Hungary: Budapest, the end of an amazing summer

This visit to Budapest wasn't a proper visit, (I was there less than 24 hours, it was just a layover on the way back to Kyiv,) but I did go for a walk while I was there. 

I flew from Belgrade to Budapest, then took public transport into the city to my airbnb accommodation. I've done this four or five times now, I've gotten to know the system pretty well. I'm sure some people care what side of the river they stay on (Buda or Pest,) but it really doesn't matter to me. Every time I've visited this city I've stayed in a different place, and they've all been pretty good.

After relaxing for a while, (too long, but I never get going as soon as I think I will,) I started walking. My first stop was St Stephen's church, one of the showpieces of the city. It's one of few churches that continue to amaze me, no matter how often or how many times I see it.  The exterior catches your eye because of where it is located, and the plaza in front kindof makes you notice the church; the interior is just plain stunning.

Unfortunately, it was closed to the public when I arrived, due to a concert taking place. If I'd gotten moving out of my accomodation earlier like I'd planned I would've been able to go inside. Argh. If I'd had an hour to wait around, it was going to open up again, but I didn't have that time. Argh. I took a photo of the front door, which is always closed. (Visitors enter through a side door.) The door is impressive too, if you take the time to look at it. 

From there I headed straight up the street to the river, and followed the river to one of budapest's many bridges. (I don't remember which bridge.) I think all the bridges have pedestrian areas, which is awesome. Locals walk across the bridges, so do tourists. Though if you want, there is also public transport going just about anywhere you want to go. As long as it isn't raining, I prefer to walk.

On the other side of the bridge I arrived at Gellert Baths. 

Gellert Baths is one of the thermal bathing complexes for which Budapest is famous. There are a bunch of them around the city, (I don't know the exact number, does anyone? I'd love to try them all.) I was excited to try a different one from what I've experienced previously. 

Gellert Baths was built in the early 20th century (1912-1918) and everything about it is really grand. You feel a sense of awe as soon as you walk in. I'm sure I'm not the only tourist who walks into the entry gallery and immediately pulls out a camera and clicks away. A really high ceiling, with glass that lets in natural light. A statue at one end. Whoeva designed this area was amazing.

There is a hotel attached, and sometimes you remember that people used to come to Budapest just to stay in a hotel like this one and spend days in the baths. I'm pretty sure there are still plenty of people who do this, just because they can.

I figured out where to buy my entrance ticket, and found my way to the locker room. I bought just a locker ticket, I didn't feel the need to get a whole changing cabin to myself. They give you a special armband to use with your locker, which is convenient once you figure out how to use it. 

I changed into my bikini, grabbed a towel, put on my jandals (flip flops, thongs, etc... Depending on what version of English you speak) and went exploring. As with all these complexes, it isn't easy to find your way around during your first visit. Since this is one of the more touristy baths, most of the signs are in Hungarian and English, with pictures to help anyone who doesn't speak either of those languages.

I ended up on the roof at first. (There is even a separate entry ticket for people who only want to spend time in the pools on the roof.) There is a wave pool up there!! There is also an area filled with lounge chairs, another warm pool, a sauna, and a huge barrel filled with cold water. I spent time floating around all of them, just because I could. I took photos too :)

Next I went back into the building, eventually finding my way to the indoor swimming pool. I'm not sure why, but this is the only pool in the entire complex where you are required to wear a swim cap. There are no lane lines, and I didn't see people actually swimming up and down, but oh well. There was a lifeguard though. I heard another guest ask him a question, and he answered that he was still very new to the job so he didn't know where everything is located. It is another grand looking and feeling area. The ceiling is actually a window, so the natural light is awesome. Does that mean it gets really dark in there in the middle of winter? Hmmm...Maybe I should go back to find out?

From there I found my way to several thermal pools and a steam room. The steam room was interesting, if only because neon lights made everything a bit creepy-ish. Neon green lights in a room almost completely filled with steam means you don't see very much. I stayed in there just a few minutes, and didn't realize there was someone else in there as well until just before I left!!
 The showers in that area were tiled mosaic. Whoa.

I went back and forth in these thermal pools, feeling the temperature differences and watching people. You see all kinds of body types and personalities in these baths. 

