south africa: pretoria

It didn't take me long to get from Johannesburg to Pretoria, the trip was actually really easy and quick. I took the gautrain from Park Station in Joburg to Pretoria station. The only problem I had was in finding the correct entrance to the station in Joburg. There are a couple train systems running through Park Station, and I'm pretty sure I walked all over the entire station before I figured out where to go. There are buses there too, which didn't help me.
I walked out of the station, typed the address I wanted into google maps, and started off. I think the walk to my accommodation took about 30 minutes, but I'm not at all sure.

When I'd booked it, I'd realized that most of the accommodation for Pretoria is in the suburbs, while the sights are in the city center. My walk took me across a highway, over a small creek, into a quiet neighborhood.
I got lucky in the timing of my arrival at my accommodation. Check in time was supposed to be around 1400, but I can't remember the last time I paid any attention to such things. When I arrive early somewhere I'm either able to check in early or I leave my bag and go back out into a city. The owner of this place was planning to go out for an hour, just as I arrived.

He stayed a few extra minutes to get me checked in, and gave me some information about the city.
I adored my room straightaway. The decor was charming, and I had a clawfoot bathtub in the bathroom. Just because of how my room looked I already knew I would happily stay there again if I ever go through Pretoria again.
I rested up for a while, then headed out. The owner didn't seem thrilled that I was going to walk, he said it wasn't safe. He wanted me to take a taxi, or uber. Safety is an issue in most South African cities, a sad fact of a modern country.

I walked toward the city center. Along the way I passed a couple apartment complexes, and a small park. I also stopped into a supermarket for some snacks. I walked over train tracks that didn't look as if they'd been used anytime recently. They definitely weren't on the same system on which I'd come into the city.
My first official sight in the city was the Union Gardens. These are the gardens under the Union Buildings, where the government is housed. Since this was winter, there wasn't a lot in bloom, but I still saw a few flowers. There was also a flat grassy area, I saw a few people out having picnics.

On one level of the gardens was a giant statue of Nelson Mandela. Not surprisingly, I wanted a photo. I would've liked to have my photo taken with the GIANT statue, but it seemed the only way that was going to happen was to hand someone my camera, and I wasn't comfortable doing that. I saw several 'professional' photographers, the guys who want you to pay them to take a photo. After you pose, they print the photo out straightaway with a portable printer. It wasn't a good time though, at least not in terms of lighting. The sun was behind the statue, so it was backlit, and the photos weren't great. I took a couple from the side as well, they turned out better.
I did take photos of the WW1 and WW2 memorials. The WW1 memorial was much nicer than that of WW2. There was a statue of a guy on a horse off to one side, I have no idea who or what he was memorializing.

At this point something went wrong with my camera. When I tried to take a photo I kept getting the message telling me there was a memory error. I knew there was plenty of memory available, so I don't know what happened. Problems like this are one reason I carry extra memory cards, so I pulled one of those out, deleted a couple hundred photos, and kept going.
I climbed up the last set of stairs, and tried to figure out how to get up to the courtyard in front of the Union Buildings. Unfortunately, that isn't possible. Unless you have an appointment with a representative, as a visitor it isn't possible to visit. Darnit.
I followed the street, down another side of the gardens. Think of it as a giant circle drive, as opposed to the path through the gardens which was how I came up to the buildings.
I walked along a main downtown street for quite a while. On the way I stopped for lunch, which was fish and chips.

Apparently every cafe and restaurant in the country serves this meal. At least, that's how I felt at this point in my trip.
Eventually I got to Church Square. That's the name of the square, but I didn't see a church anywhere around the square. In the middle of the platz (actually a grassy area,) was a statue of Paul Kruger, the first president of the country. The statue was surrounded by a fence, and heaps of birds were sitting on him. The platz was full of people, some sitting and having picnics. It was also full of rubbish, which I found really sad. Is it that hard to find a rubbish bin? The place would've been so much better if there weren't empty plastic bottles and bags and napkins all over.

I exited the square on another street, and followed it for quite a while. Eventually I got to the Kruger House museum. It was a museum I wanted to see, but I noticed that it was closing soon, so I wouldn't have enough time. Tomorrow, I told myself.
Further along the street I came to a cemetery. Heroe's Acre, I think it was called. It is allegedly the burial place of a number of South Africa's 'heroes.' I put that in quotes because not everyone was a big fan of Paul Kruger, or some of the other folks involved in the founding of the country.

For instance, anyone who was not white. I walked around the entire cemetery, and though I saw a couple signs saying it was open, there were no open gates or doors. In fact, everything I did see was closed with a padlock that clearly hadn't been touched in a while. Too bad. Why leave up signs listing open hours if that isn't true? I peeked in through the surrounding fences, I wish I could've wandered through, to see what was written on the gravestones.
On the way back home, I stopped in front of city hall. The building was pretty big, with a long fountain in front. There was also a statue of a guy on a horse, and another statue as well.

