Pilgrimage! Day 4

Wake up with a sore throat from belting songs until 12 last night with the dominee's daughters :) enjoyed myself so much.

DMZ (Doomz, or dominee) woke me at half past 7 telling me that we leave in 10. Oops. Overslept again... Becoming a trend with me. Must say I'm gunna miss the amazing people of riverlea.

In the taxi

Catching the taxi

Got a taxi (again as a group). Well at least this one was big enough for all of us. Dropped us off in Soweto. Almost got on the wrong road, but we found our destination, the YMCA.

Yes, you heard me right. The YMCA, there really is such a place, it is not just a song and it is right here in Soweto... (really hungry right now).

Walk to the Hector Peterzon museum. Sad and hectic, but better than the apartheid museum, easier to take it all in. Walked on to the Madiba house. Nice to see the history of such a great man. And here comes the personal opinion part that loses me all my readers. I personally feel Madiba has earned the right to die in peace. Away from the mediaand the world. He is now 93 and still plagued by journalists daily. I pity him and wish that on no-one in their old age. The poor man "deserves" a well earned peaceful death.

Walking down Vilakazi street

Awesome graffiti of that iconic photograph

My shadow in front of Madiba's home

On a lighter note, we stopped for bunnychow at the "Madiba Family Restaurant." (highly doubt that they have the support of the Mandela family. they would have at least ensured a non-leaking roof.). The food isn't even that great. But the other pilgrims are. Happy memories of Russians, Dogs' Milk, Fish Milk and some other shit.

Disappointed at not being able to visit another hero of mine's (Desmond Tutu's)  house. And yet he is about the same age as Madiba. contradicting thought eh? Oh well...

And for the first time ever being street smart means I'm a mindless criminal. I'm "robbing a family of their food" because i know never to accept a vendor's first price. Is that right? Do I deserve it?

You gotta love it!

Longest walk to where we are sleeping. Swear we were zig-zagging there. Throats rasping and bodies tired and legs burning... Feels like I'm on the verge of death.

Orlando Station Bridge

Went to the local spaza shop to play some pool and learned my first two Zulu phrases:
1) Give the beer - Leti biea
2) Here's the beer - Nayi biea
Totally feeling the multicultural vibe ;P
Oh yeah, have to admit, nothing quite as hot as a guy playing pool. Hm-mm...

On our way back to the church where we stay, we smell the smoke. A corner shop is burning. Rush to fight the fire. Unfortunately we're of little help. At least the fire truck shows up before the fire spreads to the guy's house.











Feeling like a complete fool. Don't really fit anywhere. Wondering what happened to the communication abilities i had when i was 2 (you know, you could talk to anyone and still sound normal - well as normal as a two-year-old anyway). Can't seem to talk to people anymore. Wish I could remember how. It would make this all a whole lot easier.

Dinner done! Ate pap, meat, salad and bread with my hands! Walking home after we received an offer of 20 000 for our friend's hand in marriage. Almost sold her, then decided 20 000 wasn't nearly enough.

Street soccer going to from dinner

Walk home in dark Soweto was fun. Specially when they gave us a lesson on Limpopo traditional healers (sangomas) versus the evil guys (witches). Did you know a witch can fly on a broom, a spoon or a loaf of brown bread? And that they can send you a heart attack via e-mail? Or the street product of a heart attack or a stroke in a bag? Or that they can kill people with lightning? Well it all depends on you perspective, doesn't it?

Heard gunshots. They still freak me.

Had holy communion. With some yummy hot cross buns.

Taught some astronomy, was fun to feel so smart again.

Amazing conversation about what belief truly is and how we fit into the world. And the concept of eternity (relative to life).

Thinking of passing out soon. Sleeping under the stairs tonight like a real hard-core Spaceranger ;P