South Africa: Johannesburg for a Day and on to Kimberley

I'm not even sure how many were in this initial stop, but the bag pile needs a whole separate cab on its own.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

A fresh sweatsuit, just Bedazzled, and just married. I wonder where the honeymoon is.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

We got a nice, cheap hotel a mile from the Johannesburg airport with a shuttle and great service that accomodated the few extra friends we met up with along the way.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

If you're ever on Johannesburg layover, this hotel is $103 a night for this room with a free shuttle from the airport. It's the One World Hotel.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

The gate and security guard hut at the One World Hotel makes you feel like it's a sketchy neighborhood.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

The entrance is looking classy.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

We asked for a cab "downtown" and the driver said he wouldn't take us there. Afer we asked if it was because our gear would get stolen, he replied, "Because YOU might get stolen." Okay, so he brought us to the tourist spot. This Emperor's Place place was basically America without fat people.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Yep, looking like Vegas and Ceasar's Palace here.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Since we're in America, we just went ahead and went to Hooters. Hooters? Yep, nearly 30 hours of traveling half way around the world and fresh off the plane we go to Hooters.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Brian Schaefer

Schaefer isn't impressed with the wings.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Brian Schaefer

Full frontal view of the Ceasar's Palace statue.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

These signs are everywhere and make me feel like I'm the only one not packing.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

I have no patience when playing these numbers games so I push it all in. At least I got a photo before I lost this stack.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Pat Stiener

Pause for a foot fetish with Pat and I on some random mall prop.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

We had time for a quick tourist mission around Johannesburg before heading to the airport. We're going to where kids go on field trips and get fancy book learning.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

We're at the site where a student protest planted the seeds of freedom and democracy in South Africa.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Random artifacts for sale at the landmark history learning spot.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Jorge Angel aka Porpe

These kids were blown away by Porpe's jeans, beaming hard and taking cell phone photos of them. They were the Omar X Levix Nike SB's.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Jorge Angel aka Porpe

This kid is flossing hard on the field trip.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Brian Schaefer

Watch for an episode of SPoT Life from here in the Motherland soon. The Contest weekend will also be shown in theaters on October 2. We get home on that day and we're going straight to the big screen.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

A public service announcement in the local store.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

The local neighborhood car wash.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Okay, one last plane flight and we're there.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Braydon Szafranski

Alright, we're finally in Kimberley now and Porpe is straight to the gambling with Braydon.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

The above ground pool at the hotel is not your average plastic Plant City variety.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Brian Schaefer

Last year we didn't have time to go to this place outside of town to play with baby lions, but this year we made it a point to make time for it. These guys are six months old and already very powerful and playful at the same time.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Jorge Angel aka Porpe

They dive for whatever they can take, including Porpe's jewels.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Rob Meronek

This guy scratched me up good pulled out plenty of hair.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Jorge Angel

Pat Stiener

I think they always go for the neck, vampire style. Pat Stiener's about to get a Lakeland hickey.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Joe Pelham aka HiDefJoe

HiDefJoe put the camera down for a bit.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Brian Schaefer

These guys will just climb all over you with the same mannerisms as your average housecat.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Jorge Angel aka Porpe

Dolphin and Porpise meet in the desert.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Rob Meronek

I got some good teeth marks and claw lines.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

It won't be long before you can't get this close to him anymore without losing an arm or something.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

There are other wild things at this place, too.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

The Meerkats need a cage. They're too rowdy.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Down the road behind electric fences, we get to meet mom and pops. We saw them get naughty, then fight with other lions. Wow, okay, it's time to get to work at the Contest now.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

A small sample of skater girls half way around the world from where you live. It's nice to see worldwide how skating injects a bit of style and makes you just a bit different from the normal cut, even these days of it being blown out mainstream.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Danny Rosario

Danilo! It's been a while since we've hung out. Years ago at Tampa Am he spoke only English from the McDonalds menu.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Jorge Angel aka Porpe

What a day it's been in Kimberley already. Airplanes, lions, homies, and now out at night to hit up some spots we saw while coming to the hotel today. Here's Porpe imagining his snap over this rough bump.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Jorge Angel aka Porpe

Does the snap match the imagination? Check HiDefJoe's footage on the next episode of SPoT Life.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Pat Stiener

Pat Stiener floated a nice backside 180 over that waffle ground.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Jorge Angel aka Porpe

When Jorge does a boneless, it's not looking too natural, kind of like when your dad tries to switch flip.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Joe Pelham aka HiDefJoe

HiDefJoe put down the camera again, this time to kickflip the waffle bump. Porpe picked up the camera and shot this one.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Jorge Angel

Pat Stiener

We were lucky enough to have the Maloof driver, Happy, all to ourselves tonight. He took us to the skate spots, waited while we skated, and then took us on an amazing mission to find beer late night. Pat's protecting the stash.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Jorge Angel

Our first stop for beer was an amazing heavy metal parking lot hanging out in the streets on front of this place called Ghetto Den. Happy assured us it was safe and took us in for booze. This is the menu at the Ghetto Den.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

We're back at the hotel now where we ran into Tim McFerran, the chief of MMC.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

This is Happy. He made our night driving us around to skate spots, bar spots, and KFC.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek

After we cleaned out Happy's van, we were left with a pile of junk food garbage and empty bottles. What a first day in Kimberley. Damn! We'll have skateboarding coverage from now on.
Date: September 27, 2012
Photographer: Rob Meronek