Folks,
Jo’burg is the hub of business, and money, in South Africa.
Similar to New York City, it has the feel that if you are asleep, you are missing something. Even the tiny shabeen-style bar at the backpacker hostel, with only tourists in it, feels bigger and more lively than others in RSA. You would not believe the parties we have had there …
I sucessfully sold my motorcycle to another tourist here, yippee. Josh is a 7th grade teacher from the Bronx, and was travelling with an old schoolfriend - I helped them buy another bike here as well.
I got mugged in the downtown area - I was not carrying anything of value, and was not hurt. All a part of the South Africa experience .. I was getting too complacent.
I am staying in Yeoville, a traditionally Jewish area of Jo’burg, and one of the few places that it is safe to walk around at night. Nice restaurants, shops, an internet cafe that charges $1 per hour for telnet access …
Talking to a Mali businessman over breakfast, who was complaining that is was very difficult to find reliable business partners in South Africa. He said that their long period of isolation, or something else, meant that though they understand business within RSA and the immediate surrounding countries, they were too impatient to make international trade easy. He was importing hardwoods from West Africa.
Cheers, Andy!