Postcards from Mandela Square

A few snaps taken in and around Mandela Square in downtown Sandton (Jo’burg) last week…

Of course, this doesn’t bear much reality to the majority of life in SA. Most of that is in the dusty townships and shanty towns that make up the large part of the urban sprawl that is Jo’burg. Mandela Square is an oasis of opulence that quite frankly you’d be pushed to find in the richest parts of London or New York. Beautiful? Certainly. Surreal? Most definitely.

Slummin’ it at The Davinci hotel…

Yep, definitely stayed in worse!

The man himself – he’s a little taller than i imagined! 😉

Shopping in Mandela Square shopping centre – not for your average South African though…

… or indeed your average European!

Clearly they were aiming for a certain type of effect when they built this place…

Hmm… Just the one? Or shall I splash out and take both?!

The best steak. Ever.

The Butchers Shop & Grill (also Deli!)

I went out hunting for a nice (and near) restaurant when I arrived on Wednesday night. Knowing that South Africa was famous both for its meat and its wine, I came across The Butchers Shop & Grill on Mandela Square and decided to give it a go. I wasn’t disappointed.

Now I’ve eaten some of the best steaks in my life in Canada and the US – both famed for it. But this place beat them all. Quite simply best, most tender fillet I have ever tasted. Real ‘melt in the mouth’ stuff. Yum. Me. So good in fact that I came back last night for another go. And that was just as good too!

The. Best. Steak. Ever!

Just in case you weren’t sure what you were eating – they kindly show you so that there’s no doubt!

J… J… J… Johannesburg!

Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International airport

(Sung to the tune of David Bowie’s Ch… Ch… Ch… Changes!)

Yes, I’m in Johannesburg this week. And quite a change in weather after coming from a Europe that’s heading into Autumn (Fall) into South Africa that’s in the midst of a lovely warm Spring. Temperatures are in the mid-high 20’s °C and its glorious!

I’m staying downtown in the Sandton area of Jo’burg at the Davinci hotel. I might add that I don’t usually book my own hotels – its typically arranged by the people that I’m visiting with – and this was no exception. Why do I state that? Because this is supposedly a 4 star hotel that could easily pass for 5 or 6 star. Whilst the one I was in last week in Istanbul was supposedly 5 star – yet didn’t even come close to this. As I say, I don’t book them so it’s always interesting to see where I end up!

Wow – now this is what I call a room!

Lovely great big shower…

La la robes… Wonder if they’ll fit in my case?! 😉

Wow – and a full-size bath. Now that’s unusual even in a good hotel.

September Tsunami

After a fairly quiet summer with almost no travel, the next few weeks are going to be busy. I was talking to a football dad last weekend who also covers EMEA – albeit for a different company and in a different role – and he referred to it as being the September Tsunami. In other words, business suddenly restarts in EMEA and its all systems go!

In my case that means two day trip to Istanbul this week followed by more travel each week for the next 4 or 5 weeks. Stand by for incoming!