Back home now - thoughts

Discussion in 'World Cup 2010: Fans & Travel' started by whiskerxx, Jun 30, 2010.

  1. African Biohazard

    Apr 16, 2010
    Johannesburg
    Club:
    Tottenham Hotspur FC
    Nat'l Team:
    South Africa
    I think you'll find that in every country there are deprived areas where life is "very different" from the majority in Europe/N.america. S.Africa just happens to have a greater imbalance of wealth than most places. But you'll appreciate the fact that for most professionals and/or middle-upper income earners (not an insignificant number), life is actually much the same as in developed countries. Not discounting the fact that there are massive social imbalances, we do need to acknowledge that there has been a lot of change for the better over the last 20 years and hopefully this continues into the future - with the growth helping SA solve many of its social problems.

    As to whether SA should have hosted a WC. There will always be a debate about whether the money was well-spent. I think the short-term inflows of capital from visiting fans won't cover much. The long-term results of hosting a sucessful tournament may pay dividends and I think that's where I'm more optimistic. From reports I've read, we may have had a good impact on tourist markets which know little about SA - such as South and Central American nations. SA has also probably dispelled many of the doomsayer myths about rampant crime and collapsing infrastructure. This can only be a good thing going forward fo the tourist industry and other avenues of direct foreign investment?

    As for the football, we all knew there wouldn't be as many fans as Germany. I doubt any non-european country can match he sheer number of travelling supporters that Europe can muster. Revised reports of 500,000 visitors to S.A. puts the of visiting fans 2.5 fold higher than Korea/Japan (developed countries with fantastic transport infrastructure). I think we have to appreciate that the WC belongs to all the citizens of the world and it was really important for Africa to get its chance to host this event. The interest this tournament has stimulated for both rich and poor in this continent is immeasurable. The atmosphere and flavour of this WC has been different for you, but for many it is a refreshing change from the hegemony of europe/s.america. We can agree to disagreee on that one but I for sure am tempted to visit Brazil in 2014!
     
  2. Adamski

    Adamski New Member

    Barnet FC
    Apr 16, 2010
    London
    Hi Whisk..not sure I was responding to your points directly...

    I agree with your view of the point of the world cup...I think it just needs to be held in..you know... different parts of the world...
    Nothing more profound than that...

    Will be interesting to see who actually benefits from the tournament over time...though
     
  3. emmex

    emmex New Member

    Feb 23, 2009
    Club:
    --other--
    I have seen an improvement in the last couple of years, and an improvement on some public busses in a very short period of time. The government is also "encouraging" taxi owners to own correctly specced vehicles. To have sorted the whole countries transport since we got the bid, would have been impossible. Thay have tried though. For example, between Jhb and Pta massive investment was put into the roads - many more lanes on the highway. I'm sure it wasn't 100% complete, but there are definately some improvements.
    Would have been great if the Gautrain was 100% complete and a world cup initiative. At least it is helping to create future transport options. They are also planning to extend this train much further than their original routes.

    I am sure many clever folk that visited here, will want to do business here now, as well as to show us some ways to improve certain areas. We can all learn from each other.
     
  4. African Biohazard

    Apr 16, 2010
    Johannesburg
    Club:
    Tottenham Hotspur FC
    Nat'l Team:
    South Africa
    SA to 'break even' on World Cup

    source: http://www.fin24.com/Economy/SA-to-break-even-on-World-Cup-20100702

    Johannesburg - The World Cup will add R38bn to South Africa's economy this year - more or less the amount spent by South Africa to host the tournament, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said on Friday.

    Addressing a press conference in Johannesburg on the economic benefits of the tournament, Gordhan said the massive infrastructural improvements undertaken for the world cup would benefit the country for generations to come.

    The government has spent R33.7bn on hosting the tournament, including R11.7bn on 10 world cup stadiums, five of which were built from scratch, and R11.2bn to boost the rail network.

    A further R1.3bn was spent on securing the event and R1.5bn on telecommunications and new broadcast technology, treasury figures showed.

    Those figures do not include spending by host cities and provinces, which bring the overall bill closer to R40bn.

    "There's definitely a few billion more. There could be 3 to 5 billion more than the R33bn we've indicated to you," Gordhan conceded.

    The minister estimated the world cup had created 130 000 jobs - in the construction of stadiums and other facilities, tourism and feeder industries. He did not say how many were permanent jobs.

