Football is more than a game

We, too, bought some gear. We took a few pictures with some Algerian fans and exchanged wishful scorelines with smiles and handshakes. Everyone thinks their team is going to win 2-0. This is an almost universal truth at this (and maybe every) World Cup. I think I heard a 3-1 boast yesterday, which turned out to not be too far from the trutch, alas. But on this day all was right with the world as both teams had dreams of going through with a victory and everyone was in a good mood and hopeful.

The weather didn't hurt. I should note here that the weather in this part of the country has been near perfect to my tastes - a lot like September weather in the northeast. Warm and sunny in the day and cool to cold at night.

Once we took our seats, we held onto them for 90 minutes as the teams battled to a scoreless draw. Algeria played brilliantly and had a couple of great chances to put in a goal. The US played better, but managed only a few real chances. That all changed when Donovan slotted home. The place erupted. Beer, water, clothes all flew around in the celebration as everyone jumped into each others arms. The party continued well after the final whistle too. A crowd of over a hundred fans gathered just outside the stadium and sang for nearly an hour. Many fans gathered at the square to keep the night going. It was far and away the best sporting atmosphere I've been a part of, better even than the Sox winning the series. The great thing was that the celbration was for the Americans what this whole World Cup has been for the world -- a time to put all of our differences aside and to be one people without concern for strife or wrongs both perceived and real.

I'm running out of time on the Web, so I'll leave for later my praise of Algerian fans.

It all works out in the end

We left Sabie - our base town for Kruger and for our daytripping - for Pretoria on 6/22. We bought tickets to US - Algeria on 6/23 before we came here and also picked up some Japan - Denmark tickets on 6/24 while on the ground. We made it in a bit late, but made it out into Pretoria for the end of the South Africa - France game. We watched on a huge outdoor screen with hundreds of other people. The game was lively - SA needed to win by four, quickly raced to a 2-0 lead and then had chance after chance to extend it. Ah well.

We headed off into the city after the game (dark by then) and it was all sorts of sketchy. Sketchy looking Algerians mixing with sketchy looking South Africans. We watched the late game in the square (all the host cities have official big screens for watching games) but made a quick night of it, a little unsure that we would like Pretoria. Turns out it was just a spot of bad timing as game day was phenomenal. We returned to the city in the daylight to find it buzzing with anticipation. Americans and Algerians everywhere buying gear and hanging out in the streets and cafes.

Catching up - Daytripping

Prior to the Italy - NZ game we did a bit of touring around the countryside. This area of SA is quite mountainous. We tried to find a day hike -- we missed the turn off -- and drove up to a place called God's Window. The "Window" and its surrounds had some great views and the hiking around it was also quite beatiful. Alissa and Mike talked me out of doing a 20 story free fall over a gorge. I still think the view would have been lovely. We did find our day hike the next day - it was a very pleasant walk through a little bit of jungle and some pine forest to a warterfall. We finally had a bit of real South African food too. We tried some Ostrich steak. I hadn't had it before. It's pretty darn tasty. A lot like Cow steak.

Football is best described as 90 minutes, 22 players and the Germans (and Brazilians) always win

Tough match yesterday. Thrilling for 90 minutes, and for the last 25 of regulation it seemed certain the US would find the winner. Harsh loss, but in the end deserved. Ghana earned it and the celebrations by all of Africa were pretty cool. Brutal walk of shame back to the car. This World Cup experience has been nothing but phenomenal. I'll talk more about it as I do some catchup blogging on the Algeria game. However, there was quite a lot of anti-American chatter from the neutrals (read non-Africans). Too bad really because the Ghana fans and the South Africans were excellent, wishing us nothing but good luck next time.

You may have seen me and my lot on TV if you watched the game. Reports have said we were on TV no less than three times. If you saw a doofy guy (your author) in a stars and stripes bandana and draped in an US flag next to another doofy guy (Mike) in a blue beanie waving a US flag, next to a lady in a red and white striped beenie and soccer ball sunglasses, well that was us. We sat first row by the "action" goal -- the one where all three saves were made. Our view of the Donovan penalty was fantastic and that moment goes down as my second greatest live sporting experience (behind only his goal in the Algeria game).

