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.
Indwe Park – Indwe is the isiXhosa word for blue crane, South Africa’s national bird – is on the Braamfontein campus of Liberty, a South African insurance and investment company. Despite having been around for a couple of years, Indwe is not yet open to the public; so far the park is only available to Liberty employees and visitors by invitation only. This makes me sad and also a bit hesitant to blog about the park, which could be (and hopefully will be, eventually) a fantastic Joburg tourist attraction.
But Indwe looks beautiful right now, with thousands of exploding wildflower blossoms, and it was so peaceful there on Saturday. There were tons of birds (including my favorite Joburg bird, the hadeda) enjoying the space; it was very relaxing to wander around listening to birdsong and the indigenous grasses blowing in the breeze. It was late in the afternoon and a summer thunderstorm was brewing – the best time to be outside in Joburg – and being in Indwe Park made me feel a little less anxious. Here are some pictures.
If you’re interested in Indwe Park and potential ways to visit, I recommend following Friends of the Wilds on Facebook. Artist James Delaney, who spearheaded the rebirth of the Wilds (another beautiful Joburg park), was also intimately involved in the design and planning of Indwe Park. A post from James on Friends of the Wilds led to our visit to Indwe. UPDATE: Please join the newly created Friends of Indwe Park Facebook group for more information on how you can visit the park.
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.
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.
In 2020, I published a blog post with tips for Americans living in South Africa who wanted to vote in the U.S. presidential election. I thought about simply resharing that post this year. But then I realized: 1) I want to write a U.S. election post that will be fun and informative for everyone, not just other Americans; and 2) Believe it or not, the U.S. presidential election stakes are even higher in 2024 than they were in 2020. So I’m introducing you to some really cool Americans in Joburg – one who I’ve known forever and two who I just met – and tell you a bit about who they are, why they live here, and why they vote.
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It makes me smile, when I see it.