The tall thin cop with an automatic rifle strapped across his chest walked towards me with a smile on his face. It was my third police roadblock in as many days and two days to kick-off.
”Can you catch it?” he said, pushing out his right hand and making to catch the air.
“Can you feel it?” he asked rubbing his tummy. He then leaned into the car and still smiling said “Driver’s license please”.
It has been crazy here. This city was crackling on Friday hours before kick-off. Endless streams of VIP’s in siren-blaring convoys filled the roads, helicopters and surveillance aircraft circled overhead and everybody (bar three I reckon) had on a Bafana shirt. Yellow was the colour of the day. It is difficult to explain the palpable sense of hysteria and excitement that enveloped Jozi last Friday. The morning after the opening game and ceremony I was really proud to be a South African and it goes some way to explaining why I spent most of the day drinking steadily. Best opening ceremony ever. Best opening goal ever. Just the best ever.
Yesterday I felt it properly myself. I went to Soccer city with my mum and a couple of friends to watch Holland play Denmark. It was quite something. The Dutch fans outnumbered the Danes by considerable numbers. There is a group of them here who drove through Africa for ten weeks to enjoy the event. Respect. Many of them were dressed in crazy outfits from body-hugging Day-Glo orange to bright orange fishing waders (huh?) The stadium is vast, spacious and comfortable. Beer, I mean Budweiser, was on sale during the game and despite the constant drone of the vuvuzelas a rousing time was had by all. Although it took three hours in traffic to get there (A train journey to the next game is a definite) the stadium cleared in no time and we were home within an hour and a half of the final whistle.
My World Cup has begun and I am very excited for the next few weeks. Anders and Tommy arrive from Stockholm on Thursday lunch-time and I have a feeling things are going to get turned up a notch. We have tickets for six games including Ivory Coast-Brazil and Germany-Ghana. Boo Selekta! I am looking forward to getting out and about at night to meet visiting fans and we have a number of activities lined up including a visit to Hluhluwe Game Reserve. We hired Prospero’s plane for that one. Once in a lifetime is the slogan for this month. World Cup rules apply. Anything goes.
It has been crazy here. This city was crackling on Friday hours before kick-off. Endless streams of VIP’s in siren-blaring convoys filled the roads, helicopters and surveillance aircraft circled overhead and everybody (bar three I reckon) had on a Bafana shirt. Yellow was the colour of the day. It is difficult to explain the palpable sense of hysteria and excitement that enveloped Jozi last Friday. The morning after the opening game and ceremony I was really proud to be a South African and it goes some way to explaining why I spent most of the day drinking steadily. Best opening ceremony ever. Best opening goal ever. Just the best ever.
Yesterday I felt it properly myself. I went to Soccer city with my mum and a couple of friends to watch Holland play Denmark. It was quite something. The Dutch fans outnumbered the Danes by considerable numbers. There is a group of them here who drove through Africa for ten weeks to enjoy the event. Respect. Many of them were dressed in crazy outfits from body-hugging Day-Glo orange to bright orange fishing waders (huh?) The stadium is vast, spacious and comfortable. Beer, I mean Budweiser, was on sale during the game and despite the constant drone of the vuvuzelas a rousing time was had by all. Although it took three hours in traffic to get there (A train journey to the next game is a definite) the stadium cleared in no time and we were home within an hour and a half of the final whistle.
My World Cup has begun and I am very excited for the next few weeks. Anders and Tommy arrive from Stockholm on Thursday lunch-time and I have a feeling things are going to get turned up a notch. We have tickets for six games including Ivory Coast-Brazil and Germany-Ghana. Boo Selekta! I am looking forward to getting out and about at night to meet visiting fans and we have a number of activities lined up including a visit to Hluhluwe Game Reserve. We hired Prospero’s plane for that one. Once in a lifetime is the slogan for this month. World Cup rules apply. Anything goes.
Sounds fantastic, wish I were there...
SvaraRadera