    Spending by hundreds of thousands of world cup visitors would add 0.4% (R38bn) to GDP this year, he predicted.

    Most of the income from the tournament, however, goes to football's ruling body FIFA, which is on course to gross $3.2bn from the world cup.

    FIFA says 75% of that goes back into football development.

    Many have questioned the judiciousness of South Africa spending so much to host the world cup given the challenge it faces in bringing housing, clean water and electricity to millions of its citizens.

    'Soft' benefits

    Gordhan said the new infrastructure would act as a magnet for investment as well as improve the lives of citizens.

    "Once you build a road, it doesn't disappear the day after the world cup ends," he said. The "soft" benefits were equally important, he added.

    The world cup had also forged a sense of unity unseen in the country since the end of apartheid in the 1990s. And South Africa had earned a reputation "as a country that can deliver".

    Iraj Abedian, chief executive officer of Pan-African Capital Holdings Ltd, which advises potential investors, said the world cup had buried negativity about South Africa, at home and abroad.

    There had been a lot of doubt before the tournament about South Africa's ability to meet deadlines, maintain order and contain crime, he said.

    Three weeks into a trouble-free tournament, he said, "those (concerns) have been put to rest"
     
  5. whiskerxx

    whiskerxx Member+

    May 30, 2006
    The best taxi driver we had (genuinely) appeared to be exceedingly knowledgable and fascinated us with local information about the area and the country. he most certainly gave the impression of being a dedicated family man with a clear goal for himself and family.
    He was very hardworking.

    His car had no rear view mirror, no speedometer, no rear seat belt on one side and reeked of diesel fumes.

    We used him at different times over a couple of days.

    Just before he dropped us back at Durban airport he thanked us for our business and said we'd been lucky to find him because he'd only just been released from ten days in prison, where he had been wrongly held for murder!!

    We laughed a lot about that! Some very funny memories.

    I'd use him again if we did ever go back to Durban!
     
  6. bigworm

    bigworm Member

    Nov 18, 2009
    Savannah, GA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Just got back yesterday. Overall, awesome trip. We are already talking about going back to do Cape Town and the Garden Route again in the summer.

    Great

    -South African People - Everyone we met was friendly and so excited to be the World Cup hosts.
    -Mossel Bay - Great little beach town on the Garden Route. I'm sure there are many others, but we stayed here one night at a Guesthouse overlooking the Indian Ocean.
    -USA-ALG match - Talk about going from one emotional extreme to another so quickly. Thanks for the memories, boys.
    -Bloukrans Bridge Bungy Jump - Everyone must try this at least once.
    -The Fans - It was great meeting so many fans from different places.

    Good

    -Airports - only in Joburg and PE, but they were clean and easy to navigate.
    -Roads/drivers - We drove over 4,000 KM during our 2.5 weeks, and rarely got into traffic, drove on poorly maintained roads, or felt unsafe. For the most part, the other drivers were courteous and disciplined.
    -Food and drink - Lots of variety, at least outside the stadiums (more on that later).
    -Cape Town - Great city and was very walkable. Everything was open late enough, and we felt very safe. Stayed in Sea Point. Just FYI, we stayed in Joburg, Bloemfontein, and Rustenburg and had fun as well, but Cape Town and Mossel Bay were just great places.
    -Game Viewing - Went to a couple reserves and though a cheetah research and breeding center. Very neat.
    -SAB World of Beer - Tour was a little cheesy at first, but you get 3 beers and a little souvenir glass.
    -Weather - It rained the first day we got to PE, and then nothing after that during our trip. It was nice for winter.
    -Guesthouses - I booked rooms at 5 places in different cities for less than R1,000 a night for my wife and I, and they all turned out to be great. Way better that staying at a hotel. Maybe we got lucky, but I think that there are more good ones than bad.

    Minor Annoyances

    -"Mini-Loaf" instead of biscuits at KFC - WTF?
    -Stadiums that didn't have Park & Walk lots
    -Stores closing at 5 pm - I guess I have just gotten used to most places being open late.
    -Heating in some guesthouses - I didn't really care, but my wife gets cold if it's below 80 F. Problem solved relatively cheaply with a space heater and an electric blanket.

