Long Day's Journey Into Johannesburg

Sorry the previous post was so short. We had almost 19 hours in the air between Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday and then when we arrived at our rooms were not ready so by the time we got into our rooms, showered, slept, etc. we were completely worn. So let me go back to a few highlights of our trip to this point. We arrived in London to long, long lines through security checkpoints and customs. Obviously, with recent events at Heathrow Airport security was on "elevated alert" so security was tight. After clearing customs with no problems we had a 7 hr. layover in London. We spent the time talking, doing a little shopping, and doing a little sleeping. The flight into Jo'burg was over 11 hours and the horror for the students was the video went in and out so there was little to do on the flight because most of us didn't sleep much because we were far too excited. When we arrived at Oliver Tambo Airport a victory cry almost went up! Most of the day Tuesday was spent recovering from the flight and settling in at the hotel. Tuesday evening we had dinner at a place called The Emperor's Palace. It is a breathtaking place which includes: a hotel, six full restaurants, expansive food court, casino, amusement park, arcade, and 2 night clubs all under one roof. The preconceptions some students had about the economy in S. Africa disappeared even before we went inside because we saw 3 Mercedes Benz taxi cabs parked outside! We had a wonLderful time (w/out frequenting the clubs or casino) and really had the opportunity to unwind and prepare for the next day which would include visits to both the Sharpsville Museum and Anti-Apartheid Museums and begin our study of the similarities and differences between the S. African anti-apartheid movement and the U.S. Civil Rights and Black Power movements. More a little later.