October 31: Johannesburg

The city of Johannesburg is a large city spanning out over many miles with vast expressways crammed with vehicles traveling like they were on a very important mission. Traffic jams can last hours here and no one seems to care.

Today was spent at the Nelson Mandela Square and the large shopping mall encompassing it. The square itself is a memorial to the man who brought the country to end apartheid -- something no one ever thought would happen in a country so heavily dominated and controlled by the white man. For years the country had been highly segregated with colored and black occupying the lowest rung on the ladder. The leadership were all white males who did not want to release any control. Mandela spent 27 years in prison and never lost hope that his country would rise above the injustice and become an democracy. He strongly believed that negotiations were the way, not violence.

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