Up at 5, conference call back to HQ at 5:30 AM (it was 8:30PM in AZ)
After that, breakfast at 6:30AM...
I'm writing this at 7:50PM, saturday night, I sure hope those sounds are fireworks and not a civil war! It is fireworks! I wonder if thats for halloween? I found out later the name of the holiday... Guy something day....
I spent almost as much for breakfast (57 rand) as I did for dinner the night before! That's high-scale luxury hotels for you!
Then taxi ride maybe 1/2 mile to the building our office lives in. (some folks claim crime is so bad you shouldn't walk that, even in daylight! The NEW South Africa, I later learn its not NEARLY that bad)
We did our work and in the afternoon, I set about finding a cellphone to rent, internet access, the proper adapter for the computer, stamps for postcarks, some food and dinner.
I walked around a little, and looked at the area from rooftops. This
place is PARANOID about security!! everywhere is a locked gate and armed
guards! barbed wire, electric wire (!) and
nicer wrought iron fences. 
The Sandton Mall was PACKED with people! including a buncha teenage mall-maggots.
I have seen numerous halloween ads and several people at the mall were dressed up!
Saw quite a few mixed-race groups and couples (my favorite kind!) (The OTHER New South Africa).
GPS says I'm at 26 deg 6.427 min South and 28 deg, 3.111 min EAST...Dang that's the other side of the world!
It took some running around, but I found the GSM-Direct (http://www.gsmdirect.co.za/)office and got an old Nokia (http://www.nokia.com/) rent-a-phone. (http://www.gsmdirect.co.za/gsm_renta_fone.htm)
I got internet access, I found a can of internet start-up package, yes, it was packed in a can. The company, Yebo (http://www.yebo.co.za), is part of Vodacom (http://www.vodacom.co.za/), the cell phone company here, my email address is: poole@yebo.co.za that will only be good for 15 days, but I will renew it for another 15 days, to cover my last few days in country. This email address will be around longer: bill_poole@yahoo.com .
Mailed some post cards...
more to follow...
