Just jump. Oh, and hang on.: Hoppin' Around Joburg

April 13, 2014

A big red sight-seeing bus in Joburg? Don't they only have those in popular tourist city's like New York and London?

Well, there is one in Cape Town, but as any South African will tell you, Cape Town is in a world of its own as far as the rest of Africa is concerned, so it's okay for the Mother City to have a giant tourist bus prowling the streets, but for Jozi? Not so much.

Au contraire. In recent years the city has been working hard to increase its tourist appeal, and to make it easier for people to see the city. Enter the red double-decker bus.

As part of our low-key weekend in Joburg we spent Sunday afternoon checking it out. We got off at a couple of stops, but mostly just rode the bus through the circuit to see the route and explore the scenery from up above. While sceptical at first, I actually really liked this. And not just because it was less stressful than driving through the inner city. More because the commentary was really informative, and the route visits some really interesting sites that we haven't yet managed to explore ourselves. I would definitely recommend this- thanks for surprising me yet again, Joburg!

Here we go!

Obligatory selfie.

The open top of the bus is ideal for photography...but not so ideal for keeping my hair in place.

First stop: the Mining district.

In the middle of the mining district is a mining headgear (the above-ground structure of a mine shaft).

No idea what the name or significance of this statue is, but it makes sense to having a mining statue in the Mining District.

Notice all four taxis running the red?

Mom, you can't sell fruit on either side of the street.

Mapungubwe Rhino on Main Street Mall.

Impala Stampede sculpture (also known as "Leaping Impala" by Herman Wald). This sculpture was donated in the 60's, however with the decline of the inner city in the 90's the sculpture was vandalized and parts were stolen for scrap metal. It was then replaced in 2002, and now represents the refurbishment and and rebirth that the city has undergone in recent years.

The Impala Stampede is Joburg's Eiffel Tower. Families used to come here to take their picture with this statue in the background.

Just as we were leaving the mining district, a precession of some sort was taking place down the street.

Run, M, Run! Don't let the bus leave without us!

Joburg's famous (and giant) taxi rank- where the trains and buses converge and passengers transfer to local taxis to be transported to various parts of the city.

The iconic Nelson Mandela bridge. Inaugurated in 2003 by Mr.Mandela himself, it represents the symbolic joining of two "South Africas" as it joins the inner city to the northern suburbs.

Mom and Dad checking out the street art.

I'm far from an expert on graffiti, but I've read that there is a whole global culture that reveres Joburg for its graffiti artists and for honouring their masterpieces (the city actually encourages graffiti to be painted to help beatify the city and has festivals to encourage publicity over some of the city's more popular pieces).

Next stop: Lunch in Braamfontein. I think this sign is new, as I've never noticed it before. It looks like it's made entirely of bottle caps.

Pop-up market: Mom and I did a little shopping whilst waiting for lunch at 86 Public.

Lunch in Braamies.

Jamaican-looking guy playing South African tunes over lunch.

Dad having a chat with the security guard.

Enjoying the view from the top (clearly the Hop-On bus hasn't really caught on yet in Joburg...I think this is the largest number of passengers we encountered during our afternoon tour).

Statue of Carl von Bradis (Johannesburg's first magistrate and mining commissioner) outside of the Johannesburg High Court.

Rissik Street Post Office - one of Jozi's most historic landmarks (complete with a traditional taxi bus passing by...clearly I planned this shot...or else I just got lucky).