As I write this post, we are 7 days, 17 hours, 50 minutes and 14 seconds away from kickoff between South Africa and Mexico, the first game of 64 that will be played in this World Cup. Although we’ll be catching that one from a local bar stool, in a mere 14 days Todd and I will be walking into Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium to watch Switzerland take on Spain in Group play. It’s been nearly two years of planning and may I just say, HOLY SHIT...it’s finally time, ke nako!
We are mostly prepared for our bazillion-hour flight to Johannesburg and the craziness that will unfold in the month following. Passport: check. Just enough money to be completely broke upon stateside return: check. “Live like you were dying” song stuck in your head: check.
I’ll try to keep this blog regularly updated but until then, here is a really brief overview of our itinerary. Todd and I will get to South Africa first to catch the game in Durban on June 16. We’ll then head out on a six-day guided trip to explore the KwaZulu Natal and Drakensberg regions before heading to Port Elizabeth to meet Kara and Evelyn (friends from New Mexico) for the England v. Slovenia game. From there, the four of us have rented a car to drive down the Garden Route and through wine country on the way to Cape Town where Michelle and Bryan (friends from Chicago) will be. We’ll all see a “round of 16” game and spend a few days touring the Mother City. Next is Johannesburg to watch a quarterfinal (epic), then on to Zimbabwe and Zambia to see some trickle of water called Victoria Falls.
It should be a great adventure so check back often and see what we are up to!
Johannesburg or Bust
We are leaving for the airport in about five minutes; think of us tomorrow morning around 11 am MST as we'll be arriving in Johannesburg. Todd and I got super ambitious and went to the gym this morning. I was watching the Netherlands v. Denmark game on the treadmill and just couldn't believe that we're going to be there in over 24 hours. Quelle vie! Wish us luck on our journey and see you in South Africa.
Winter Solstice
So sorry for the delay in update! We have been busy, well vacation busy anyway, with a guided tour.
We arrived in Johannesburg after 16 hours of movies and mediocre food at about the same time our domestic flight was taking off. Fun! I had chanced it by booking the two flights too close and sure enough, our flight out of Atlanta left almost an hour and a half late. There was a lot of figuring and finagling but we eventually made it to our hostel room in Durban at 3:30 am, a cool 30 hours after taking off from El Paso. The place was a bit "soggy" as I now know Lonely Planet describes it, but at the time it was a bed and we slept hard when we finally got around to it.
The next day was Spain v. Switzerland and all we pretty much had time for was retreiving our tickets and heading to Moses Madiba Stadium. The atmosphere was amazing! Vuvuzela blowing, fans chanting and cheering, flags everywhere—it was just so joyful. Our seats were decent even if they were in close proximity to the world's most annoying American. Think soccer mom, subtract absolutely any knowledge of soccer and then add alcohol. "Run!" "Go!" "Shoot!" He couldn't even sing the Olé Olé song correctly, but I digress.
It was such great fun, especially watching Spain. Despite the loss, they dominated with style. Switzerland had a lot of heart and they really played with a never-say-die toughness. At least that's what I can remember after four or five beers.
The following five days have been filled with game drives, a hippo boat tour, cheetah petting, an overnight with a Zulu family (amazing), horseback riding, hiking and of course watching as many World Cup games as possible. My without a doubt favorite experience so far was spending time with the Ncibilika family so stay tuned as that will be the subject of my next posting.
Today is France v. South Africa and although j'adore France, go Bafana Bafana!
We arrived in Johannesburg after 16 hours of movies and mediocre food at about the same time our domestic flight was taking off. Fun! I had chanced it by booking the two flights too close and sure enough, our flight out of Atlanta left almost an hour and a half late. There was a lot of figuring and finagling but we eventually made it to our hostel room in Durban at 3:30 am, a cool 30 hours after taking off from El Paso. The place was a bit "soggy" as I now know Lonely Planet describes it, but at the time it was a bed and we slept hard when we finally got around to it.
The next day was Spain v. Switzerland and all we pretty much had time for was retreiving our tickets and heading to Moses Madiba Stadium. The atmosphere was amazing! Vuvuzela blowing, fans chanting and cheering, flags everywhere—it was just so joyful. Our seats were decent even if they were in close proximity to the world's most annoying American. Think soccer mom, subtract absolutely any knowledge of soccer and then add alcohol. "Run!" "Go!" "Shoot!" He couldn't even sing the Olé Olé song correctly, but I digress.
It was such great fun, especially watching Spain. Despite the loss, they dominated with style. Switzerland had a lot of heart and they really played with a never-say-die toughness. At least that's what I can remember after four or five beers.
The following five days have been filled with game drives, a hippo boat tour, cheetah petting, an overnight with a Zulu family (amazing), horseback riding, hiking and of course watching as many World Cup games as possible. My without a doubt favorite experience so far was spending time with the Ncibilika family so stay tuned as that will be the subject of my next posting.