After I was well and truly pickled, I went back to the locker room, showered and dressed. 

I had dinner, then stopped at a supermarket for breakfast food, and got back to my accommodation easily. I love how walkable Budapest is. 

The next morning I was up early to catch a metro train to a bus, and the bus to the airport, then a flight back to kyiv.

What a great summer. 

serbia: belgrade

My Air Serbia flight from UAE to Belgrade landed around noon. The flight was easy, and the food was decent. I got my passport stamped, found an ATM, and took a taxi to my accomodation. I called my host, who let me in to the apartment.

It was a lofted apartment, so I felt like a queen looking down from the bedroom to the living room area. I relaxed for a couple hours, then started walking into the city. It felt like a home, and after two flights plus the trains on which I'd spent the day in South Africa, it was really nice to have a place to gather my thoughts for a few moments.

I found a pedestrian street in the middle of the city center, which felt really European to me. There were cafes with outdoor tables, shops with random stuff, It was nice to walk, and watch people. There were also several gelato stands, which were tempting but I somehow restrained myself.

I found a Serbian SIM card in ont of these shops. It was nice to have internet access everywhere again.

Eventually I ended up in front of the National Parliament building. To me it looked big, and fancy communist. Given the history of Belgrade, this sort of thing is possible.

Of course, I could also be totally wrong about the history of the building. In front of the building was a looong banner, stretched out on a barrier of some sort. It wasn't a barrier, just a way to display the banner. I have no idea what the banner said, it didn't matter much to me.

Close to this building was a park called Pioneers Park. There wasn't much to it, but I did notice what I think is the Russian Embassy on one side of the park. It is a grand building, to say the least. If I hadn't seen the flag on the building I would've assumed it was another Serbian government building.

I kept walking, and found St Marks church. In order to find the entrance I ended up walking around almost the entire church. The outside is really eye catching, you can't miss it. I wasn't nearly as impressed by the interior, which is mostly white; except for the iconostasis, of course. There is also a tomb on one side, and various icons all around. There was a steady but not large flow of visitors while I was inside. As usual, a church is a great place to watch people. 

I followed another street, all the way to another church called St Sava. According to various sources this is one of the largest (Orthodox) churches in the world. Top 3 I think. The walls are 40 meters high, which is pretty impressive. You can't miss it, mostly because it is so big. When I entered, I was less than impressed. The interior isn't yet finished. It was dark, and mostly concrete, still somewhat covered by tarps. The construction of this church began a long time ago, and is still going, through a few wars, government changes and the like.

On the way back to the flat I stopped in a supermarket to pick up breakfast food and dinner.

The next morning I got up early enough to wander through the fortress gardens for a little while. Since it was the end of August, there was plenty in bloom, and people wandering around. I got to the fortress itself, but didn't go in. I walked along one length of the wall, looking at the tanks and other military vehicles on display.

After a short while I called a taxi to go to the airport. Traffic was light, and Bo's flight landed only a few minutes late. We found each other, and took another taxi back into the city, back to the flat. Bo liked it just as much as I did. I still had the donuts from Krispy Kreme in Johannesburg, I hadn't opened that box at all until then, we split a couple donuts.

We walked out into the city, back to the pedestrian street I'd walked the day before. Not far from this street was a sight I'd found listed on a travel app, one different from anything I've visited before.

The national bank has an currency exhibition area, where previous currencies and histories are on display. We got to the front door, and learned that there is a dress code for visitors! Since I was wearing shorts, as was Bo, we ran back to the flat to change. Neither one of us was keen about this, since it was hot outside. Running back and forth didn't help anything.

With our change of clothes we got back to the natioanl bank, went through a security gate, and into the exhibition area. There was a man waiting for us, as there is one activity visitors love. They'll take your picture with a computer, then print your face on fake Serbian currency. I can't help it, I loved it. I think of it as 'my' money, hee hee.

We looked at all the different currencies on display, nearly all of them had been in use in the area at various times during history. We read displays telling us about a specific time in history, just after the fall of communism, when there was hyperinflation.

During this time people were wheeling around wheelbarrows of cash, as it was nearly worthless. I loved wandering around this area.

