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Published: June 11th 2006
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Beckham!
Celebrating England's only goal After an uneventful flight back to Cairo, we took solace in the knowledge that we'd only be in Egypt for a day and a half. Coming back actually proved to be fairly hassle-free, a combination of Cairo's relative laidbackness and good luck. However, our return did provide us with a couple of classic Egyptian exchanges. First, when we got to the airport, we couldn't find the bus stop. We went back inside to ask at the information desk. It went something like this:
"Go outside and there's a sign for where to wait."
"Actually, we were just there and didn't see it. Where exactly is it?"
"Well, maybe you should ask someone."
"Um, OK."
Even better was the customer service at the Egypt Air office. After we checked into the hostel, we realized that some things had been taken from our bag. Someone (i.e. Nairobi baggage handlers) had cut off the zippers off Justin's bag and rifled through it. Thankfully, they didn't take much (an iPod charger being the most valuable item, except to Chris, who has mourned the death of the laundry stopper ever since). But since it was close, we decided to go past the airline office the
Getting Ready
German fans in a Munich beer garden before the opening match next day to get a report for our insurance. Which led to this exchange:
"You can only get help if you notice the problem at the airport."
"Well, we just need a copy of our claim so we can give it to insurance."
"You're asking for a miracle, my friend."
"Um, OK."
While we were back in Cairo, we spent the first evening having a nice stroll through
Khan el-Khalili , the traditional Islamic section. Egypt is a true late night culture, so it's easy to move safely through the crowds until well past midnight, a welcome change from the cloistered evenings in Africa. We had a cup of Egyptian tea, and got to barter with a young salesman who parried one of our bids with the classic line, "My name is Muhammad, not Ali Baba." The next day, we took in the
Egyptian Museum . As one would expect, it's filled from floor to ceiling with sarcophigi, statues and mummys. Ironically, much of the King Tut material was missing from our tour, as it's currently in Chicago.
After one last feast of fuul and taamiya, we headed to the airport, having a fun conversation with Ahmet from Turkey, an airline employee
Edge of their Seat
German fans waiting for the final whistle in Munich who wanted to know all about American's sexual habits. We then settled in for a three-leg air trip, going through Barcelona on the way to Munich. As you probably know, there's a little sports thing going on there now, so we thought we'd give it a look.
Landing in Munich, we knew right away we'd made the right decision in chucking the budget for a few days. The opening match was scheduled to kick off in the city later that afternoon, so we hustled to drop our bags at the hostel. Unfortunately, everybody else had the same idea, so it took a while to get through the line. Once we did, we headed to
Augustiner Keller , a legendary beer garden down the street. The beer gardens in Munich are like private parks with lots of picnic tables and free flowing beer. The German fans were already in high gear. The great thing about the World Cup is that fans from all over the world are in festive spirits and ready to scream and cheer at the drop of a hat. The Germans are particularly tweaked, and anybody who says they don't show patriotic fervor anymore would be proven incorrect this
This is a Neutral Site?
The atmosphere in Frankfurt was a bit one-sided month. Being among thousands of feverish and chanting Germans was more fun than it's ever been in the past.
We headed up to the Olympic Park to catch the match at the
Fan Fest . In each of the 12 World Cup cities, there is a festival set up, centered on a huge screen showing all the games. Unfortunately, we got there too late, as the police had already decided it was full enough. We quickly grabbed the subway back to Schwabing to find a bar. As soon as we exited the tube, we found a bar with outdoor televisions and throngs of people. Luckily, the Germans won the match handily. We headed back up to watch the second match at the Fan Fest, which was still packed with people, Europeans being willing to watch any World Cup match regardless of the teams.
The next morning, we had to get up early to get to Frankfurt, where we had gotten match tickets to see England vs. Paraguay. From the moment of arriving at the early train, we were surrounded all day by English lads, painted and liquored up. While they were not badly behaved, there is a particular drunken quality
Obstructed View?
Chris and Justin's view of the field to the Brits that suggests one wrong comment could open a whole can of worms. They are definetely rambunctious, which combined with the almost total lack of women, led to a loud frat house atmosphere. We must give a shout out to the
Hotel Apadana , which really saved us. The few places that Justin was absolutely in charge of booking were the World Cup cities. When we got to the hotel in Frankfurt, we found out he had actually booked a single room. Given the lack of hotel space, we were looking at a real day killer. They not only let us take the single, but when we returned from the match, we found our bags moved into an empty double, which saved Justin from a night on the floor.
The match itself may not have been the best (featuring only some early heroics from David Beckham, who played hard the whole day), but it wasn't about just the football. It was essentially a home game for England, who took up at least 90%!o(MISSING)f the seats. Our seats were listed as obstructed view which, after a lifetime spent sitting behind poles in Wrigley Field, had Justin assuming the worst.
Big Screen
The television set up in the middle of the Main River in Frankfurt But the view was great, high, but in the corner for a good look at the whole field. Everybody had brought their choir books, and all it took was one screamed syllable for the whole stadium to erupt in a singsong. The only bummer was the appearance of the dreaded wave late in the second half.
After a too brief nap, we headed to the Main River, where Frankfurt's Fan Fest was held. The screen there was anchored in the middle of the water, with a view from both sides. After the last match, we wandered down the banks, stopping to grab beer and food, and to experience some of the dance tents positioned every hundred meters. We never dreamed we'd see an Iranian waving flags while singing along to Will Smith's "Miami" while in Germany. Unlike in the U.S. the Fan Fests are really set up as a celebration, not a way for companies to get at consumers. There was actual thought into what would be festive, and there's barely a corporate tent or advertisement to be seen.
We headed this morning back to Prague. We were so close we couldn't resist a brief return to one
Dancing Pole
People from all nations are all over Germany of our favorite cities. Tomorrow afternoon, the U.S. faces off against the Czech Republic, so we're looking forward to seeing how the fans here respond.
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marcelou2
Marcelo garcia
Hi..
Sorry man, i have to say COME ON ARGENTINA!!!, good luck!!!, but, maybe then final world cup is Argentina and Brazil