Today is France v. South Africa and although j'adore France, go Bafana Bafana!
Jabulani
Through tekweniecotours.co.za, Todd and I seized the opportunity to stay overnight with a Zulu family in the Valley of 1000 Hills. A quick one-hour drive past the rich, predominately white suburbs of Durban, the village of Maphephetheni is a poverty-stricken slap in the face. First stunned by its rollings hills and glistening lakes, the mud huts, clothing lines, gardens and goats come into focus and dot the landscape. Add 12 Ncibilika family members—blankly staring at us—and this is the scene we arrived to mid-morning.
It was a bit awkward at first. Our in-town guide, Tambi, was a bit shy so we were confused by our lack of information (some people spoke broken English but mostly Zulu was used). It made for a very authentic experience and as we kept an open mind, we became more comfortable and able to interact.
It seemed the family consisted of a man and woman elder, two adult daughters, three teenaged to adult sons and four 6 to 10-year-old girls who were possibly cousins and sisters.
The first activity was walking down to the river. It quickly became apparent who we would be spending our time with as all the men stayed behind. Tambi had brought us there to tell the story of a traditional marriage proposal. It was quite an extensive process and took place at the river as it was the main gathering place. After a courtship of figuring who has how many cattle and whether the fine lady is a virgin (you pay more), a proposal is put forth with a bracelet made from grass reeds that are found next to the river.
Tambi showed us how to make them and we weaved as we walked up to the village healer's home. We arrived at a smokey rondavel where a old woman with kind eyes and a warm smile sat waiting and ready to help ill and troubled village people. Tambi explained her role in the community and also had Todd attempt to speak Zulu, which everyone found hilarious.
We walked back to the home and had a very tasty lunch of cabbage, butternut squash, spinach and tomato over corn mash. We ate with our hands because the work on your hands brings flavor to the food. Though a beautiful sentiment, it's actually kind of gross when you think about it.
After lunch and TV time, Petros (our driver) came to take us to a wedding across the village. Oh wow, what to expect? I've never crashed a wedding before let alone a Zulu one. We pulled up to a full-on party. There were flavorful scents in the air, women dressed to the nines and sloppy drunk men everywhere.
We were a bit unsure whether we were welcome or not. Partly because most people don't show up to a wedding uninvited in our culture, but mostly because we were isolated to the area around the car at first. We were brought food, soda and beer but didn't join the party. Alfred (our other guide) later told us that it's customary to put visitors in a separate room and slowly introduce them to the party so I suppose that's what was happening. It took just one guy coming over to talk soccer and soon we were surrounded by people waving and wanting to shake our hands. One guy cornered me and asked for cigarettes, then money and when I refused both he told me, "I love you."
We got to go in and watch the "modern" ceremony that was suprisingly between a 90-year old woman and her grandson. I guess the woman had never had her ring exchange with her husband and now that they finally could, he had already passed. How sad. After a half hour of the unofficial MC preaching and dancing, our party was ready to go. Leaving was a challenge. All 70 or so people there wanted a handshake or hug. It was madness and it was wonderful.
Our next stop was a shebeen, or unlicensed bar. Man it was shady haha. A guy behind a barred window gave us beers and Tambi blasted the juke box. I started dancing and all the little girls (with beer in the bellies as well) copied everything I did. My own little backup dancers!
We headed back to the family home for dinner and to catch the Brazil v. Ivory Coast game (on a dinky 10" TV). During the 90 minutes, almost all of the family had fallen asleep on one of the two beds or on the floor of the rondavel. What an incredible day! It was so special to be able to experience a different culture in such an intimate way.
It was a bit awkward at first. Our in-town guide, Tambi, was a bit shy so we were confused by our lack of information (some people spoke broken English but mostly Zulu was used). It made for a very authentic experience and as we kept an open mind, we became more comfortable and able to interact.
It seemed the family consisted of a man and woman elder, two adult daughters, three teenaged to adult sons and four 6 to 10-year-old girls who were possibly cousins and sisters.
The first activity was walking down to the river. It quickly became apparent who we would be spending our time with as all the men stayed behind. Tambi had brought us there to tell the story of a traditional marriage proposal. It was quite an extensive process and took place at the river as it was the main gathering place. After a courtship of figuring who has how many cattle and whether the fine lady is a virgin (you pay more), a proposal is put forth with a bracelet made from grass reeds that are found next to the river.
Tambi showed us how to make them and we weaved as we walked up to the village healer's home. We arrived at a smokey rondavel where a old woman with kind eyes and a warm smile sat waiting and ready to help ill and troubled village people. Tambi explained her role in the community and also had Todd attempt to speak Zulu, which everyone found hilarious.
