About Me

I ramble about a number of things - but travel experiences, movies and music feature prominently. See my label cloud for a better idea. All comnments and opinions on this blog are my own, and do not in any way reflect the opinions/position of my employer (past/current/future).

17 May 2007

Jo'burg Notes

So, Stephen and I was in Jo'burg for IFIP Sec 2007, for the past three days. I am not a big fan of Jo'burg, and every time I go there, I am reminded why, I am not a big fan of Jo'burg. We stayed at the Parkmore Lodge, a quiet little B & B near Sandton; definitely a place to consider next time I am in Jo'burg.

And most of the gripes is about the drivers and the roads. The traffic is horrible, but I suppose it's not anything different to the M5 in Cape Town. But, for the richest city in Africa, the road conditions are terrible, especially at night. For example, the road marking at night are hardly visible in some places, and I am not the only one who thinks that. And then there are the drivers - who all seem to be in a rush, and not care about anybody else on the roads. Everyday, there seemed to be some one who decided to turn in front of us (to cross the road), even though we (and others on the road) have the right of way, and are actually moving forward. No wonder there are so many road accidents!

On Monday night, Stephen and I met up with Siya and Reinhardt at a restaurant (the Butcher's Shop and Grill) on the Nelson Mandela Square. Phathu was also supposed to come along, but unfortunately he was feeling ill - hope he gets better soon.

Things I was hoping to see, but saw no evidence of: the intelligent highway and the Gautrain.

Things I was hoping not to experience and didn't experience: The famous Jo'burg crime.

Coincidence: Parked next to our car (a white Toyota Corolla 160i) was a white Toyota Corolla 140i whose number plate started with the same first three letters!

Oh yeah, had the most expensive ice cream at the Sandton store of Häagen-Dazs. Really worth the price!

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