    Bad

    -Local food selections other than Biltong should have been available at the matches - I just started bringing a sandwich and eating it while walking to the stadium. At least give me something other than a hot dog and plain chips. I did get a kick out of the mash & gravy though.
    -The drive from Rustenburg to Joberg after a match - I'm so glad that we got a place in Rustenburg for 2 out of our 3 matches there.
    -R50 tickets for Park & Ride at Ellis Park that no one checks.
    -Hearing "Waka Waka" at least 4 times a match.
    -That we have to wait 4 years for our next world cup trip.

    This was our first world cup, and we had a blast. We originally had decided not to go to Brazil in 2014, but after our great experience in South Africa, I think we are going to give it a shot. Time to start saving money and learning Portuguese.
     
  7. bunkmedal

    bunkmedal Member

    Feb 12, 2010
    Club:
    Cardiff City FC
    Good

    - The people I met were generally very friendly and hospitable.

    - Getting out of the big cities was great. The scenery in South Africa is breathtaking and it was well worth going to see some of it.

    - Security was generally OK, though I didn't put myself in a position to be mugged at any point.

    Bad

    - Transportation, other than the airlines (which was a good service) was just as bad as I expected it would be. Not much you can do about it, but it was extremely limiting not having a decent way to travel about without spending a fortune on taxis. Getting to games wasn't so much of a hassle, but the general transportation situation left us just sitting in the hotel a lot of the time rather than being able to explore the country. We finally buckled and went on some prepaid tours as a way of seeing something, but again this cost us a fortune (none of us can drive). This was the major negative for us, though we expected it.

    - The feeling of being completely ripped off for accommodation. Yes, this always happens at a big event, but the disparity between what you paid for and what you got seemed extremely big this time around. Mediocre (at best) guesthouses for the price of a 5 star European hotel. I'm used to traveling on a budget so this took some getting over.

    The bad requires more explanation than the good, but overall I did enjoy the trip.
     
  8. Ric_Braz

    Ric_Braz Member+

    May 13, 2009
    Wiltshire, UK.
    Club:
    AFC Wimbledon
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    My seventh and on balance porobably most enjoyable world cup despite seeing only 7 goals in 5 games and England's utterly pathetic performances.

    Good
    Great to have so many locals who actually were barmy to welcome visitors and the tournament. The nearest to Mexico 1986. Take note France & USA.

    Service in restaurants,hotels, B & B generally excellent, very efficient & friendly.

    Speaking to hoteliers, fans etc. who all like me hate MATCH and said what an utter waste of space they were.

    Green Point & Nelson mandela Bay stadiums really lovely all seats were great views.

    Weather way better than expected which made the whole southern route with the beaches a joy.

    Had no security problems, thankfully but did take the soft options. having said that never took one taxi in CT for whole week. It was a shame that it required so much scurity & police to man teh beach at Summerstarnd & a local park. If this is the friendly city then glad I never went to some of the others.

    Watching on the big screen, USA v Slovenia in The Watrerfront before the England Algeria game with the sun shining on the wonderful Table Mountain was a dream moment.

    As always meeing fans from around the world. You know you can strike up a conversation with anyone because you are all there for the same reason. This happens only once in four years in life!

    Were not let down by any hotels, car hire etc.

    Police, security at games could not have been more friendly and though I felt this was rather programmed for the tournament it definitely put one more at ease.

    Although small it was nice to see programme at R70, presumably so all peoples could afford it. Korea @ £20 was a disgrace.

    It was a great to see so many and well behaved England fans who despite their moronic national team never lost their support or good humour. the support in particular in PE was terrific.

    Not Fussed
    Food & drink was average but then I never go to games for the menu and wine list.

    No problem with the Vuvuzelas except for not hearing the fans sing. In terms of loudness never found them a problem and I think as the tournament went on they were played a bit more sensibly i.e. when something exciting was happneing. The smaller ones were really annoying, more hig pitched, and the knobhead kaiser Chiefs supporter at the Italy/paraguay game was lucky a number of us did not insert it into him.

    Bad
    Have to the the white middle classes were generally pretty uninterested. Most I saw were perfectly pleasant but always told us they hated Soccer. It remined me of parents at a teenage party of their children and feeling awkward and not really knowing what they were doing there. Yes this is a generalisation but it did remind me of the UK 25 years ago when liking football was seen as an impediment.

    Hotels were not exactly up to speed with arranging, or offering advice on how to get to games.

    Got really bored with all this 'It is the whole of Africa's' Tournament. No it is not. 'Now you have to support Ghana' etc. Still ITV were telling us this as well yesterday.