We walked back to the home and had a very tasty lunch of cabbage, butternut squash, spinach and tomato over corn mash. We ate with our hands because the work on your hands brings flavor to the food. Though a beautiful sentiment, it's actually kind of gross when you think about it.
After lunch and TV time, Petros (our driver) came to take us to a wedding across the village. Oh wow, what to expect? I've never crashed a wedding before let alone a Zulu one. We pulled up to a full-on party. There were flavorful scents in the air, women dressed to the nines and sloppy drunk men everywhere.
We were a bit unsure whether we were welcome or not. Partly because most people don't show up to a wedding uninvited in our culture, but mostly because we were isolated to the area around the car at first. We were brought food, soda and beer but didn't join the party. Alfred (our other guide) later told us that it's customary to put visitors in a separate room and slowly introduce them to the party so I suppose that's what was happening. It took just one guy coming over to talk soccer and soon we were surrounded by people waving and wanting to shake our hands. One guy cornered me and asked for cigarettes, then money and when I refused both he told me, "I love you."
We got to go in and watch the "modern" ceremony that was suprisingly between a 90-year old woman and her grandson. I guess the woman had never had her ring exchange with her husband and now that they finally could, he had already passed. How sad. After a half hour of the unofficial MC preaching and dancing, our party was ready to go. Leaving was a challenge. All 70 or so people there wanted a handshake or hug. It was madness and it was wonderful.
Our next stop was a shebeen, or unlicensed bar. Man it was shady haha. A guy behind a barred window gave us beers and Tambi blasted the juke box. I started dancing and all the little girls (with beer in the bellies as well) copied everything I did. My own little backup dancers!
We headed back to the family home for dinner and to catch the Brazil v. Ivory Coast game (on a dinky 10" TV). During the 90 minutes, almost all of the family had fallen asleep on one of the two beds or on the floor of the rondavel. What an incredible day! It was so special to be able to experience a different culture in such an intimate way.
A different hotel every night.
After staying with the Ncibilika family, Todd and I traveled to the Southern Berg of the Drakensberg. We did some light hiking with our most awesome guide, Mdu, and got to gallop on horses at Khotso Ranch where we stayed. The region was gorgeous and so different from the coast, not just in scenery, but in culture too. There seemed to be a more fluid blend of races if I'm allowed to say that.
Back in Port Elizabeth, we met Kara on England v. Slovenia game day. The match was a blast, especially after we learned that USA had scored in the 91st minute and got to tell the England fans that they weren't first in group play. Kind of cruel.
The next day began our leisure drive down the coast along the Garden Route to Cape Town. Jeffrey's Bay, Plettenberg Bay, Wilderness and up to Robertson wine country.
Back in Port Elizabeth, we met Kara on England v. Slovenia game day. The match was a blast, especially after we learned that USA had scored in the 91st minute and got to tell the England fans that they weren't first in group play. Kind of cruel.
The next day began our leisure drive down the coast along the Garden Route to Cape Town. Jeffrey's Bay, Plettenberg Bay, Wilderness and up to Robertson wine country.
The Goddess is Surfing
After some peer pressure and maybe a little manipulation, I convinced Kara and Todd to go surfing in Jeffrey's Bay. We were told Dolphin Beach was great for beginners but when we arrived, even I was hesitant. I don't know much about tides but it didn't seem good that the waves were breaking right on the shore. Nevertheless, we gave it a go. It wasn't pretty but it was flippin' fun.
Look Right, Drive Left
On our way to Plettenberg Bay from Jeffrey's Bay we stopped at Tsitsikamma National Park. The place is absolutely breathtaking. In one week, we've gone from tropical beach to snow-capped mountains to Pacific Northwest-like scenery in a country the size of two Texases (Texi?). South Africans are so lucky. We walked a really nice trail to see a suspension bridge that went over the mouth of Storms River.
The people we are meeting on this part of the journey are surprised by our accents. It goes like this, "Where are you from?" (or equally as popular, "From where are you?") "The USA [confused look from person]...America." "Oh yeah, your team is doing well huh? We didn't even know you had soccer."
The people we are meeting on this part of the journey are surprised by our accents. It goes like this, "Where are you from?" (or equally as popular, "From where are you?") "The USA [confused look from person]...America." "Oh yeah, your team is doing well huh? We didn't even know you had soccer."
The Beautiful Game
We've been to four games now and watched all but maybe two or three. After careful consideration, I am officially a Spain fan. I am so impressed by the patience and possession style of play. Unfortunately, that doesn't always translate to goals for them. Germany is an aggressive and maybe slightly lucky (read: I was told by Todd that saying players like Klose are lucky is like saying LeBron James is lucky, so maybe I'm wrong there) team so it will be interesting to see how the teams match up.
