Common Street Scene in Downtown Johannesburg

Here's a few shots of a typical commercial section of a street in downtown Johannesburg. Lots of cheap and crappy stuff here. I got a hotplate here for my poverty apartment for about $9.







This one's actually out in Soweto, but I thought my mom would like to get a look at her global competition in the scone market.

Top of Africa

I went up to the observation floor of the Carlton Center in downtown Johannesburg, which is one of the tallest buildings in Africa. It used to be the tallest, but I think there's some others that have since surpassed it. Maybe. Either way, it's pretty big and offers some sweet views of the city.

In Town and Beyond

These are some pictures of a trip I took out to the suburbs south of Johannesburg, a soccer match, and a little it of downtown Joburg.

A buzzing marketplace in Veeriniging, south of Johannesburg.
All the fruits and vegetables you need in one bag.
Me with food at a Braai, a traditional barbecue. Lamb (all parts...) and pap (which is like a thick mash of maize (or something). We eat with our hands. It's good and messy and somewhat unidentifiable.
Typical living room in the Vaal, about a 45-minute drive south of Johannesburg.
View down the street in the burbs.
More houses.
View to the front.
More views of the burbs.
Oil refinery in the distance.
Happy family in the burbs. Friends of a friend.
Serge is a proud African, and a proud American (well, honorary American. Isn't a belt buckle enough?).
Crazy big fire in the south. There always seems to be something burning here.
The Nelson Mandela Bridge.
The fire in the distance, with the old Park Station in the front. This building is a really cool open area, which would be ideal for a farmer's market. But it's empty and not really used anymore.
Walking on the bridge.
The main railyard in between downtown Johannesburg and nearby Braamfontein (seen from the Nelson Mandela Bridge).
I own you!
At the South Africa v. Bulgaria friendly match at Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg. I met a friend whose company manages some of the players on the national team, Bafana Bafana, so we got in for free. Tickets probably would have cost about $7.
The crowd at the game.
This is what stadium vending is like in Johannesburg. Way cooler than the typical Coke-and-hot-dog stands at American stadia.
The food we bought. It's like a third of a loaf of bread stuffed with some ham, some onions and other veg, and a sausage on top. I think they were about 15 rand each, or about $2.
Me eating.
Friends at the game.
No trading. Street vendors have assigned places where they can sell stuff on the streets in this city. I saw a guy the other day trying to sell bootleg CDs in an unauthorized area, and these cops tried to bust him but he just grabbed all his stuff and ran off.
Cool building downtown.
Provincial government building.
Burned out post office building downtown.
Old building pillars at Constitution Hill, site of many apartheid era trials and a women's prison, amongst other historical sites. Huge tower in the back, one of two that highlight the city's skyline.
Walkway inside building at Constitution Hill.
Cool lobby at Constitution Hill.