The rest of the day we followed mostly the same path I'd walked the day before. We walked through Pioneer Park, back to St Marks. Bo felt the same way I did about the church, in that the outside is much more eye catching than the inside.

We also walked to St Sava, about which I was less than excited. Bo was as surprised as I was when he saw the incomplete interior. Both of us wondered if there is a plan for finishing everything, and when that might be.

We took a different street to walk back to the cafe area I'd first seen, just because we wanted to see a different street. When we got back there, we had dinner at one of those cafes. I couldn't help it, as I knew the portions were big, and I was really hungry. The portions were indeed big, so big that I needed a takeaway box. Of course, not finishing my food didn't stop me from buying a bit of gelato afterward.

We also stopped at a small supermarket on the way home to pick up breakfast food.

The next morning we ate that food, and a couple more donuts.

We walked again, aiming for somewhere different from the day before. All along the way we took photos, because both of us love to do so. We saw public transport for the city, and a few parks. At one point Bo noticed something he'd been looking for, I had no previous idea it existed. This was the (now former) cafe where the first public showing of a movie took place in the country, only 5 months after it first happened in Paris. It was closed, but each of us took photos in front of the cafe, just because.

We walked to the Tesla Museum, and decided to wait for a guided tour, which was included in the price of the ticket if we wanted.

We found lunch at a random milk bar (cafeteria style place that is really cheap,) not too far away. I ended up with far more than I should've eaten, buuuutttttt....

Back at the museum, our guide started by showing a short video about the life of Nikolai Tesla. The video and guide assumed a basic understanding of science, and much of what Tesla did, which made it a bit more difficult to understand for me. I am not scientifically minded, at all. Things that seem so obvious to others don't seem that way to me. That being said, I still enjoyed what I was seeing and learning.

Our guide also had a few demonstrations for us, great fun. I got to be electrocuted! It didn't hurt, of course. Instead, it was more of a tickling sensation. We got to see how things light up, and how current travels invisibly. There were displays of several machines that displayed the knowledge and understanding Tesla had, and we were given explanations of how these machines helped society.

After the tour we wandered through another couple rooms, looking at personal possessions of Tesla, including some of his gloves. Apparently he wore them pretty much all the time.

After the museum we made our way over to the river in the city. Along the way we passed a number of buildings with giant wall murals, they were awesome. We also saw a couple churches, one of which required me to put on a wraparound skirt before I could go in the sanctuary.

The Sava is a major river, and during summer is a great place for walking. We started our visit on one side, winding our way down through a residential neighborhood. We found a couple small courtyards, and while they were definitely still lived in, there was clearly not a lot of money in the pockets of the inhabitants.

When we finally got to the river, we had to run across the road to avoid traffic. I turned around to take a photo, and took a step without looking first. That step was a mistake, as the leg ran hard into a pole in the ground that I didn't see. IT HURT. A lot. I knew immediately I was going to have a major bruise in tht middle of my thigh. Ugh.

We climbed back up to a bridge, and crossed the river that way. The city planners hadn't been thinking, as one side of the bridge was closed to pedestrians. This meant that everyone walking (both directions,) AND everyone riding a bike (both directions,) were on one side of the bridge, in an area not even as wide as one car lane.

I think we would've spent more time on the bridge except that we were annoyed by not being able to walk more than a few steps without having to slightly change directions to avoid someone. I don't know why the other side was closed, I hope there was a good reason.

The sun was starting to go down when we got to the other side of the bridge, so we didn't really stay over there to walk or explore. Instead we went back over the bridge and up the road. We meandered our way back to the pedestrian street, stopping at a bakery along the way for snacks for Bo. (I'd eaten popcorn after the museum earlier in the day so I was still full from that.)

We also found a souvenir store with mugs and magnets and postcards and other random stuff. I made note of what I wanted to buy the next day.

We didn't feel like sitting in a restaurant or cafe for another large meal, so we found a grocery store for dinner instead. I found a brand of canned tuna named after me! Between the leftover pasta from the night before and the tuna I had plenty to eat.