    Would have been nice to see a little less iceberg lettuce on every menu and on the rare occasion a vegetable was offered it probably could have been happy with a tenth of the time in the saucepan.

    It brought it home in PE that teh we were told never to go anywhere at all in the Dark and was followed up with 'Like so many other parts of the world' Really?! When security is brought up the reply is not like Europe or teh USA well I think you will find many people on this site have actually been to many places outside of these areas.

    The availability of merchandise was very good unlike to appalling rubbish in Korea. However there was a FIFA shop in the Boradwalk PE selling England shirts for R746! Just who is going to but these? Well no one actually as they had so many left in stock.


    The trouble is I am now already thinking about Brazil 2014!
     
  9. futmotard

    futmotard Member

    Sep 8, 2009
    Club:
    Toronto FC
    The good:
    SA's warm hospitality, everywhere I went was always greeted with a smile and hello ( can not say the same for Germany ).
    Food was amazing, am a big fan of Nando's.
    Price of beer at stadium's, met a few USA fan's that were just loving it, each with 4 beers in their hand, and going for more ( beer is usually 10 USD at a comparable event ).
    Transportation was easy, rented a car, GPS was a must, very easy to get to Park and rides.

    The wacky:
    Seeing goats crossing the road and having to stop to allow them to cross ( Rustenburg ), people having haircuts on the side of the road ( Joburg near North Gate ), monkeys running about ( Sun City ), impromptu liquor stores setup on the side of the road
    ( Rustenburg ), signs on the side of the road mentioning hijack Hot Spot.

    The Bad:
    Walk to/from Soccer City to park and ride for Wits, was too long ( more than 2Km? ).
    Portugal not making it to the final.
    Thank you very much to all the locals that have posted here at Big Soccer, it helped so much prepare for my visit, looking forward to return to SA.
     
  10. Pule

    Pule New Member

    Aug 3, 2006
    Thank you all who descended to the South for coming into our country even though the media never gave our country any chance. Your visit will contribute significantly to uniting the nation, helping us to work together to get people out of poverty and after all for making South Africa a buzz for the duration of the tornamanent. Hope to see you back here soon. Yes, we might have not met German standard, after all we are a developing country, but we made sure that people experience African humanity.

    Again, thanks a lot. As for Gronum, thanks a lot my sister for helping all our tourists.
     
  11. emmex

    emmex New Member

    Feb 23, 2009
    Club:
    --other--
    As a local:

    The good:
    - Country being unified
    - A lot of perceptions of soccer has changed in a good way
    - A lot of perceptions of race has changed
    - Some churches has built bridges because of the event
    - Ghana did well and some of their matches were the best.
    - The stadiums and pitches were better than expected
    - The food was cheaper than expected
    - The smoothness of the running of the event was better than expected.
    - The fan parks are worth it for those who can't afford tickets
    - It was nice taking group photos for foreigners
    - The wc has brought me and some family closer. I have heard of this elsewhere also.
    - Germany is doing well which would result in "them" not dissing SA as a host, and actually complimenting them as a host - even if we didn't live up to the last world cup's standards. Even one of their famous ex-players changed his tune about this event in SA

    The bad:
    - Travelling to stadiums
    - Park and ride after match worse than getting there. (Safe but inconvenient)
    - Seeing people being forced to buy budweiser in one of the best beer making countries in the world(castle, windhoek, black label) - even when i don't drink
    - No coffee at stadiums
    - Expected to see vendors walking around to sell chocolates and crisps like at rugby games
    - Being forced to buy european quisine when great african meals would have been far better at the stadiums
    - All the continuous complaints of the VV - it was not that bad, especially at stadium & fan park - sounds worse on tv
    - All the continuous complaints of the Jabulane - both teams are playing with the same ball - get over it
    - An SA group stage success would have been great
    - A Ghana semi final would have been great
    - An Argentina vs. Brazil final would have been great
    - England = overrated, but even so, they should have done better - would have made the world cup more exciting to me.
    - I don't see many foreigners in normal locale
    - Horendous decisions and horendous simulation - really gives soccer a bad name
     
  12. Gronum

    Gronum Member

    Feb 10, 2010
    Club:
    --other--
    Ke a leboga to you too!
     
  13. Ric_Braz

    Ric_Braz Member+

    May 13, 2009
    Wiltshire, UK.
    Club:
    AFC Wimbledon
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    It is a pity there is so much in the bad column. I also find it sad that people keep saying I know we were not as good as germany etc. You were just as good. there was nothing special about Germany 2006 except for the immense demand because of location and the economy at that time.