This trip has, other than the US loss, shown us nothing but good fortune. The morning of the game Mike and I bought some tickets off a couple of England fans who, as we all did, thought England would win the group. We got them for face value ($100 per), but they were lousy seats off on the far corner (it's a relative lousy though, it's a very small stadium). Alissa didn't want to go, but last minute decided to see if there were tickets available online. So she bought one and off we went.

When we got to the stadium to pick up her ticket we found that the purchase hadn't gone through. The ticket manager turned her away and told her she'd have to track back to the park and ride then drive another 15K to a ticket shop to get a ticket. One of the ladies behind the counter felt badly and, after getting the manager out of the room, gave Alissa a free ticket - front row. Alissa noticed that the ticket was part of an unsold block. We decided to sit with her and see if they sold (at this point we were an hour before game time). We figured the odds were in our favor. As it turns out, we were right, and we had a great game, not 20 yards from the touchline.

More to Come

Including a recount of the incredible US v. Algeria game. I'm still reeling. What a nightit has been! Ole Ole Ole Ole USA USA!

World Cup game on a Whim

We overheard two interesting tidbits at breakfast on our second day. One, that if the SA police pull you over and say that you must pay a fine that you should say that you have no money and wish to pay at the nearest station. Two, that Italy and New Zealand had a game this day only an hour away. Both bits paid dividends. We bought tickets to the game and a sublime experience ensued. We were (I driving in fact) pulled over by the police and, with a plea to the effect of the above, were let off with a "you're okay" and a thumbs up.

The game itself was middling at best. New Zealand played the game of their lives and Italy were, I'm afraid to say, boring. They should have done much better. But the live game in SA was worth every penny. The TV broadcasts show the Vuvuzelas as a noxious hum. In fact they bring a great vibrancy to the live games. The pulse of the game is high and unwaning. We sat only a few rows from the field, but it was the horns and the convivial energy of the crowd that made it memorable. We had a blast at the game. However, it wasn't until the shuttle back (to the park and ride) that the transcendent experience came. We were "trapped" at the back with a group of 20 South Africans. They sang. They blew Vuvuzelas. We danced. We laughed. It was wonderful. They were wonderful. I can without reservation say that they are a wonderful people. As we were getting off the bus one of them stopped me and said: "You are welcome in South Africa any time." It was an unnecessary, but touching, gesture, and indicative of the warm South African spirit.

As we waited for the traffic to clear, a group of 20 something South Africans welcomed us to dance with them. More of the same...

Addendum to Kruger

Some of my readers may have fun or interesting stories about where and when they learned to drive. I think I have them beat. On top of the incredible wilderness experience of Kruger, it was on these roads through the wilderness that I learned to drive a manual. On the wrong side of the road. With the stick shift on the left hand side. I suppose it was better for a few Zebra to have to deal with my stalling engine than fast driving South Africans. At this point I can say that I have spent more time driving a stick shift on the wrong side of the road than on the right...

The animals tried to sit on my car

Day 1 - we ventured into Kruger National Park. It's like Yellowstone, but instead of trees there are herds of wild animals. Imagine that someone carved a road through a wild savannah. That's Kruger. We entered the gate and within 2 minutes we had encountered a herd of Giraffe. They grazed just outside our car window. They appeared oblivious to our presence. We had the same experience with Elephants, Zebras, Baboons, Buffalo, Impala, and Wildebeest. An elephant nearly poked his head in our car. The experience was, without exaggeration, transcendent. I felt like I was a fly on the wall in their world. Incredible. I cannot recommend a trip to this part of the world enough. It is something else altogether.

Dazed and Confused

Sorry my "loyal" readers that it has been so long since my last post. I did not expect to have such a hard time finding internet access. I finally, have some, and there is much to report. I will try to post in chronological order for your benefit. Suffice it to say, this has been close to a perfect week (minus Kobe getting credit for an NBA title despite going 4 - 26... what did he do exactly).

Entry No. 1

Hello and welcome to my travel blog. I hope to cover a few things more than my travels, but this should provide a convenient place for me to update one, two, or more of my friends while I'm out and about. I'll try to be good and have set an every other day goal for myself. Fingers crossed.

The blog site I read before I started this thing said that people who read blogs like lists: so I'll start you off with a partial list, inspired by my recent viewing of #6. Top ten guilty pleasure movies: (1) Hackers... (6) Eurotrip. That's all I have for now. I'll keep thinking about it.