We are so feeling the love here in South Africa. I will admit that up until the Soccer Cup came to South Africa, quite frankly I had no real interest in soccer. And a few months back our team was not in great shape either. I feared my heart would be broken. No more.
Our boys have pulled themselves together so smartly and you would have to be in a deep coma not to be feeling all the Soccer Cup energy here. In the picture is a local resident. And that is just a house. It’s soccer mania here.
We are all having a bit of a chuckle at the rather over the top security the international teams are insisting on. I have relatives who have been stranded in a game reserve while the Americans are being safely escorted about. Bullet proof vehicles and a plethora of machine gun toting guards are keeping us locals at bay. The British press have had a field day printing all sorts of garbage. Apparently their team might just get bitten by snakes in their rooms. I do hope the Soccer Cup finally dispels these stupid ideas that Africa is a big, bad and dangerous place.
One day to go! It’s here! Tomorrow is kick off and the matches all begin. Most of us in Green Point aren’t going anywhere. We can’t. So many roads are closed that we couldn’t get anywhere even if we tried. We will be glued to the telly watching the openings, the parties, the interviews, the games. the musings of sportscasters, the whole nine yards.
We’re all fired up with personal vuvuzelas and lots of hope after Bafana Bafana’s win this weekend. A local newspaper has cartoons of hell freezing over and pigs flying. Yes we are that hopeful here. Nelson Mandela paid our boys a visit and gave them a pep talk. It worked when he did that to our rugby players in the South African Rugby World Cup. They won the World Cup. Go Bafana Bafana. Make us proud. Let the games begin!
Picture courtesy of SA Tourism
I hope most people are pleasantly surprised when they arrive at Cape Town airport. They should be. The airport is brand new and we now have a gleaming new IRT or Integrated Rapid Transport bus up and running. One wonders why it took us so long to get a municipal airport transfer? The IRT bus station is right outside the front door of the airport and costs R50 to get to the city centre. From there you can catch the IRT or a Golden Arrow bus or the train or a taxi to your final destination.
Visit the Cape Town City Council website for timetables. Use Google Earth for a map or to gauge distances.
As said before, I am not well travelled, but I have done a bit of travelling. Some of the airports in the rest of Africa are … well let’s just say rustic. I recall Zanzibar airport. The arrivals board had the flight of the day written on a chalk board. That was if there were enough people to justify a flight. There is a charm to such simplicity. However I failed to find being stranded at the airport after I had spent all my holiday money in any way appealing. And the good news is we don’t have volcanoes here.
Much happiness and joy here! Our boys Bafana Bafana beat Denmark on Saturday. They must be feeling the love and a lot of pressure from all of us. Cape Town and I presume South Africa, is ablaze with car flags, window flags, street flags, shopping mall flags, socks on rear view mirrors. The South African flag is everywhere. I saw a guy on a Harley at a traffic light with an massive flag attached to his bike. Stories abound of street vendors making a small fortune overnight selling all this paraphernalia.
And our famous, and at times infamous, vuvuzela sound also emanates from nowhere all day long.
The vuvuzela was a goat horn used in days gone by to call villagers. The low foghorn type sound would travel across hills and valleys. Now it is a weapon to destroy opposing football teams en masse. It makes a hellava noise. But if you can’t beat them? Then you just have to join them. Vuvuzelas are dirt cheap at the supermarkets now. I think it’s time to get one in green.
Picture courtesy SA Tourism
My personal bias does prevent me from mentioning luxury hotels and fine dining establishments in this blog. Good food to me is organic, preferably vegan and enjoyed with loved ones in the comfort of my home or somewhere natural, relaxed and informal. But I do realise there’s a world full of people and tastes.
Many of my friends and family thoroughly enjoy splashing out on a meal or a weekend at a fabulous venue. And we have plenty of them here in Cape Town. If money is no object or if you still spend anyway, then here are some ways to part with large amounts of money to indulge yourself to the max.
If you have one, you could park your super-yacht at the V and A Waterfront and spend a night or two at The One and Only. They boast a full six stars. If their ambiance is not quite to your taste The Cape Grace, The Table Bay, The Mount Nelson or The Radisson may do it for you. Shop till you drop at Gucci, Burberry, Byblos, Louis Vuitton et al at The Waterfront. Local designers to visit are Marion and Lindie, GGDT and Malcolm Kluk.
We have international restaurants such as Nobu or Gordon Ramsay’s Maze. But you could try one of our very own fine dining establishments such as Savoy Cabbage, Aubergine, Emily’s, and so on and on.
Find them at www.eatout.co.za. Enjoy!
Picture courtesy of Jemma Fletcher