I enjoyed following the US but it was difficult at times. I do feel we have World Cup caliber players (as our European league presence will prove) but I think the coaching was really poor, especially when it comes to the roster. I mean, Michael Bradley must have had 80,000 turnovers and he is supposed to be the strong point man in the middle. I know there are better players than that in our country, we have such a large pool to pull from. It just never clicked for the US but I'm still proud they made it as far as they did and showed such a resilient work ethic.
It has been such an exciting World Cup overall: upsets, last minute goals, missed last minute goals, drama. It's such an amazing event as it only happens every four years and lasts for a month—what a true test of sport. I think this trip marks a new tradition in attending every one from here on out.
I enjoyed following the US but it was difficult at times. I do feel we have World Cup caliber players (as our European league presence will prove) but I think the coaching was really poor, especially when it comes to the roster. I mean, Michael Bradley must have had 80,000 turnovers and he is supposed to be the strong point man in the middle. I know there are better players than that in our country, we have such a large pool to pull from. It just never clicked for the US but I'm still proud they made it as far as they did and showed such a resilient work ethic.
It has been such an exciting World Cup overall: upsets, last minute goals, missed last minute goals, drama. It's such an amazing event as it only happens every four years and lasts for a month—what a true test of sport. I think this trip marks a new tradition in attending every one from here on out.
Three Charming Elephants
After a lovely breakfast in Plett, we backtracked a little to see The Elephant Sanctuary. The three elephants we spent the tour with had been brought to the reserve because they didn't have the proper papers to fly to China and join the circus. They had sat uncared for in the Joburg airport for nearly three months.
Each of us got to walk "hand-in-truck" with the giants. I walked with Amarula. She is named after a liquor made from the fruit of an African tree that she used to eat from. Images of a drunken Dumbo with pink elephants dancing around instantly popped in my head. Amarula was missing the first part of her truck and they think it may have been from a hunting trap. She had to suck her food off the ground to get it in her truck and then put it in her mouth. I had a handful of elephant snot and dirt on my hands by the end of our walk; it was as bonding experience.
Up close, the elephants are mellow and sweet. Or they were possibly jaded from doing the same act every two hours, every day. They did have personality though. When it came to the end of the tour and we fed the elephants fruits and veggies to "thank them," I put one piece in each trunk and they continued to hold them out like, "Hey lady, don't be stingy. We know you have more."
It was a really cool experience, especially with the added attraction of the surrounding meercat colony.
Each of us got to walk "hand-in-truck" with the giants. I walked with Amarula. She is named after a liquor made from the fruit of an African tree that she used to eat from. Images of a drunken Dumbo with pink elephants dancing around instantly popped in my head. Amarula was missing the first part of her truck and they think it may have been from a hunting trap. She had to suck her food off the ground to get it in her truck and then put it in her mouth. I had a handful of elephant snot and dirt on my hands by the end of our walk; it was as bonding experience.
Up close, the elephants are mellow and sweet. Or they were possibly jaded from doing the same act every two hours, every day. They did have personality though. When it came to the end of the tour and we fed the elephants fruits and veggies to "thank them," I put one piece in each trunk and they continued to hold them out like, "Hey lady, don't be stingy. We know you have more."
It was a really cool experience, especially with the added attraction of the surrounding meercat colony.
Wild in Wilderness
As we made our way to Wilderness from Plettenberg Bay, we stopped in Knysna for lunch. The town had some funk (cool funk not smelly funk) and the geography resembled the Oregon coast. We found a cute little place on Thesen island called Ile de Pain where I had the best butternut squash soup of my life.
In Wilderness, we stayed at a backpackers called Fairy Knowe. It was tucked away from the town in the forest so it was very peaceful but also very nature intensive, as in a giant tarantula in our room. Todd discovered it just as we were all getting ready for bed. All I could do was leave and start making plans to sleep in the car (I have a irrational but very real fear of spiders). After a lot of screaming and really odd dancing from Kara, the two of them had eradicated the problem.
In Wilderness, we stayed at a backpackers called Fairy Knowe. It was tucked away from the town in the forest so it was very peaceful but also very nature intensive, as in a giant tarantula in our room. Todd discovered it just as we were all getting ready for bed. All I could do was leave and start making plans to sleep in the car (I have a irrational but very real fear of spiders). After a lot of screaming and really odd dancing from Kara, the two of them had eradicated the problem.
Lions Oh My!
Before leaving the coast and cutting up to Robertson, we stopped at The Garden Route Private Reserve for a game drive. It was a totally different experience than the couple days we spent in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi (north of Durban). They had considerably less land so the animals weren't as "wild," but on the other hand it did ensure that you would see them. We also got to drink beer. Which come to think of it we probably could have done on our other game drives because it's not that there are no rules in South Africa, it's that nobody follows them.
