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With Australia being knocked out without once being able to field its best side for the whole tournament we were left with no Australia team to support. Instead we had to follow Group D winners Germany. What it provided for us was the perfect South African loop to see a diverse lifestyle and landscape as we travelled from Johannesburg to Bloemfontein to Cape Town to Durban and some stuff in between until the Final back in Johannesburg.
Germany vs. England - Bloemfontein
I met up with an old roommate from my Edinburgh days who is from here Johan. Unfortunately it was all a rushed effort and it was off to the game. This game had the closest parking facilities to the ground because you could walk to the game and not have to catch a colour-coded bus in the dark.
Seeing England was a great experience. The supporters make themselves seen and heard with the English flags covering where signage would normally be and chants such as: “There were 10 German bombers in the air” (Hopefully I can put the video of the anthem.) We were hoping that England would win because the further they go - the better
Cape of Good Hope
from the upper lighthouse on Cape Point chance we would have in finding some Englishman who would pay for our trip for one finals ticket. We were also hoping at the same time that they would get to the semi final and lose it. It would have been a great spectacle because no nation does losing better than the English.
Unfortunately it was like watching Australia vs Germany all over again but this time 11 on 11 with Germany too strong. I was over the other side of the field and could see Lampard’s shot went over the line to make it 2-2. Full credit to the supporters though they hung around till the end. Germans were pretty quite until the final whistle.
After the game it didn’t take long to find a place to have a drink, which was hard to do in the provincial grounds of the past. This meant a massive hangover for the next day as we drove to Kimberly and through the photogenic but monotonous roads along Free State.
Kimberly is where the diamond boom began in the 1871. Out of all the places in South Africa this was the best-organised tourist office. The tour of the Big Hole is
the only mine open to the public and is where underground mining techniques began. They have made an effort in not just making it a view of the big hole and walk off. There is a movie in a cinema and a relocation of various buildings to make a mini old town and a remake of what the mines were like. For what it is I can appreciate the effort. The whole is massive which I hope the picture can tell. Look at the buildings in the back from the photos to get a scale.
From there it was a drive down the N12 to as far as we could go driving along the Free State. The landscape was monotonous with very few trees but some green tinges with light yellows from the low level shrubs, which would have a golden glow from the constant afternoon rays coming from behind us. It was topped off by a think black tar as the road continuously went off into the horizon. (I am not taking the piss here, I think that the tar of a road is very underestimated.) It was so picturesque that I could have spent all day taking
photos. Instead after our big night on the drink, we had to take turns with driving. Meaning for the third time ever I attempted to drive manual. I’m typing this now so it was successful enough.
The next day was my birthday and to celebrate the idea was to ride an ostrich. When we got to Oudtshoorn we were told by a few places that we were too heavy (not 75kgs or under.) What a great b’day present that was to be told you are too fat. So it was on the road again. This time to somewhere on the Garden Route. It turned out to be Knysna, which seemed nicer than the rest. (Oooohhhh worst joke of JP5 right there!!)
Next day Jarod and Michael decided to go bungy jumping on the highest bungy jump in the world at Bloukrans Bridge. I didn’t go this time after my bruised coccyx incident years ago. Jumping from the highest and largest bridge in Africa. We then went to Mossel Bay where easily one of the great Shell Museums of the world is! It also had a Maritime Museum and a great sunset view. It’s just a shame it was
winter, as the coast looks so good. It is also a shame that the games are so close together as everything is rushed.
We went to Cape Town and Cape of Good Hope and hiked around to Cape Point. A really beautiful spot even with the bus loads of tourists. There was a beach between the two points Dias Beach, which in summer would definitely be worth a swim.
The day of the game we woke up early for Robben Island, which was a very rushed affair despite the 3.5 hours return trip. An original prisoner ferry takes you to the island off Cape Town where for centuries it has been used on and off as a prison. This was the main apartheid prison and is where Nelson Mandela was jailed. There really isn’t much time to appreciate and take in as it is rushed. Wouldn’t advise an 8am start in winter either as the bus windows for the first part are fogged up. It would be nice to hear more stories from the guide too as he was a former prisoner.
Germany vs. Argentina - Cape Town
Argentina were in full colour and Michael was next to probably the
Dias Beach
Between the two capes biggest German guy in the crowd. Again some training drill goals but Argentina gave it a shot but weren’t good enough. Probably the best ground so far for the Vuvuzela’s. There’s no new tune but it seemed to synchronise a bit better the further the tournament has gone.
The Next day we had to get to Durban in 3 days for the Semi Final against Spain.
On the way we stopped off at Addo Elephant Park, which was close to Port Elizabeth. Probably kidding ourselves with expectations when we rushed a 2-hour safari into a National Park the size of Belgium. Still I was satisfied enough and got some okay pictures.
From there we didn’t really stop much more due to time and a lot of towns along the way seemed quite dodgy. But that could have seemed that way because of the comfort that we were in a hired car and can just drive off to the next place. It’s interesting because a lot of my travels I have been dumped in a place way out of my comfort zone and have managed. Possibly because I had no other option.
Germany vs. Spain - Durban
It
was a chance for Durban’s stadium to redeem itself after our first game 4-0 to Germany. I felt the ground was too far away. As I walked up to my $400us seat I realised Michael and I have an obstructed view. In fact Michaels seat when he sat back had a third of the goal blocked off. I was a bit dirty. But probably not as dirty as the pole in front of us which had numerous bird shit marks on it. Spain were awesome with their passes and control. Crowd a bit disappointing. No chanting or anything but that could be because the vuvuzela. It is an atmosphere killer at times.
So after 3 and a bit weeks its Netherlands or Spain - I will make my decision on who to support on the day. As a neutral it can change throughout the game to hopefully an extra time winner.
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