Upon arrival...

We made it! The fourteen hour flight was only somewhat exhausting but was made better by some extra space we used to sleep. Still when we arrived we were jet lagged and anxious about our new surroundings. We managed to get a taxi into downtown Johannesburg. We went to a place called Mandela Square with a giant sculpture of Nelson himself surrounded by a trendy mall and cafes of various sorts. Most people were well dressed and spoke with various accents. Those who we have interacted with here are very nice and helpful. Ashley and I took it all in over tea and lunch. We found a library and rested there until Ashley's friend was able to pick us up after work as a teacher in what equates to a magnet school for for high schoolers from all of Africa.
Driving around is a hair-raising experience partly because I constantly feel like I am on the wrong side of the road and partly because nobody gives a s@#% about the rules and sometimes they actually are on the wrong side of the road. The house where we are now is quite nice and not at all what I expected. It is a thatched roof cottage with three bedrooms and decorated like a South African art museum.
Tomorrow we are going to the botanical gardens and then the Apartheid Museum. We have made a full recovery and our trip north to start our project begins Saturday. We have been warned many times to stay together, not go out at night, and maintain a low profile. Fortunately these are easy tasks and where we are going is much safer than where we are leaving. In it's defense Johannesburg is a beautiful city with lovely people. Apartheid's political ending fifteen years ago has not exactly wiped the slate clean for racial relations and social justice. Tomorrow, our immersion continues...