    However the Jubalani ball clearly has a problem with bounce and flight hence so many crosses and diagonal crossfield passes went astray and to have all teams struggle with this was not great. the diving etc. was nowhere near as bad as Germany 2006 and people kept telling me how bad the officials were. Except for a couple of obvious mistakes and a couple of over cardy refs there was no difference and the standard of linesmen decisions was almost perfect. I certainly would have to challenge one of the best beer making countries in the world.
     
  14. Gronum

    Gronum Member

    Feb 10, 2010
    Club:
    --other--
    Hi all

    An open letter to all who came to SA: Thank you for having the unlimited patience, enthusiasm and fat wallets to visit SA.
    Please come and visit again - best month is Feb - March as there is less rain in Cape Town and it is not our peak school holiday season so chances of finding cheaper accommodation/flights are good. Then visit all the places you did not get to this time - Garden Route, Cape town, go down a mine, Durban, catch a tan, scuba/snorkel, bungy, etc etc. Drink and eat local food/beer/wine at normal prices. Watch some rugby/cricket.
    We will welcome you back with open arms - even the grumpy ones amongst you!
     
  15. Jimbo

    Jimbo Member

    Dec 17, 1999
    Washington, DC
    The Really Good

    Like others said, the people of South Africa were great - smiling, eager to help, reaching out to foreigners. From my experience I would say South Africans are very good hosts. From the woman offering me Braii tips at the supermarket to the B&B owner that shipped the stuff we forgot to our place in Cape Town, people really went out of their way to be helpful.

    We covered a lot of the country and really liked what we saw. We went to all the US games but also got to hike in Kruger National Park, the Drakensburgs, along the ocean north of Durban, the Cape of Good Hope, and Table Mountain. South Africa has some very beautiful country side which alone is worth the trip to see.

    I was in a group of eight on the Bushman Trail in Kruger. The park is fantastic but I highly recommend going on the hikes out of a bush camp. Hearing a lion nearby at night (not the MGM movie roar, but a repetitive low growl they make to show they're the boss) when there's only a wire fence between that incredible sound and yourself makes you feel (lucky to be) alive. Seeing wild animals on foot was amazing.

    Cape Town. It's hard to think of a city that offers the same mix of ocean, culture, mountains, wine country, history, and natural beauty. Cape Town is the crown jewel of South Africa in my view. I'd go back in the proverbial New York minute. Likewise, Durban is a great place.

    Safety. The crime talk leading up to the cup made you think you were entering a war zone but we had no issues (except at the games as noted below). We were in Joburg, Pretoria, Durban, Bloemfontain and Cape Town, and were pedestrians at night and never had any trouble. We strayed into a township when we were trying to avoid some game traffic on our way out of Joburg and a guy stopped us and said "you look lost" and helped us out.

    Also I'd like to thank the South Africans that helped out on Big Soccer by dispensing wisdom and insights that made it much easier to get around and work out the technical details of the trip. Gronum, Emmex and others deserve kudos for their help.

    The Not So Good

    Surprises on the road. Had to dodge a mattress outside Durban, babaoons and horses in the Drakensburgs, an airplane that did an emergency landing on the road into Bloemfontain, and some pretty big potholes here and there. We had bulges on the sidewalls of two tires by the end of our trip.

    Service in some restaurants can be pretty bad by USA standards. In several places the entrees came out by dribs and drabs (in one place the gap between first and last appearing entrees was over 45 minutes!).

    Fires. There were grass fires all over the place. A big one in the Drakensburgs but also as you came into Joburg from the south, and fittingly, one on the hills south of Rustenburg after the US crashed and burned against Ghana and on the way to Bloemfontain where England did the same. All across the high and low veld there was evidence of grass fires. Maybe they're planned but it presents a pretty stark landscape.

    Referees. So many blown calls. You'd think FIFA could do better. Screw Uruguay (bleeping cheats). It would have been great to have an African side in the semis.

    We managed to get through three weeks without any crime except, ironically, at two of the games. My nephew had his passport pick pocketed at the US v Algeria game in Pretoria and someone snatched a 100 rand note out of my son's hand at the US v England game. Odd that the most secure spots were where these inconvenient events happened.