The next morning we got up early-ish so we could explore the fortress. We walked through the gardens and took a look at the military vehicles.
Instead of going through the front gate we walked through what used to be the moat, circling around the fortress to the back side, which is on a hill.
Back there we found another bridge and gate, as well as a small church. We figured out how to get into the church (had to find a smallish and not super obvious staircase to get down to that platz,) and stood for a moment. I think there was a baptism going on in front, but most people were going in and out. It didn't take us long to look at everything, as the church was quite small. Though the outside seemed new-ish, it also seemed really quaint.

At that point we had to start to take time into account. We wanted to see a little more, but we also had to start heading back toward the flat. We strolled through another area of the gardens in front, I liked the blooming flowers.

When we got back to the flat we packed everything up, closed and locked the doors, and checked out by leaving the key slightly buried in the potted plant outside the door.

Since I was staying an additional day in Belgrade (I waited too long to book tickets back to Kyiv, so I had to stay an extra day in Belgrade and make another stopover as well,) and Bo was not, we walked to my next accomodation and got everything sorted.

From there we walked back toward the city center on streets new to us. Bo had lunch by getting a large slice of pizza at a small takeaway place.

From there I called a taxi to take Bo to the airport. We said goodbye, and I started walking again.

My next walk was much longer. I walked all the way to Tito's Mausoleum, which is most definitely not in the city center. I passed a few falling down buildings, a few churches, and random residential areas. I walked on a bridge going over train tracks, and through a park.

Google maps showed me how to get there, or so I thought. Everything was good until I realized one road didn't go all the way through, so I had to walk all the way around another area to get to an entrance to the area on the other side.

Officially called the House of Flowers, the mausoleum is actually a complex of several buildings. There is of course the building with his tomb inside. The tomb itself isn't nearly as spectacular as I expected it to be. The building has a large skylight, which I really liked. On one side were photos of him along with his history, and Serbian/Yugoslavian history during his lifetime.

On another side were displays of some of the many torches given to him while he was in power.

Another building is a display of some of the items given to Tito as gifts during his time in charge. As with any such leader, there were a LOT of gifts. More torches were displayed, along with a globe, a radio, a robot, and plenty more. It was interesting to see the variety on display, and to note who gave gifts.

Yet a third building was supposed to be a museum of some kind, but I found only one room, and I couldn't figure out what it was supposed to be telling me. I really hope it is still under construction.

There is a fountain in front of this one, and the landscaping continues down the incline until you get to the main road.

When I left the area I realized I was really dehydrated, as I'd done all my walking during the day without drinking anything. Fortunately there was a small stall selling everything I might possibly need, thank goodness.

From there I walked back to the pedestrian area, mostly so I could buy postcards, and a mug. (Not that I needed a mug, as I have plenty of those, mostly from trips like this one.) The lady remembered me from the night before, and even remembered that I'd been looking for a frog for my sister. Yay!! (Especially because she found one for me!)

The next morning I woke up, packed up, and took a taxi to the airport. It was an easy and short flight to my 'layover' in Budapest.

I'd like to come back to Serbia, though I don't know how much time I will spend in Belgrade. I'd also like to see the rest of the former Yugoslavia.

south africa: johannesburg

I landed in the airport in Johannesburg and immediately discovered that I'd lost my South African SIM card, much to my frustration. Since it was just after midnight, there were no shops open from where I could buy a new card. Not having a working SIM card meant I had no access to any internet, or any apps. I'd booked a place through AirBnb, but without a SIM card I couldn't get the phone number I needed, though I did have the address. 

I ended up asking a taxi driver at the airport (I couldn't access uber either, which I really would've preferred, as it would've been heaps cheaper,) to take me to the address I had. Of course lucky me chose a guy who didn't have a smart phone, so he couldn't plus anything into GPS. He got lost a couple times, ugh. 

We finally got the right address, only to find a security gate that wouldn't let me through, and was very hesitant to call the home. I understood their hesitation, but I begged, and I think he understood that otherwise I had nowhere else to go. Fortunately the phone was answered, and I was let in. 