I continued walking, and made it home just after dark. I was hungry, and seriously considered calling an uber to go to dinner, but I ended up being lazy and just stayed in.
The next morning I found out that the breakfast included in my room rate was AMAZING. There was a selection of cereals, juices, tea, and coffee. There was a selection of yogurt, fruit, and toast. The owner asked me what I wanted for hot food: bacon? sausage? tomatoes? eggs? and how exactly did I want my eggs? (And he really knew how to cook eggs so many different ways!) I was so happy.

I walked into the city the same way I'd walked the day before, stopping again at the supermarket for more snacks. I walked over the same railroad tracks, and past the same parks. I walked through Union Gardens again, right up to the street between the gardens and the government buildings. I had more fun watching the people taking photos around the giant Mandela statue.
When I got to the road, I turned right, instead of left as I'd done yesterday. The road went along the top of the gardens, I walked all the way to the top right corner. The reason I walked that way was because I could see part of what was clearly a memorial of some kind, but I couldn't see the entire thing.

As I got there, I could see a sortof outdoor amphitheater. The rows of seats were really wide, the whole place was really quiet. In front was the memorial, so I made my way down the stairs/seats. It was a memorial for fallen police officers. There were engravings of names, and the years they died. I saw one guy with a blanket spread out right at the memorial, which struck me as a little odd. I thought much better of the couple having a picnic somewhere on the lawn of the amphitheater area.

After taking photos, I walked the street again, passing all the vendors. They were selling souvenirs and kitchy stuff, not food.
This time I followed the street to Kruger House again, getting there in time to walk through the museum at a comfortable pace. The entry fee was 60 rand (about $4) and came with a very basic brochure. I saw postcards on sale and asked about prices, they were 6.5 rand each. I told him I would be buying a bunch of them on my way out of the museum. I would've bought more if they'd been cheaper.

Paul Kruger was the first president of what is now known as South Africa.  He was born in what is now Capetown, and took part in the great treks from that area in the 1830s. He was a white man, and very religious. Wikipedia tells me he had no proper education other than what he thought he 'learned' from the Bible. He was president of the South African Republic from 1883 to 1900, and died in 1904.

Each room was left as it was back in the day when Kruger lived in the house with his wife. Though I don't think all the furniture was authentic, it was all at least representative of what would've been in Kruger's house.
Let me just say that there was way too much floral furniture in the house. I'm so glad I didn't have a house of my own during that time, the popular styles of furniture are all waaaay too busy. Plus there was a tendency to have a lot stuffed into a single room. I saw the living room, a couple bedrooms, the kitchen, the pantry, and his home office.
There was an area out back that held several more exhibition areas. One of them was a garage of sorts, which held stage coaches and such. Another was his personal train car!! (This one wasn't open, I could only peek in through the windows.)

One of the exhibits in the backyard included documents in the early years of the South African Republic. There were heaps of documents between many countries, involving many flags that no longer exist or which have been changed over the years. I love seeing all the official calligraphy, even though I have no idea what any of it said.
Another exhibit area had the actual death bed of Kruger. He died while he was traveling in Europe, and the bed was shipped back to the South African Republic.  The reason he was in Europe was essentially self exile.

In 1900 the wars were going against the Boers (the 'side' he represented, as opposed to the British who were also involved in the history of this area,) and he refused to return after the British victory at the end of the 2nd Boer War. Maybe it's just me, but isn't displaying a death bed a bit morbid? I suppose it isn't any different from seeing an embalmed body, but still, it's a bit creepy.
After leaving the Kruger House museum I walked to Freedom Park. It wasn't a short walk, at all. I don't know why, but I thought I would arrive earlier than I did.

The walk took me through an area that I think would be called a township. There were tin shacks as homes, and some barely solid homes. I don't think many white people go walking through there very often, I could feel a lot of eyes on me as I walked. I started to think to myself that maybe there was something to all those warnings about safety, or lack thereof in this country. But nothing happened.
It was a bit confusing to find the correct entrance to Freedom Park. I thought I had an entrance but it turned out to be for vehicles only. The guard at the security post told me where to go.

I got to the ticket office only to be told (by the information guy) that the ticket lady had already left for the day. It was 1530, and the park didn't close for another hour!! Apparently she thought her job was finished after selling tickets to the last official tour of the day? Am I the only one who visited independently?
I was near to tears at this point, as it wasn't a short walk to get to the park. I didn't want to walk home without having seen it. The information guy took pity on me, and called the ticket lady to come back and sell me the entrance ticket, thank goodness.
The park visit begins with a walk through the museum, which would be enough to last a few hours all by itself, if you're so inclined. I wish I'd gotten there earlier in the day so I would've had more time. The museum and park tell the story of the entire continent of Africa, through story, legend, symbolism, photos, and other exhibitions.

It starts with the formation of Earth, the beginning of life, the beginnings of the animal and plants worlds, the beginnings of people, and how everything spread and grew. AMAZING.
The park is INCREDIBLE. It should be a whole lot better known than it is.
After sprinting through the museum, I walked to the outdoor area of the park. It's huge. A lot bigger than I'd expected, and bigger than I had time to properly appreciate. I did my best, though I still felt hurried. I really need to get better about leaving my accomodating earlier in the day!