I was anxious to see lions so we drove straight away to their 100-hectare designated area. We found them (two females, one male) lounging in the sun like house cats. It was incredible! They were so huge and scary yet so cuddly. They didn't seem to mind that we were there but our guide told us that at the end of the day they grow tired of spectators and will sometimes chase the 4x4s out. Can you imagine?
On the rest of the drive we spotted zebras, rhinos, wildebeests, elephants, a ton of springbok and impalas, and one giraffe that peed for a good five minutes while our guide gave us giraffe facts: they fight by swinging their heads and bashing the opponent, and newborns can walk within 20 minutes of birth to escape predators.
Really sorry about the lack of photos, the computer/Internet situation has not been very easy over here. Will post a slew when we get home.
I was anxious to see lions so we drove straight away to their 100-hectare designated area. We found them (two females, one male) lounging in the sun like house cats. It was incredible! They were so huge and scary yet so cuddly. They didn't seem to mind that we were there but our guide told us that at the end of the day they grow tired of spectators and will sometimes chase the 4x4s out. Can you imagine?
On the rest of the drive we spotted zebras, rhinos, wildebeests, elephants, a ton of springbok and impalas, and one giraffe that peed for a good five minutes while our guide gave us giraffe facts: they fight by swinging their heads and bashing the opponent, and newborns can walk within 20 minutes of birth to escape predators.
Really sorry about the lack of photos, the computer/Internet situation has not been very easy over here. Will post a slew when we get home.
From Rhinos to Winos
Our last stop on the road trip was Robertson wine country. We stayed in a perfect cottage set in a narrow valley of craggy mountains. Fruit trees and grape vines surrounded us and climbed up the nearby foothills. It was incredibly serene. Our gracious hosts, Bruce and Allison of Tierhoek Farm upgraded our accommodations which were total luxury compared to our previous night stay in our spider-infested room.
Our wine tour kicked off the next day just down the road at a cellar called Rooiberg Winery. We loved everything we tasted. Everything we tasted was dirt cheap. This was a problem. A wonderful, backstroke-in-a-vat-of-wine problem, but a problem nonetheless.
Sure enough, after stops at Graham Beck (great bubbly), Springfield (no tannins), Bon Courage (great reserves) and De Wetshof (wasn't even that good but bottles on promotion) we were drunk and there were 24 bottles of wine in the backseat. How we were getting them all back to the States was a problem for future Diana, Kara and Todd.
Back at the cottage, Kara and I made the hugest pot of stew ever and played South African Monopoly: "Do not pass Begin, do not collect 20,000 Rand."
Our wine tour kicked off the next day just down the road at a cellar called Rooiberg Winery. We loved everything we tasted. Everything we tasted was dirt cheap. This was a problem. A wonderful, backstroke-in-a-vat-of-wine problem, but a problem nonetheless.
Sure enough, after stops at Graham Beck (great bubbly), Springfield (no tannins), Bon Courage (great reserves) and De Wetshof (wasn't even that good but bottles on promotion) we were drunk and there were 24 bottles of wine in the backseat. How we were getting them all back to the States was a problem for future Diana, Kara and Todd.
Back at the cottage, Kara and I made the hugest pot of stew ever and played South African Monopoly: "Do not pass Begin, do not collect 20,000 Rand."
The Mother City
Cape Town is just as fantastic as I thought it would be. We stayed in a bright purple flat in De Waterkant, a hilly, cobblestone street, cute pubs kind of neighborhood. I loved being in a city, it feels like home. But you're from Nebraska Diana. I know, isn't that weird?
Michelle and Bryan had been in Joburg for a couple games and flew down shortly after we drove in. We started tackling the wine surplus and swapping South Africa stories before heading down to the game at Greenpoint. Walking to the stadium was amazing! The main street was only open to pedestrian traffic over a mile out, it was a full-on parade of fans. The game was brilliant, I was afraid that Spain would let a Portugal goal slip in but they stayed strong as a whole.
We had just a couple days to explore Cape Town so we designated one day to exploring the city and the next to drive the cape/peninsula. We walked the Bo Kaap area, which I think is populated with Cape Malays, a community in South Africa whose earliest members were slaves transported by the Dutch East India Company. In addition to the pastel and neon-colored buildings and insanely steep cobblestone streets, it seemed suddenly quieter and calm. A man from the neighborhood stopped us and told us stories of living there and what we should do while we are in Cape Town. So randomly friendly, I love it. We also toured through an art studio called Streetwires where over 100 previously unemployed people had stable jobs creating art from wires, beads and recycled materials. There was some awesome stuff. We went down to see the artists and it was a jamming craft party. They each get a commission on their products and you can find them all over.