My room in the home was really cozy, and I wish I'd arrived earlier. The couple was older and retired, and very friendly. Since it was around 2 in the morning, it didn't take me long to fall asleep. The next morning they cooked me a full English breakfast, then I packed up. They took me to a mall so I could get another SIM card, much to my relief. After this, they took me to my next accommodation, in another area of the city. I loved this couple, and I'm thankful they let me stay at their place after arriving in the middle of the night. 

My next accommodation checked me in, I had a cottage on the property. This guy was a journalist. In the cottage was a binder filled with information on available activities, tours, sights, and restaurants. Really really helpful. 

After relaxing for a while I walked to the apartheid museum. It was a long walk, and took me through a couple sketchy areas of the city. At one point I had to double back and figure out another way to go because a gate was closed. 

The museum was well designed, and is a very intense experience. When you buy a ticket, it includes a slip of paper saying which entrance you should use. They want you to experience a very small part of what apartheid used to be like, when there were multiple entrances for early everything. 

I went through the whites only entrance, which was definitely a lot easier (wider and less crowded,) than the blacks and coloureds entrance. 

As I said earlier, walking through this museum is intense. It isn't a pleasant experience, but it is necessary, in order to learn and remember the evil that was a legal part of this country for so long. 

There are exhibits on the history of the laws that made apartheid legal, bit by bit. There are exhibits on the people affected, which was everyone. There are a few videos, more than one of which I couldn't watch all the way through. Some of the violence perpetrated in the name of the law was disgusting. How do people do such awful things to each other? How do people believe others are worth less?

I'd planned to walk home, but when I walked out of the museum it was raining, so I arranged an under taxi. 

The next morning I went to a nearby place called De La Creme Patisserie. YUM. A scone, omelet, and tea were more than adequate. 

From there I walked to a grocery store, buying loose leaf tea and other drinks. From there I walked to a mall, where I found two more large supermarkets. I bought more tea, yogurt, and snacks. 

During that part of the walk I passed a park with a pond. There were rowboats on the lake, very cute to watch couples and families. 

The mall was huge; in addition to the two supermarkets there were multiple levels, shops, and buildings. I got turned around several times, ooops. 

I walked home to drop off my stuff, then got another uber taxi. This driver took me to a massage parlor, where I'd arranged a hot stone massage for 90 minutes. It felt amazing. I slept like a baby that night. 

The next morning Elvis picked me up at 0930. Our first stop was the wealthy area of Johannesburg. Those houses are big, and the security walls are thick. Other than a lot of money I wonder how much of a community tie there is in this area. After becoming president, Nelson Mandela lived in this area, it's called Houghton Estate. We stopped near his house, which still used. There are memorial rocks (small stones, decorated by private citizens who wanted to leave a momento,) in several areas in front of the house. 

Our next stop was Constitution Hill, Constitution Court in particular. Though I'd wandered through a couple months earlier, this time I learned a lot more from Elvis. I love the tradition and thought that went into building this court, and I love that it's open to the public. 

After the court we drove through Hillbrow, the most dangerous area of the city. Should I have known that when I first arrived in South Africa? I don't know. Since we were in the van, I asked Elvis to stop so I could take a photo. 

We drove the the apartheid museum. Even though I'd visited before, I appreciated the chance to go through again, taking a look at areas I hadn't seen. To see everything and take it all in, you really need at least half a day, if not longer. Despite my two visits I still haven't seen all the exhibits. 

Our next stop was Soweto. The name is actually an acronym for SOuthWEstTOwnships, and the area is HUGE. It's a lot bigger than I expected, and much bigger than international media ever portrayed. There are still a lot of people living in the area, much to the chagrin of the current government. The government wants people to move into newly built homes, and start paying rent. I can understand why people don't want to do that. 

When these townships were first created it was in order to have a place for miners and household employees to live. At the time, the government said this housing was adequate, but it didn't have running water or electricity, which only arrived after the fall of apartheid. People lived in shacks. That didn't stop vibrant communities from forming, complete with businesses and shops. 

Not all the homes in Soweto are shacks, though some still are. I could see some informal settlements off in the distance. Some homes are very middle class, with security walls and gates. 

There are a couple electric towers in Soweto, the photos are iconic. Unfortunately, those towers never provided power to the areas surrounding it. They're no longer functional, at least not as power towers. 