    The Bad

    Speed traps and crooked traffic cops. We got pulled over in speed traps at the bottom of Van Reenen's Pass (who isn't going fast at the bottom of a long hill on an expressway?) and in Sabie. We ended up being shaken down for a bribe by a fat-ass KwaZulu Natal traffic police cop on June 14th as we headed toward Durban. In Sabie we talked our way out of it -- played up our being guests and the police let us off. The corrupt cop was working alone -- a dead give away -- but going back more than 90 kms to pay the full fine was not an option.

    Food at the stadium was bad. A bland vegetable sandwich, hot dogs and boerwors. I liked the local sausage but I ate so much of it that I couldn't take it anymore. And Budweiser as the only beer at the games was lousy. Whatever conglomerate that owns Bud now must have some decent beers for sale. Why can't they be sold at the stadia?

    Getting in and out of Rustenburg. Did it twice and I was lucky because I was coming from Magaliesburg, not Joburg. Took forever to get in and out of the park and rides. It was better for the R16 game than the first game, but still was pretty poor because there's basically a one-lane road going south from the stadium. Rustenburg is simply a lame place for games.

    Vuvuzelas. People say they're uniquely South African but so is Rift Valley fever. I consider them as sucking the life out of games and destroying the ability of fans to participate vocally. Walking the fan walk after the Germany v Argentina game (2.4 km) with vuvuzelas blaring was like the Bataan death march. And having to hear them after the US lost . . . .

    FIFA. They make enough off TV and sales of rights that they did not have to charge the rip off ticket prices. The number of category 4 seats was limited. The vast majority of South Africans could not attend games because the kleptocrats at FIFA value greed above all. Likewise, Match did a horrible job by hoarding space, inflating prices and scaring people off from attending the cup.

    My group of eight had a great time in South Africa and would consider returning, particularly to the Western Cape. We were impressed with South Africa and how they put on the tournament. The country did a great job and should be proud of what they've accomplished.
     
  16. Gronum

    Gronum Member

    Feb 10, 2010
    Club:
    --other--
    Cool comments - glad you enjoyed your trip.
    Technically our veld fires are started by lightning at the end of winter. Then the green grass and flowers shoot though and the highveld becomes a beautiful place. In reality cigarette butts, vagrants and herders start the fires - the ones you saw are way too early. The highveld is dry and ugly in winter compared to the coast, but come spring it changes into a beautiful green landscape. In October Pretoria and Johannesburg is abloom with purple jacarandas - a beautiful sight - and in April Cosmos flowers line the national highways.
    Ha - so you got the emergency plane landing en route!! Makes a change from donkeys, goats and cattle. In some places you could even find wildlife like aard wolf, jackal, leopard or crocodile next to the road so be glad it was only a plane.:eek:
     
  17. Jimbo

    Jimbo Member

    Dec 17, 1999
    Washington, DC
    One more comment on the good side. The stadiums were all good but some are world class. The stadium in Durban is a work of art. So is the Cape Town stadium. It's in a great location along the ocean and is quite a sight from the top of Table Mountain. For the doubters that said South Africa couldn't get it done, from what I saw (Rustenburg, Bloemfontain, Ellis Park, Loftus Versfeld, Durban and Cape Town), the buildings were great. Didn't get to Soccer City but it looked pretty good on TV.
     
  18. Ric_Braz

    Ric_Braz Member+

    May 13, 2009
    Wiltshire, UK.
    Club:
    AFC Wimbledon
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    I only went to CT & PE abut though Durban looked terrific I would have thought the distance behind the goals would have been a problem. Again just from the TV Rustenburg looked a bit weak with a running track and apart from one stand just totally open. All the others looked terrific though.
     
  19. prof.tim

    prof.tim Red Card

    Jul 6, 2010
    although poverty out there in south africa
    they did pretty well
     
  20. supaeagles

    supaeagles Member

    Feb 20, 2010
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Got back home 20 hours ago. Spent 16 nights in SA, went to 10 matches from group games to the quarterfinals. Visited 8 of the 10 stadiums. Great trip and it was a good thing I didnt base myself in Joburg like a lot of other people because it was cold and heating in the guesthouses are pretty much non existent. I toured the entire country my flight and some driving with people I met on other forums which I think was a fantastic idea.

