the Mandela House, we did go into the Hector Pieterson Museum, which documented the 1976 uprising. Hector Pieterson was a 13-year old boy who became the face of the 1976 Soweto uprising after he was killed when the police opened fire on protesting students.

Johannesburg

We finished the day by driving through Johannesburg and going to the top of the Carlton Hotel, the tallest building in the city. It's no longer a functioning hotel, but in order to get to the 'Top of Africa,' we had to go through a connected local mall. While I could tell Johannesburg was huge as we drove through the city, it wasn't until I saw the views from the Carlton Hotel did it sink in how massive the city is.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed MoAfrika's Ultimate Johannesburg Tour. I learned much more than I anticipated and fell deeper in love with South Africa. Our tour guide, Sunny, was personable, flexible and very knowledgable about Johannesburg and its history. I look forward to going back and seeing more of this massive city with MoAfrika Tours.