Lephalale

After spending a nice weekend in Johannesburg, we headed up to Lephalale which at the time would be my home for the next three months. South Africa is so different from America. It was quite a culture shock. Before we left JoBurg we went to two craft fairs. These were places that are subsidized by the municipality so local craftsmen can sell their products to locals and tourist. I did not get anything as I already have too much stuff. In any case the shop keepers were eager to sell stuff. One thing that struck me about South Africa was how colorful every thing is. Perhaps it is in response to the surroundings. Unlike America, water is used sparingly so there are not many places with lush gardens.

Just outside of JoBurg is a gas station that spans the N1 called Total Petroport Panorama. We stopped here to fuel up and get lunch. Two chains are owned by the same company and are often co-located, Steers which is a hamburger joint and Debonairs which is a pizza place. My second fast food meal in South Africa ended up being a burger. In South Africa french fries are called chips. I also learned that if you ask for a napkin people think you want a diaper which are called nappies. If you want a napkin you ask for a serviet.

To get to Lephalale you take the N1 the R33 near Modimole. Modimole is a little town and is about the halfway point to Lephalale. One of the things you pass is the jail. There is a man called the Monster of Modimole who murdered his wife being held prisoner there.

In my time in South Africa I took over 20,000 photos. These were for work and for my personal travels. One thing I did not take a picture of is the view of the Matimba and Medupi Power Stations as you crest the mountains on the way into Lephalale. It is pretty impressive.

Lephalale was originally called Ellisras, named after the Ellis and the Ras families. There is a push in South Africa to rename many municipalities to get away from the apartheid past. Lephalale is a Tswana word meaning to flow. Interestingly the Mokolo River is in town, the Lephalale River is not even close to Lephalale.

Our accommodations at the beginning was the Palm Park Hotel. The staff there was wonderful. The best part of the day was to come home and see Selaelo at the front desk.