    The Bad :-
    - Had to watch Uruguay twice (Round of 16 and Quarterfinal - the quarterfinal against ghana really hurt :mad:)
    - Non-existing heating in guesthouses in Joburg. WTF does that rectangular plywood do for you exactly ?
    - Rustenburg Park&Ride was a disaster. No lighting in some areas right after you exit the stadium. No authorities were present to direct fans to the right place to catch their bus. People were boarding from anywhere and it was a mess
    - I forgot which stadium but there was one where there were very few toilets
    - Soccer City Park&Ride for Wits univ. Long walk.. very inefficient. Why not provide parking for buses near the stadium ?
    - I took the metro rail into Cape Town city centre on match day and the trains were messy.. ugly grafiti all over..
    - I had quite an experience with 1time airlines. It should be called 3time after what I went thru. We boarded on time and as we were heading towards the runway, pilot goes back to the gate because of some door problem. Problem is fixed and then we take off. 20 minutes into the flight, pilot says he needs to go back for safety precautions. We go back and wait 30 minutes where we wait for another flight. Not too bad since it only delayed us by 2 hrs getting into PE. I heard 1time had the same experience the next day on the same flight and there were bunch of fans traveling that day to watch Uruguay vs S.Korea in PE which had a 4pm kickoff. They made it just in time
    - Soweto

    The Good :-
    - All stadiums I visited except Bloemfontein and Pretoria; Cape Town, Durban and Mbombela were pretty cool
    - The people
    - Everything abt Cape Town was magnificent from my guesthouse to taxi services to city centre to table mountain to cape peninsula but because of the weather there I couldn't goto Robben Island :(
    - Durban was spectacular too. Best fan fest hands down which is right on the beach front. Weather was fantastic and if you lived in the beachfront, there was easy access to the people mover public transportation bus and it was R4 for one trip. Very affordable place. Regret spending only 2 nights there.
    - Flights were pretty much on time
    - I didnt spend any money on Budweiser in the stadiums. It was pretty much an alcohol free trip


    Didnt get close to being robbed. There were more positives than negatives which is a good thing about this whole world cup experience. South Africa organized it very well. I didnt goto Germany in 2006 and none before that and I was very satisfied with my trip. I traveled alone for this world cup and I felt lonely sometimes and would not do that again for Brazil 2014 (as long as my friends dont decide against a worldcup just like what they did for this one :))
    Met loads of people whom I hope to see again in 4 years time.

    ohh.. and I met Pule and African Biohazard there couple times and they are fantastic ppl and we hung out before matches. I also met Gronum at the 20th Wits meet. Nice meeting you Gronum.
     
  21. Pule

    Pule New Member

    Aug 3, 2006
    Goleboga nna Mma.
     
  22. Ric_Braz

    Ric_Braz Member+

    May 13, 2009
    Wiltshire, UK.
    Club:
    AFC Wimbledon
    Nat'l Team:
    England

    Also need to add as bad the complete lack of signs at OR tambo for collection of tickets. What else did they think thousands of visitors might want on arrival. Asked at least three people and even there sod all signs but amass of people squashed into not muach more than a corridor at the back.
     
  23. yaw9999

    yaw9999 New Member

    Jun 3, 2010
    Washington, DC
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Ghana
    I had an incredible time in South Africa and I'll definitely go back, this time to enjoy the country rather then spend all of my time in stadiums/bars. South Africa should be very proud. You hosted a wonderful event! All of the naysayers owe you a public apology.

    There is no such thing as a perfect host for a World Cup. Every host country does their best and cannot make everyone happy. Don't expect the food, drink, shopping, culture, etc, to be the same as it is in your home country.
     
  24. Ric_Braz

    Ric_Braz Member+

    May 13, 2009
    Wiltshire, UK.
    Club:
    AFC Wimbledon
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    [ Don't expect the food, drink, shopping, culture, etc, to be the same as it is in your home country.[/QUOTE]
    I certainly don't consider myself a naysayer but like many otehsr on here we have all travelled a bit and certainly do not expect things the same. Like you i thought they did a damned good job.
     
  25. Mario4284

    Mario4284 New Member

    Jun 13, 2006
    Atlanta
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    LOL, I asked myself the same about the rectangular plywood.

    I also traveled on my own and felt lonely sometimes which was a disappointing contrast from my previous solo travel to Germany 2006; I never felt lonely in Germany and met more people, there were more fans and the atmosphere was better. I'm with you, I'm gonna make sure to save enough money to afford to bring somebody with me to Brazil in 2014 if my friends bail out on me again.
     

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