Our next stop was another area in Soweto, a street known as Vilikazi st. Two Nobel Peace Prize winners came from this street, the only time in history this has happened. The street has been paved and turned into a commercial/tourist area. We had lunch at a buffet place on the street. Elvis said it was typical food of the country.

This specific neighborhood of Soweto is known as West Orlando, and is where Nelson Mandela lived with his family for a while. I went through the house, it's hard to miss. It's small, only four rooms; two of the rooms are bedrooms. There are markers on the floor, showing where the boundaries were, and there are signs on each wall describing each room. None of the original furniture is still in the house. What is original are the bullet holes still in the front of the house. I can't even begin to imagine the terror felt by the family as they lived there. 

Down the street from Mandela's house is the school at which started the 1976 school uprising. The school is still open and functioning. This uprising started because of the passing of the Bantu Education Act in 1953, enforcing the education policies of apartheid.

On the day in 1976, schoolchildren had decided to go on strike, and the protest was to start on a street corner near the school. A student by the name of Hector Pieterson was shot by the police, the photo of another student carrying Pieterson body is one of those iconic photos known by people around the world. 

The memorial dedicated to Pieterson is located a couple blocks away, because that is where there was enough space to do it properly. There is a museum here too, but we didn't go in. 

Elvis drove me home, after a full day of learning and watching. I'm really glad I did this tour. 

After getting home, I walked to a nearby Indian restaurant to get curry. YUM. 

Read another post about my day trip to the Sterkfontein Caves, Cradle of Humankind, and the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve. 

After returning from Pretoria the day after that, I stopped at Rosebank Mall again. I had seen a Krispy Kreme shop in there, and decided to buy some just because I could. From there I took another uber taxi home. I went back to the Indian restaurant and got another curry to take with me on the plane. 

I packed everything, taking it all with me back to Park Station, where I caught a Gautrain to the airport. I still had yogurt with me, which I couldn't take with me through security. The guys who working there laughed as I stood there and ate a LOT of yogurt. For the first time ever, I tried to get a VAT refund, the process was annoying. 

They process it, take a commission, then print a check. When you go to cash the check you have to pay taxes (on your refunded taxes!!) and a fee to get your money. Argh. I spent what I did get back on postcards, which always make me happy. 

I will definitely be back to South Africa, it's an amazing country. 

south africa: pretoria

The first time I went to Pretoria I'd seen the outside of Melrose House, but it had been closed when I wanted to visit. 

I decided to go back during the last few days of my summer trip. I rode the Gautrain to Pretoria, it's a really easy and quick ride. 

It was a quick walk to Melrose House, a Victorian House. During the Anglo Boer wars this was the headquarters for the British forces fighting in the war. It is also where the treaty ending the war (called the Vereeniging treaty,) was signed. 

The entry fee is small, almost nominal. The entire house is still decorated, though some of the pieces only represent what would've been in the house during those days. Each room was differently decorated, and served a different purpose for a family. 

I can't imagine living in such a house, as Victorian decoration is far too busy for my taste. There were so many flowers (and "delicate" wallpaper and items all over the place. 
I walked through all the rooms on the 1st, 2nd, and attic floors. I also peeked into the greenhouse. I love history.  I loved the stained glass that was part of the entry way.

After the museum I took an uber taxi to Brooklyn Square Mall, where I'd puchased my guidebook earlier in my trip. This time I was on the hunt for crispy M&Ms. I also bought a bottle of multivitamins. In the mall was also a supermarket, where I bought yogurt and a drink. 

I caught another uber taxi back to the train station and went back to Johannesburg. 

I probably won't come back to Pretoria, but I really like the city. 

south africa: cradle of humankind: sterkfontein caves and maropeng; rhino and lion nature reserve

Toward the end of my trip I decided to spend a few days in Johannesburg. One of those days I used to go on a day trip to a couple places nearby. 

The first is area often called the Cradle of Mankind. As far as scientists have been able to tell, this is where humans (as we know them) first existed, and from where worldwide migration started. 

My driver picked me up, and we drove north (I think) from Joburg. Along the way he pointed out new developments, and where the city used to stop. It's putting it mildly to say that the city is growing quickly. 

