Over breakfast we met some fellow travelers from our tour who are also here a few days before the official tour begins. He is retired from a company that works closely with the NRC, so he and Bruce had something in common right away. They suggested the restaurant across the parking lot so we had lunch there. Again, giant, delicious portions and prices half of what we would expect to pay in the U.S.
Our friend Joel picked us up in the afternoon and continued to help us understand the parts of the city as we drove to the Oriental Plaza for shopping. Although it got good reviews on TripAdvisor as a tourist destination, we found its shops geared more for local residents looking for clothing, draperies, housewares and small electronics. The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed walking around outside. We also tasted "the best samosas on Johannesburg" per Joel's recommendation.
On our way back to our hotel, Joel dropped us off at the African museum where we viewed an exhibit of photographs and print media from the apartheid era.
After a brief rest and light meal we again joined out friends Joel and Adele for a performance of "A Handful of Keys" at the Monte Casino. The inside od the casino is reminiscent of a Vegas style "environment" of shops and restaurants. It was full,of people from all ethnic backgrounds. The performance was two extremely talented singer/performer/musicians who turned two grand pianos into a playground of music and humor. There was lots of music that we knew, and it was equally fun to listen to the music and cultural references that we were not familiar with.
Joel and Adele are sharing so much of their time with us and helping us to understand Johannesburg and South Africa, and what it means to be Jewish in this city. We are experiencing way more than the typical tourist does and are enjoying the pleasure of new friendships. It doesn't get any better than that!
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