South Africa has been pounded by heavy rains for the last several weeks. Several people have been killed and settlements and farms across the country have flooded.
The Vaal River is the main source of water for Joburg and the surrounding Gauteng Province, and the floodgates have literally been opened at the Vaal Dam. (Interesting fact: Johannesburg is the only major city in the world that is not located on a major body of water.)
Joe went to take photos at the dam, which is about an hour south of Joburg. I went along to check it out.
Visiting the dam was interesting not only for the water, but for the people-watching. There were hundreds of people ogling the river from the bridge, as well as an entire community of vendors selling ice cream, boerewors rolls (kind of like hot dogs), biltong, mielies (corn), and soft drinks. A friend of mine described it as a “flood fair.”
Interesting way to spend a Friday afternoon.
How have I never blogged about 44 Stanley Avenue, the coolest shopping and dining complex in Joburg, which is only five minutes from my house?
I guess it’s wrong to say I’ve never blogged about 44 Stanley; I’ve mentioned it countless times over the years (see here and here) when writing about specific restaurants or shops that are there. But I’ve never written a dedicated post about 44 Stanley as a destination and it’s about time I did – especially now, with the holidays upon us.
I’ve been dreadfully uninspired lately, struggling to think of anything I want to blog about despite having a long list of great ideas (many of which you, my readers, provided in September). I’m finding it hard to feel positive about life at the moment. But on Saturday Thorsten and I got the chance to visit Indwe Park, an indigenous garden and sculpture park in Braamfontein, and I knew I had my topic for today.
Given this week’s political nuclear bomb blast, it feels like a weird time to publish a light-hearted post about my recent (pre-election) jaunt through the United States. But I’m hoping you’ve have had enough of the U.S. election horror show – I know I have – and are ready (at least temporarily) for some wholesome American travel adventures. If so, please read on about my four-day visit to Maine, the northeastern-most state in the lower 48, with my sister, Susanna.
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It makes me smile, when I see it.