It’s about 10 days into the World Cup here in South Africa and, I’m going to be honest people, I’m all footballed out. I’ve been to two games so far in the freezing cold and I think that’s enough for me. The atmosphere is amazing and I’m grateful to be here soaking up the excitement but moving around the country following games and trying to cram some sightseeing in between is hard work.
This might be sacrilegious but I prefer watching the games on TV. I said it. Sad, but true. Getting to and from the stadiums here isn’t easy, the weather has been freezing, the games I’ve seen have been super dull, beer is expensive and the lines are long, toilets are few and far between, they don’t show any replays at the stadium, and I’m a bit sick of having horns blown directly into my ears from behind. If I were a super huge football fan or if Canada or Scotland made it into the World Cup then I might be singing a different tune but, for the most part, I’m happy having gone to a couple of games and think I will sit the rest out in favour of a seat with a view in the pub.
But with all that said, I’ve had a great time so far. I was at the Cape Town Fan Fest (outdoor areas all over the country with big screens for people to watch the games) when South Africa played Mexico in the first game and that was an amazing display of patriotism and support. The street party the night before also sent chills down my spine. The whole country is caught up in the hype and it’s easy to get pumped up when everyone around you is so excited.
One of the best parts of the World Cup, for me, is meeting fans from all over the world and seeing their crazy getups. There have been some great outfits, from the Aussie guys in skin-tight green and gold jumpsuits (in freezing cold weather) to the Dutchies in orange lion costumes. People have been heading to the games with brass instruments, all sorts of drums and of course the vuvuzelas that seem to have become a hot topic of conversation worldwide.
I’m really impressed with the show South Africa has put on here at the World Cup. I find the country to be a really interesting place and I’m hoping to do some volunteering on farms and a bit of couchsurfing while I’m here… after a trip up north for awhile to the warmer weather (nobody told me South Africa was so cold!)
In the meantime, I’ve got my own room in Durban for the next week so will explore the city a bit, take in some football matches, hopefully meet some cool people and, as always, try to do some work but probably get nothing done.
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