With a vibrant energy that's as captivating as its turbulent history, Soweto is a place you simply have to see if you're visiting Johannesburg. We opted to experience it by bicycle, joining a group of travelers for a four-hour ride through South Africa's most famous township. 

The tour started off at Sebo's, a funky hostel located in Soweto. From there, we rode through winding streets and over a few hills to an area that's still struggling with poverty. The decrepit homes there don't have running water and people share small communal bathroom facilities. 

It's hard to put into words the experience of seeing people going about their day-to-day lives, living with so much less than you're accustomed, yet with wide, genuine smiles on their faces. We found it extremely powerful how welcoming the residents of Soweto were. Especially the children, who run up to you in the street holding out their hands hoping for a high five or to swipe thumbs. 

We were fortunate to visit a day care facility where about 30 kids ages 2-5 were playing outside. The story the founder and owner told us about its inception was a dark one (the land was formerly used as a dumping ground and one day, an infant's body was found there), but watching the kids playing and singing, clearly it has a happy ending. 

From the day care, we went to a shebeen, an old speakeasy bar left over from apartheid days when black people were forbidden by law from consuming alcohol except for one traditional kind of beer. At the shebeen, we tried that joburg beer, which is made from maize, as well as a local delicacy, cow's liver and heart. 

Next, we rode to the Hector Pieterson museum and memorial, which is located at the cross streets where the infamous standoff between students and police officers occurred and where young Hector Pieterson was fatally shot. 

Nearby is Vilakazi street, where Nelson Mandela lived before he was sent to Robben Island and where Archbishop Desmond Tutu also has a family home. It's the only street in the world to have been home to two Nobel laureates. The street today is a bit more touristy than most of Soweto, but has a relaxed vibe, with a few cute cafes and bars between the historic houses. 

We made our way back to Sebo's feeling sunburnt yet very thankful and enjoyed our first bunny chow - a hearty helping of lettuce and beef stew in a hunk of white bread. 

After that, we decided to end our day in Soweto at the Orlando Towers, where we enjoyed a beer at the pub on the ground between the two. We hoped to see some people jumping - it's a 3.5 second free fall when you bungee from the top - but there weren't any jumpers while we were there. 

Later, when reflecting on the day, I kept thinking about the day care. At one point while we were there, the kids assembled and started singing in unison. It was hard to make out what they were saying, but once our guide told us, the words were suddenly clear and sharp. "Fire, fire, pour water, pour water." Our guide went on to explain that because many parents leave their young kids at home during the day and sometimes leave an electric stove or burner for heat, a child as young as 2 faced with a small fire in his or her home is not uncommon. The day care uses the song to teach kids in the community to remember that if there's a fire, they need to pour water on it. 

The juxtaposition of their sweet, cheerful voices and the darker meaning behind the song is a perfect illustration of life in Soweto: hope among difficult circumstances. 

When we think back on Soweto, Johannesburg, and South Africa as a whole, we will certainly picture those kids, their exuberant songs and bright, smiling faces.