The walking tour was overtaken by a two and a half hour lunch so all we had time for before dark was checking out Green Street Market. At first I felt so tense because the hassling and hustling was too intense ("Looking is free sista. I give you good price. No pressure.") but then you give in to it and you actually get a little assertive with bargaining. I think we all came out pretty good in the end; we got some good stuff and supported the locals (at least I hope we did). We topped off the evening wandering the V&A Waterfront and then got groceries at the SPAR to eat-in. Bryan and Todd grilled an awesome dinner of shish kabobs and we ate on the roof top deck. It was wonderful. So glad the whole group was finally together.
Michelle and Bryan had been in Joburg for a couple games and flew down shortly after we drove in. We started tackling the wine surplus and swapping South Africa stories before heading down to the game at Greenpoint. Walking to the stadium was amazing! The main street was only open to pedestrian traffic over a mile out, it was a full-on parade of fans. The game was brilliant, I was afraid that Spain would let a Portugal goal slip in but they stayed strong as a whole.
We had just a couple days to explore Cape Town so we designated one day to exploring the city and the next to drive the cape/peninsula. We walked the Bo Kaap area, which I think is populated with Cape Malays, a community in South Africa whose earliest members were slaves transported by the Dutch East India Company. In addition to the pastel and neon-colored buildings and insanely steep cobblestone streets, it seemed suddenly quieter and calm. A man from the neighborhood stopped us and told us stories of living there and what we should do while we are in Cape Town. So randomly friendly, I love it. We also toured through an art studio called Streetwires where over 100 previously unemployed people had stable jobs creating art from wires, beads and recycled materials. There was some awesome stuff. We went down to see the artists and it was a jamming craft party. They each get a commission on their products and you can find them all over.
The walking tour was overtaken by a two and a half hour lunch so all we had time for before dark was checking out Green Street Market. At first I felt so tense because the hassling and hustling was too intense ("Looking is free sista. I give you good price. No pressure.") but then you give in to it and you actually get a little assertive with bargaining. I think we all came out pretty good in the end; we got some good stuff and supported the locals (at least I hope we did). We topped off the evening wandering the V&A Waterfront and then got groceries at the SPAR to eat-in. Bryan and Todd grilled an awesome dinner of shish kabobs and we ate on the roof top deck. It was wonderful. So glad the whole group was finally together.
Mother City: Part Deux
On our second day in Cape Town we rented a car to drive the cape. We got as far as Camps Bay before we let yet another meal drift the hours away. It's nice to not worry about time. The next couple stops were quick photo ops as the coastal scenery was absolutely stunning, but our main destination was the Cape of Good Hope. It was tourist central when we arrived but that didn't take away from how beautiful it was. We climbed up a pretty good cliff to get the ultimate view of the Indian Ocean meeting the Atlantic (this is actually disputed, most believe it's actually Cape Agulhas) and just breath it all in.
We continued our drive up the other side of the cape to Boulder Bay where the Jackass Penguin colony resided. I was so excited, I have been waiting to see penguins in the wild for my whole life. Man, what a let down! It was very similar to a zoo. The penguins were able to meander wherever, but were mostly kept in a reserve area and tourists were restricted to the boardwalk above the beach. Lame. I can't deny that they were totally adorable though so it was still wonderful.
Earlier that day, we had booked tickets for a dinner cabaret/Cirque du Soleil-type of show called Vaudeville. We rushed back to the city, rushed to get changed and rushed to the show only to have the doorman tell us they weren't ready yet haha. The show was pretty cool overall. It's was a bit naughty as promised by the woman who told us about it, and some of the acts were really impressive.
I wish we could have spent a month in Cape Town, there was so much to see and do. Guess I'll just have to make another trip.
We continued our drive up the other side of the cape to Boulder Bay where the Jackass Penguin colony resided. I was so excited, I have been waiting to see penguins in the wild for my whole life. Man, what a let down! It was very similar to a zoo. The penguins were able to meander wherever, but were mostly kept in a reserve area and tourists were restricted to the boardwalk above the beach. Lame. I can't deny that they were totally adorable though so it was still wonderful.
Earlier that day, we had booked tickets for a dinner cabaret/Cirque du Soleil-type of show called Vaudeville. We rushed back to the city, rushed to get changed and rushed to the show only to have the doorman tell us they weren't ready yet haha. The show was pretty cool overall. It's was a bit naughty as promised by the woman who told us about it, and some of the acts were really impressive.
I wish we could have spent a month in Cape Town, there was so much to see and do. Guess I'll just have to make another trip.
Neither snow nor rain...
Kara and I did eventually get the packages of wine sent. Whether they'll actually get to us in the States is still a mystery. We really like a challenge so we waited until the morning before our flights to figure out how we were getting the remaining 13 bottles home (yeah that's right, do the math). A couple generous bartenders in the area donated some boxes and we wrapped the bottles in my unessential clothing. Why didn't we put them in plastic bags first asked the Post Office lady after we had already tapped up the boxes with almost an entire roll of tape? Again, the challenge.
