After 5 years in South Africa and a total of 10 in Africa moving on is bittersweet.
Category: Johannesburg
Ponte Tower: A Tale of Glamour, Garbage and Gritty Regeneration
Johannesburg's Ponte Tower is infamous, notorious and really really interesting. It embodies the former decadence, ensuing decay and current regeneration of the City of Gold. It's a brutalist, concrete hollow cylinder of a building in the city's Central Business District (CBD). The tallest residential building in Africa, it rises 55 stories tall and along with the… Continue reading Ponte Tower: A Tale of Glamour, Garbage and Gritty Regeneration
Discover Johannesburg’s Top Hikes
For a city as gritty as Johannesburg, you might be surprised to find out just how many fab hiking spots there are in and around it. My friend, American expat Becci Monge has kindly written a guest post with her top local hiking picks. Becci got hooked on hiking last year when she decided (and by… Continue reading Discover Johannesburg’s Top Hikes
Johannesburg CBD: Crime, Burglary, Decay or Culture, Business, Delight?
Johannesburg's Central Business District (CBD) was once the heart of gold rush pioneer town Johannesburg. This is where all the biggest, best and most beautiful buildings were built. Many years later, after first the rise and then fall of apartheid this area deteriorated significantly. Residents and businesses moved out in droves as buildings were hijacked quickly becoming… Continue reading Johannesburg CBD: Crime, Burglary, Decay or Culture, Business, Delight?
Things are getting Spooky in Johannesburg
Maybe it's because Halloween is approaching, but I'm finding Johannesburg a bit spookier than usual at the moment. Spooky Johannesburg First of all we encountered this toxic creature basking in the sunlight. It is a Koppie Foam Grasshopper, a type of bush locust. I reckon its body was about 10cm long. This nightmarish apparition feasts on the… Continue reading Things are getting Spooky in Johannesburg
Generation eXpat: From Statistician to Illustrator
It can be tough being the Trailing Spouse on an expat posting, there are times when you feel like you are the excess baggage. The life and career you had built before is almost certainly on hold or possibly gone forever, particularly if you are not permitted to work in your host country and the… Continue reading Generation eXpat: From Statistician to Illustrator
Horsing Around with the South African Lipizzaners
Lipizzaner Horses Lippizaners are beautiful and usually (but not always) white-coated stallions first bred in the 1500's for military purposes. The horses are highly trainable and are the modern day rockstars of the dressage world. They were originally found in Slovenia and in modern times are closely associated with the Spanish Riding School in Austria. But did you… Continue reading Horsing Around with the South African Lipizzaners
Running an Expat Facebook Group: 10 Lessons
Founding and running and expat Facebook group has its perks and its pitfalls. Here are 10 things I've learnt from running Trailing Spouses Johannesburg (and yes, there are links at the end of the post). Why I Founded an Expat Facebook Group I am THAT woman. I don't know how it happened, but I am… Continue reading Running an Expat Facebook Group: 10 Lessons
Mile High Living: High Altitude Quirks
There are a few quirks to mile high living. I covered the zombie skin you get during Johannesburg's crackling dry winter months in the post High Altitude, Dry Altitude, but there are are other things about life on the Highveld that you might be interested to know about. Dry Altitude In addition to zombie skin, dehydration is something… Continue reading Mile High Living: High Altitude Quirks
Wonder at Johannesburg’s Wonder Cave
The Wonder Cave is just outside Johannesburg, South Africa. Find out why you should visit...
Expatorama 