We arrived at a place in the cradle called the Sterkfontein Caves. Inside this cave system (which has never been fully explored but is thought to be quite large,) is where the oldest human remains were found. Very very very old remains. 

I walked into the visitors center and bought my entrance tickets to both this place and the cradle of humankind museum. From there I went into the exhibition area, which is where people wait when their tour starts soon. 

The exhibition area describes the formation of the planet, early life, and the history of humanity as we know it. It also gives a basic description of how these caves were formed, and has a few fossils on display. Everything is done really well. It's interesting, and informational. I was almost disappointed when they called out to everyone to say that the tour would be starting, as I hadn't finished seeing/reading everything. 

To do this tour you have to wear a hard hat. At first I thought it was a bit silly, but after knocking my head a couple times during the tour, I was glad to have it. Your choices are orange or blue, I went with blue. 

Our guide took us to an entry of the cave area. It is gated, so you can't get in there without a group tour. She gave a quick spiel about how everything formed, and a quick overview of what we would be seeing. 

These caves were originally discovered (in modern times) by miners looking for limestone. Those miners are the reason the caves don't look as fantastic as they once did. They set off explosives which broke the stalactites, and put a lot of black/brown dust on the surfaces we could see, argh. If that hadn't happened, we would've seen a lot of white and crystal. Oh well. 

Our guide pointed out where long fossilized remains had been found of Mrs Pless, (though they think now that the remains are of a juvenile boy,) behind a locked gate. 

She also pointed out the hole through which they think he fell into the cave. There is no evidence in the cave of it having ever been used as a habitat, so archaeologists are fairly certain that his fall was an accident. Though death is never celebrated, archaeologists are glad it happened the way it did, so the remains were available for study. The remains are OLD, part of a group of hominids called Australopithecus. (I think. Scientific names and specific distinctions aren't easy for me.) The remains are at least two million years old. Like I said, they're OLD. These particular remains were found in 1947, and there have been excavations ever since. 

We got to see the top of a lake, the bottom and full extent of which have never been explored. Once divers were allowed, but at one point a diver ran out of air and got stuck (I think,) and died. 

After that, the people in charge decided it would have to remain unknown. I wonder if that will ever change. The lake was quite pretty, and we could see stalactites reaching down toward the water. 

We exited the caves, seeing a group of school kids coming out soon after us. As we exited, we passed two statues. Touching each of them in various places is considered good luck, or will bring your money or wisdom. Obviously, there was a lot of rubbing going on, by everyone in the group. 

I tipped the guide, and said thanks. She did a great job of speaking clearly and giving enough information without being boring. She also kept our group together, which is never easy, especially when not everyone speaks the same language. 

After the caves, Elvis drove me to our next stop, the Cradle of Humankind Museum in Maropeng. Very unique architecture, to say the least. Most of the museum (all of the exhibit area,) is underground, and the way visitors get there is to ride a man made river on a raft. The ride takes you through the formation of the galaxy, then the earth. The ride was fun, and even though I like learning, this made it even better. 

In the museum I got to see great exhibits on the history of man and various species. I saw exhibits on evolution. There were exhibits on the life of modern times, the effects of humans on the earth, and what the future might hold. 

It was a fantastic museum, and should be on everyone's must see list. 

Out back of the museum I was offered views over much of the surrounding countryside. It was incredible to stand there and know that I was where the birth of mankind started. 

After the museum Elvis took me to the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve. The name is a misnomer, as there are more animals in there than just rhinos and lions. I got to see zebras (they didn't immediately run away!) and kudus and antelopes and tigers and ostriches too. I even got to see a young giraffe, which didn't make much sense since there weren't any trees in the area for them to eat. 

I got to see two groups of lions, both of them laying around and dozing in the sun. One of the groups was white lions, the others were 'normal.' 

After this visit I realized I'd seen four of the big 5 animals of South Africa during this trip. Yay! 

We drove back to Johannesburg, getting partly stuck in the beginning of rush hour. Along the way we passed a couple informal settlements, which still exist all over the country, despite apartheid no longer being legal. 

Elvis is a fantastic tour guide.