Three suspiciously taped, custom-declared "olive oil" boxes and $120 later, we said adios to the packages and pondered if and how they would arrive. My bet is two will make it but one will contain a hot mess of wine, clothing and giraffes figurines.
I don't have photos of this so here is one of Kara struggling with her surf board.
Three suspiciously taped, custom-declared "olive oil" boxes and $120 later, we said adios to the packages and pondered if and how they would arrive. My bet is two will make it but one will contain a hot mess of wine, clothing and giraffes figurines.
I don't have photos of this so here is one of Kara struggling with her surf board.
Howzit and Izit
We said goodbye to Kara in Cape Town and then Michelle, Bryan, Todd and I took off to Joburg for our quarterfinal games. We stayed at Thulani Lodge in Melville, a "cosmopolitan" suburb. The Netherlands v. Brazil game was on so we went to a place called Liquid Blue to eat, watch the match and try to sell our extra tickets for Guana v. Uruguay (long story). There was a rowdy group of South Africans/Netherlands fans next to us that bought our tickets and offered us a ride. These guys were totally fun and a little nuts. Besides feeding us free beer, they apologized for everything: the cold weather, the US not advancing, I think even our crappy accommodations in Durban. Totally funny.
It would have been such a massive pain to get to Soccer City if we hadn't met them, not to mention a total bore. As we sat in the stadium traffic they got everyone around us to cheer and smile; walking in they hugged almost everyone we passed. We bought them some beer (only Bud, what?!) and headed to our separate seats.
The game was crazy fun, Soccer City holds something like 90,000 people and I would say 89,987 were cheering for Ghana. We were actually behind the goal for the shootout, too bad it didn't fall in Ghana's favor. "It wasn't for us" was how many people responded.
It would have been such a massive pain to get to Soccer City if we hadn't met them, not to mention a total bore. As we sat in the stadium traffic they got everyone around us to cheer and smile; walking in they hugged almost everyone we passed. We bought them some beer (only Bud, what?!) and headed to our separate seats.
The game was crazy fun, Soccer City holds something like 90,000 people and I would say 89,987 were cheering for Ghana. We were actually behind the goal for the shootout, too bad it didn't fall in Ghana's favor. "It wasn't for us" was how many people responded.
Last Day in SA
Our last day in Johannesburg was pretty mellow. We actually got to sleep-in for the first time on the trip, which was bliss. When we eventually got out, we spent most of the day at the Apartheid Museum. It had some really powerful information but actually was a bit confusing. The path to see the displays in chronological order zig-zagged all over the place but we made due and learned some new things.
After a late lunch, Michelle and Bryan headed to the Spain v. Paraguay game. Todd and I were so wiped we just watched the game from our hotel room. Afterward, we stupidly watched that M. Night Shyamalan movie where the trees make people kill themselves and didn't get to bed until pretty late, especially when you factor in having to find something happy to watch after.
After a late lunch, Michelle and Bryan headed to the Spain v. Paraguay game. Todd and I were so wiped we just watched the game from our hotel room. Afterward, we stupidly watched that M. Night Shyamalan movie where the trees make people kill themselves and didn't get to bed until pretty late, especially when you factor in having to find something happy to watch after.
"The Real Africa"
For the last few days of the trip, Todd and I headed to Zambia to see Victoria Falls and take a little vacation from our vacation. We stayed at a great backpackers called Jollyboys in Livingstone. The grounds contained chill outdoor spaces, a good restaurant and a nice pool area. I noticed on the activities board the hostel was shuttling people to the local orphanage, Lubasi Home, to play soccer with the kids. Soccer in Zambia? Yes, please.
When we arrived, the clear leader of the group said to us, "You get your team together and we will get ours." Wow, thought we might mix it up but I guess it was on. We played for over two hours, they were pretty fierce competition. What really impressed me was how they kept the ball in control on such a shiteous pitch...in bare feet! I must have face planted (not kidding) three or four times just tripping on rocks and non-level ground. When the score was 6-6, the six players on our team were donzo but the boys said we will play to 10. Uff. The next 30 minutes were brutal and we lost 11-6 haha. Lesson learned.
When we arrived, the clear leader of the group said to us, "You get your team together and we will get ours." Wow, thought we might mix it up but I guess it was on. We played for over two hours, they were pretty fierce competition. What really impressed me was how they kept the ball in control on such a shiteous pitch...in bare feet! I must have face planted (not kidding) three or four times just tripping on rocks and non-level ground. When the score was 6-6, the six players on our team were donzo but the boys said we will play to 10. Uff. The next 30 minutes were brutal and we lost 11-6 haha. Lesson learned.
