look what the cat dragged in

drug in?

The only reason I'm typing this instead of napping is that in the war between hunger and sleepiness, hunger won.  I'm sitting at an outdoor table a few blocks from my hotel in Johannesburg. I left Istanbul at 6:30 last evening, short layover in Doha, and arrived here around 8:30 am. I am sure I slept in the plane, but I don't remember it. I arrived feeling sort of wrung out. Then there was the usual passport control, changing money, getting my bag and waltzing through customs. The ride to the hotel took nearly an hour and I was starting to fall asleep in the car.

Actually this place I'm staying is a bit more like a cross between a B&B and a hostel than a hotel. It's an old converted sort of open style bungalow, with uneven wood floors, old cupboards, and nooks and crannies everywhere. It oozes charm and character in a shabby yet genteel manner. The grounds, set behind an old stone wall, are lovely, cool and restful in a way that makes you want to find a hammock, a book and a tall cool drink, and while away the afternoon.

But no. The manager of the hotel, whose name is Christina, and I set off for the Mozambique Consulate as soon as possible. She drives a sort of rattle trap cargo van. She conversed with me, talked on the phone, and did a a couple other things as she drove.

A man was stopped in the middle of the road at an intersection, saying he was out of gas, and she gave him some money. This after having said how much (how little) she makes running the hotel, and paying for private school for her son. Sometimes it's those who can least afford it who are the most generous. I tend to get hung up on things like how the gift will be used, which is probably mostly irrelevant.

Every house around here has a high fence, bars, a security service (armed response, or so the sign says), and electric fencing along the top,or some combination. A woman I waited next to at the consulate talked about the problem with crime, particularly theft. It seems to be a recurring theme, especially when Johannesburg is the topic. She and her husband sold their shop a few years ago because they were constantly being robbed.  Even in Melville, the section I'm staying in, many shops have a barred gate that is closed even though the shop is open, so that they can control access. I am used to being careful, especially as a traveler, but this is more than that. I guess we all adapt to our own worlds in time, but as a short term visitor, it's startling.

The jacaranda trees are in bloom, purple all over, and the ground beneath has a carpet of purple snow. The weather is just about perfect, sunny and warm, with a delicious breeze.