I got lucky with my late arrival only in one aspect: the sun was setting during the second half of my visit. The sky was gorgeous, full of colour. I took heaps of photos, trying to capture it.
Walking home in the dark was a bit scary, but I kept my head down, while paying attention to what was happening around me.
The next morning I had another amazing breakfast. I really could get used to this! (My waistline stretches just thinking about it!)
This was a Sunday morning, I figured out my walking route, and started walking toward the Voortrekker Monument.

It is a huge monument, and probably the sight in Pretoria for which the city is most well known. It is on the edge of town, even a little out of town, so my walk to get there wasn't short. It was also along a highway, probably not the best decision I've ever made. The weather was great, especially since it was 'winter.'
When I got to the ticket stalls (which were also vehicle entrance points,) the guys selling tickets were stunned I had walked to get there. Apparently no one does this. They even asked me what route I'd taken to walk. Too bad their surprise didn't get me out of paying for my ticket. Hee hee...

Voortrekker Monument is a memorial celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Great Trek(s). These treks generally started in Cape Town and ended in this area in 1838. Voortrekker monument was built in 1938, and a number of people came from around the country then to celebrate the anniversary. The monument is BIG, to say the least.
The monument is on a hill, and is surrounded by other smaller memorials. There is a small graveyard like area, a cactus garden, and an information center.
You could say that Freedom Park celebrates the 'black' history of South Africa, while Voortrekker monument celebrates the white history of the country.
I walked up the steps in front of the monument, there are quite a few. To describe the shape of the monument, I'd say it is the bottom half of an obelisk. A very wide obelisk. There is carving all over. On each of the corners is a statue of one of the men who was one of the leaders of the treks.

At the bottom of the monument, there is a special memorial to the women and children who made the treks.
When I walked into the memorial my ticket was checked, which makes me think there is more than one way to enter the area. It's a big entry hall, the ceiling is really really high. There is also a big hole in the floor, you can look down onto a tomb, and see parts of the museum display on that floor.
In each of the four corners, there is either an elevator or a set of stairs. They'll take you up to the roof/ceiling, which is pretty awesome, at least in terms of views.

You're able to look out over the entire area, which is cool just because. You're also able to look down to the ground floor, seeing that tomb from higher up.
I took the stairs up and down, just because I could. I took heaps of photos, both inside and out. I watched other visitors, just because I could.
Eventually I felt as though I'd seen the entire monument and memorial area, though I'm sure I missed something. For a while it felt as if everytime I turned a corner I found another memorial or bit of info, or view, so who knows.

My next stop was a mall. Yes, a mall. Mostly because I was hoping I would find a bookstore there with a travel guide for the rest of this trip. It was a long walk, and three different cars stopped to offer me a ride. I guess people really don't walk here. Ever.
Brooklyn Square was the mall I was looking for. It's just a mall, but it was exactly what I needed. After wandering through a food area, and a couple hallways with stores, I found a bookstore, and it had travel guides, yippee!! I had originally wanted Lonely Planet South Africa, Leosotho and Swaziland, but they didn't have that one. I ended up getting Lonely Planet Southern Africa.

At the time I was disappointed, but it ended up being a much better book, and exactly what I needed. Yahoo for perfect purchases. I also added money to my phone, and figured out how to buy data at a better rate at a Vodacom store.
On the way out of the mall I stopped at a coffee shop called Muggs and Bean. Not for the coffee, but because of the slices of cake they had on display. I ordered a piece to go, which ended up being a lot bigger than I expected, woo hoo!!
I left the mall and walked down the street to a restaurant called Crawdaddy's. It had had good reviews on travel apps I use, and I was in the mood for both steak and prawns.

I had both, and they were good, but not great. The customer service was great though, which was appreciated.
I walked home from dinner, another not so great decision. Howeva, the streets along which I walked were lit, and deserted.
The next morning I awoke excited for yet another breakfast cooked to order. Is this a common way of breakfasting for travelers in South Africa? If so, I need to spend a LOT more time in this country.
I cleaned up and packed up, then checked out and left my pack behind the office desk.
I walked downtown to see one last sight before leaving town. I wanted to see Melrose House, which was the headquarters of the Anglo folks fighting in the Anglo-Boer War. It was also the sight where the treaty ending the war was signed.
Unfortunately, I didn't do any research ahead of time, and upon arriving read the sign on the front gate.

This sign told me Melrose House isn't open on Mondays. Typical museum schedule, argh. I still took a photo of the front of the building just because I could.
I crossed the street and wandered through Burger Park. There is a nice gazebo in the middle, and it's definitely a place where people hang out. It's also a lot cleaner than some of the other green areas I saw in Pretoria. The downside was the small 'pond' in front of the gazebo. The water wasn't well circulated, I saw a lot of algae/mold/green bubbles. Ick.
On the way back to pick up my pack, I stopped again at the supermarket to pick up snacks. I picked up my pack and walked back to the train station. Since I knew where I was going, the walk didn't seem so long.
I caught the next Gautrain back to Johannesburg, then transferred to a train going to the airport.