The Smoke That Thunders
The next couple days in Zambia were spent seeing Victoria Falls. The first day, we took a speed boat over to Livingstone Island, which sits just above the falls in the middle of the Zambezi river. Our guides walked us around and told the story of the first European to see the falls, Scottish explorer David Livingstone. I loved it because we walked barefoot in the mud. After the tour, they served us a great breakfast right there on the island.
Our speedboat left from this amazing hotel called The Royal Livingstone that had a great patio bar set up right on the river. When we came back from the island, Todd and I had some drinks while we started talking about the looming reality that is unemployedness. It looks like we are probably going to head to Nebraska to do our job hunt from there since all we have down in New Mexico is an air mattress and a couple forks. It's going to be madness in the next month!
The next day we went to the actual Victoria Falls National Park on the Zambia side to walk all the trails. We rented some smelly ponchos and wandered a path puts one directly across from the falls. The mist was so immense and powerful, it was like no rain I have ever been in. My contacts kept swimming around in my eyes. It was total inundation. I wish I had my swimsuit I would have just played in it like a little kid.
We extended our walking below the falls and along the ridge of another gorge however, the mission of the day was looming: bungee jumping. There is a bridge connecting Zambia to Zimbabwe just beyond the falls where you can choose your adventure among bungee jumping, a gorge swing and zip line. I did not think that I wanted to do it at all but I woke up that morning feeling bold.
It turns out that you can't do the bungee tandem (too broke and scared to do it separate), only the swing, which is nearly the same amount of free fall but instead of bouncing you swing. We had to walk all the way back to a cafe to sign up and somehow it worked out that when one of us wanted to chicken out the other didn't and that back and forth took us all the way to the ledge of the bridge. I even had a moment two feet from the "plank" where I said, "Wait. Hold on." And the man running the swing said, "No, don't do that. " And I said, "Okay." And then we were fucking falling! Sorry but there is no more of an appropriate time for swearing. It was a terrible feeling in all honesty. We fell at 160 mph for four seconds and my stomach could just not take it. Todd managed to yell, "Ohhhhhh myyyyyyyy gooooooooooodddd" the entire way down while I just made this really odd, constipated noise. It was nuts. I will probably never do it again but I'm glad I did.
Our speedboat left from this amazing hotel called The Royal Livingstone that had a great patio bar set up right on the river. When we came back from the island, Todd and I had some drinks while we started talking about the looming reality that is unemployedness. It looks like we are probably going to head to Nebraska to do our job hunt from there since all we have down in New Mexico is an air mattress and a couple forks. It's going to be madness in the next month!
The next day we went to the actual Victoria Falls National Park on the Zambia side to walk all the trails. We rented some smelly ponchos and wandered a path puts one directly across from the falls. The mist was so immense and powerful, it was like no rain I have ever been in. My contacts kept swimming around in my eyes. It was total inundation. I wish I had my swimsuit I would have just played in it like a little kid.
We extended our walking below the falls and along the ridge of another gorge however, the mission of the day was looming: bungee jumping. There is a bridge connecting Zambia to Zimbabwe just beyond the falls where you can choose your adventure among bungee jumping, a gorge swing and zip line. I did not think that I wanted to do it at all but I woke up that morning feeling bold.
It turns out that you can't do the bungee tandem (too broke and scared to do it separate), only the swing, which is nearly the same amount of free fall but instead of bouncing you swing. We had to walk all the way back to a cafe to sign up and somehow it worked out that when one of us wanted to chicken out the other didn't and that back and forth took us all the way to the ledge of the bridge. I even had a moment two feet from the "plank" where I said, "Wait. Hold on." And the man running the swing said, "No, don't do that. " And I said, "Okay." And then we were fucking falling! Sorry but there is no more of an appropriate time for swearing. It was a terrible feeling in all honesty. We fell at 160 mph for four seconds and my stomach could just not take it. Todd managed to yell, "Ohhhhhh myyyyyyyy gooooooooooodddd" the entire way down while I just made this really odd, constipated noise. It was nuts. I will probably never do it again but I'm glad I did.
Back to Life
We had a nice last night in Livingstone watching the Netherlands v. Uruguay game with all the other travelers at our hostel. The next day, it was back to Joburg to catch our flight to the States. I watched six movies on the plane and almost never got up from my seat. My feet were insanely swollen and I was delirious when we finally got home at ten in the morning, but we made it!
This was probably one of the best trips I've ever taken. South Africa is a country of such diversity in its landscape and people. The world was welcomed with open arms and I'm so glad to have been a part of such an historic event. I cannot WAIT to see what happens in the final tomorrow, viva Espana!
Thanks for following my blog about our journey, see you on our next adventure!
This was probably one of the best trips I've ever taken. South Africa is a country of such diversity in its landscape and people. The world was welcomed with open arms and I'm so glad to have been a part of such an historic event. I cannot WAIT to see what happens in the final tomorrow, viva Espana!
Thanks for following my blog about our journey, see you on our next adventure!