South Africa: Johannesburg

As I mentioned in my previous post, this marks my second trip to South Africa. My first work trip here was for three weeks in early 2012. I stayed in Johannesburg for work during the week and spent my weekends on safari in Kruger National Park and exploring Cape Town (more to come on those trips in later back-posts). The current work trip is a little different as I am only in JoBurg for one and a half weeks before heading to Tel Aviv. That being said, I wanted to give myself a little time to rest and explore the city.

Note: the "we" I reference going forward in this post includes myself and two of my co-workers, Amy (Dallas) and Nattaya (Bangkok).

The first weekend we arrived, we toured the Apartheid Museum. I have not been affected by a museum like this since the United States Memorial Holocaust Museum in DC. Growing up, I did not learn about Apartheid in school. We learned about Segregation in the U.S. and the Holocaust but Apartheid seemed to be left out of the curriculum. The museum gives a comprehensive overview of the tragic history of South Africa using all forms of media - print, pictures, videos, recordings, etc. The effects of Apartheid are still visibly apparent in today's South Africa and the museum helps give an understanding of the people and sensitivies still in place today. It is definitely not a place to be missed when going to JoBurg!

Entrance to the Apartheid museum.

The next Saturday was spent eating, drinking and shopping. First, we went to Neighbourgoods Market in Braamfontein, an area of downtown. The market is a spin-off of the original, which started in Cape Town, and is located in a renovated parking garage. It features local vendors selling food, drink and clothing in boutique-style pop-up shops. The market is typically frequented by a younger, hipster crowd, however there were quite a few tourists walking around as well. 

Entrance to the market.

My first stop was a table selling local wine where I paid 20R (~$2) for a glass of their Sauvignon Blanc to sip on while walking around to decide what to eat for lunch. It proved to be a pretty easy decision when I saw the huge paella pans filled with steaming seafood and saffron rice. For 50R (~$5), I munched on a small bowl filled with delicious mussels, prawns and calamari. After the satisfying lunch, we headed upstairs to see what else the market had to offer besides the pesto and olive bar, Thai, sushi, crepes and cupcakes on the first floor. On the second floor, we found more cakes, Argentine meat (cooked by real Argentines unlike the Thai and sushi offered downstairs) and more tables filled with wine. I also spotted an area selling Moscow Mules (vodka, ginger beer and lime for those who do not know) and could not resist trying a South African version of the classic cocktail. Although it was served in a plastic cup, rather than the traditional copper mug, it still had all of the lovely tastes you would expect from a proper Mule - delicious!

Paella collage.

Next stop? Back downstairs for a cupcake! There were too many flavors to choose from - bacon 'n beer, red velvet, double chocolate and lemon meringue, to name a few. I went with the double chocolate and lemon meringue but decided to save them for later. Sadly, the lemon meringue was engulfed with ants when I accidentally left it out on the kitchen counter in my hotel room overnight. The chocolate cupcake ended up going to my driver as an extra token of appreciation for taking us around the city all day. I guess I will have to return to JoBurg soon just to review the local cupcake scene.

Rochelle's Cupcakes

Before leaving the market, I had to check out the local boutique pop-up shops to see if I could score a unique piece of clothing. The area was very small and featured mostly designers from Cape Town, as well as a corner with vintage goodies. I did not make a purchase, however, we spent quite some time chatting with the owner of the vintage store. The shop is called Asseblief, Afrikaans for "please" - as in "oh, please!" She is starting to put all of her pieces on a website and will even ship internationally. Check out the vintage on her facebook page located here https://www.facebook.com/Asseblief?ref=ts&fref=ts until she creates the shopping website. 

Group shot.

After leaving the market, we made a quick pit stop at the African Craft Market of Rosebank for souvenirs. The market sells handcarved wooden masks and animals, stones, jewelry and art, among many other things. I purchased a small piece of art on canvas (bright, abstract buildings - what I always buy when traveling for those who have been to my apartment).

 

The day ended in Mandela Square, home of the 6-meter statue of the famous icon himself. A few cocktails were had at a small cafe, then we ate an authentic African dinner at one of the local restaurants bordering the square. The perfect end to a day about JoBurg.

 

Up next: Israel! I am typing this post from the airport in Frankfurt while on a layover to Tel Aviv, where I will be spending the next 8 days working and sightseeing.

Welcome, Bienvenidos, Benvenuti!

After taking the better part of three (plus) years searching open blog names, I finally found one I not only like, but love! I was originally vying for the title "Que Bellisima" to honor my passion for all things Spanish and Latin American (insert your teasing about Marce here), however that name was already taken. I then moved on to my second favorite language, Spanish's close cousin, la Italiana! With the addition of one "s," I finally arrived at my blog name.

Que Bellissima translates to "how beautiful" - this represents all aspects of life that I enjoy, especially travel, food and drink! I admit there are likely to be posts related to other topics, such as new products, home decor, beauty and fashion (in the hopes people will remember items for certain holidays?). However, as much as I love a new lip stain (right now, Armani Lip Maestro in 400) or bag (I usually stare at the Celine Colorblock Trapeze Tote once a week), my true passion lies in the two actions of traveling and eating.

I owe my obsession with travel and experiencing other cultures to my grandmother, Billie, who began taking our entire family on annual trips when I was five years old. We have now been to the Bahamas, UK and Italy twice each, as well as to Spain, Germany, Mexico, Canada and most of the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii). My grandmother is a retired teacher and always made sure the trips we took growing up were not only fun for the family, but also educational. It is during these trips where I learned there is much, much more in the world than what is confined between the two major coast lines of the United States, and I grew eager to explore more! 

I am fortunate to have parents and a boyfriend who also share my passion for travel and are always up for an adventure - most recently, Paris, Puerto Rico, Barcelona, Cinque Terre and Rome. Not to mention, the countless trips I get to take to Louisiana and Buenos Aires to visit them at their respective homes!

I am also fortunate to have a wonderful job that takes me to the far corners of the earth - Peru, South Africa and Ukraine, to name a few - for three weeks at a time, several times a year.

(When time allows, I will create some back-posts related to the countries I have traveled to in the past.)

What is the best way to experience new cultures when traveling? By eating, of course! So here comes into play my next favorite thing in the world - tasting new dishes anywhere and everywhere, including my own backyard (currently Dallas, Texas). I also adore taking photos of food, most of which I will never look at again but, if need be, I can always look back and reminisce. :)

I am typing this first blog entry from Johannesburg (my second trip here thanks to my current job) and am off to Israel tomorrow evening, so look forward to upcoming blog entries featuring these amazing countries!

I hope you enjoy!

A special thank you to my parents, Marce, extended family and close friends who are supportive of my work travels and absence at special events, birthdays and holidays. I love you!