We woke up on Day 5, super excited and unfortunately super cold. 15th June was one of the coldest days in the South African winter with wind chills regularly bringing the temperatures down to one or zero degree Celsius and we were to bear the full brunt of it. The day ranks as one of the coldest of my life so far but more on that later.
The day was packed, we had the Brazil match at night and in the morning we had decided to do a tour to explore Johannesburg and gain a little bit of an insight into the apartheid era. We had chosen to do a Johannesburg city tour coupled with a visit to Constitution hill - once one of the prisons in the apartheid era but now serving as a judicial centre of the Republic of South Africa. Our tour operator African Eagle picked us up from our hotel at 8.00 AM sharp and we were on our way.
The day was packed, we had the Brazil match at night and in the morning we had decided to do a tour to explore Johannesburg and gain a little bit of an insight into the apartheid era. We had chosen to do a Johannesburg city tour coupled with a visit to Constitution hill - once one of the prisons in the apartheid era but now serving as a judicial centre of the Republic of South Africa. Our tour operator African Eagle picked us up from our hotel at 8.00 AM sharp and we were on our way.
The tour kicked off with the usual picking up of guests from various hotels - again a truly international experience as we met a Brazilian and a whole group of M
exicans. Particularly memorable was a chat we had with a Mexican father and son who were on the tour. The father was a zoo keeper in the US and this was the 4th world cup he was attending. How did he manage to do it in spite of being a zoo keeper? Every month a certain portion of his salary goes into the World Cup saving account which he utilizes for his 4 - yearly pilgrimage, the passion and the magic that is the Fifa World Cup.
exicans. Particularly memorable was a chat we had with a Mexican father and son who were on the tour. The father was a zoo keeper in the US and this was the 4th world cup he was attending. How did he manage to do it in spite of being a zoo keeper? Every month a certain portion of his salary goes into the World Cup saving account which he utilizes for his 4 - yearly pilgrimage, the passion and the magic that is the Fifa World Cup.The tour started off with a visit to Constitution hill which was a sobering influence to say the least. Every one knows that the human race has a dark side but to see proof of such organised cruelty and subjugation of one part of civil society to another was a very very depressing experience. The tour covered all aspects of prison life from prison cells, dining area and solitary confinement tin boxes.
Not a pleasant experience by any stretch, but essential to understand the realities of the apartheid era and the evil that is racism. The two other aspects from the visit that will stay with me for a long time were the respect that Mahatma Gandhi was accorded in South Africa, there was a whole section of the tour dedicated to M. K. Gandhi - his life, times and struggles in South Africa.It made me proud to be an Indian and wish that we have more such exhibits in India. The second was the obvious determination of the South African nation to arise from its painful history, the constitutional court is built where a portion of the prison once stood and uses the same prison bricks in the new structure. A symbolic statem
ent from South Africa that it accepts and regrets its painful history but is keen to learn from its mistakes and build a democratic nation with complete respect for human values and fundamental rights.
ent from South Africa that it accepts and regrets its painful history but is keen to learn from its mistakes and build a democratic nation with complete respect for human values and fundamental rights.The rest of the tour was basically a drive through Johannesburg city and the not so bright areas of the city. Downtown Johannesburg has one of the highest crime rates in the world and to see deserted office buildings and apartments in the Hillbrow area that we drove through was quite scary. We drove down to the Carlton Centre from where we went to a viewing station called the "Top Of Africa". Marketed as the highest point in the continent, the Carlton Centre provided us a panoramic view of the city. The visit to the Carlton centre was pretty much the end of the tour and we returned to our hotels after driving past the Wanderers cricket stadium.
Johannesburg is a city still recovering from the horrors of apartheid. High crime incidence, great economic disparity, and influx of people hungry for work from all parts of Africa are problems that the city is still grappling with but the City of Gold has my best wishes. I always like City tours as I feel it gives a great overview of the city and its history. The Johannesburg city tour was no different.
The city tour out of the way, now it was time to get ready for the big game.
It is every Bengali boy's dream to be able to watch the Samba boys live and although I support the Argentines and the Germans, the Selecao hold a special place in any football fan's heart. Preparations were in order and we got our faces painted in Brazilian colours at the Sandton City fan zone where face painting was just one of the special initiatives that the mall had taken to make it a month to remember.
The city tour out of the way, now it was time to get ready for the big game.
It is every Bengali boy's dream to be able to watch the Samba boys live and although I support the Argentines and the Germans, the Selecao hold a special place in any football fan's heart. Preparations were in order and we got our faces painted in Brazilian colours at the Sandton City fan zone where face painting was just one of the special initiatives that the mall had taken to make it a month to remember. The highlight from the face painting session was the chance meeting of a footballing legend in Roger Milla. Mr Milla was roaming around in the mall and luckily he was swarmed by South Africa TV right opposite the face painting station enabling us to recognise and shake hands with a true legend of the beautiful game.
We went to the bus station nice and early this time. However we need not have worried as the initial glitches were sorted out and every one seemed to know where the metro buses were plying from and when they were. This time there were a lot more people on the bus and we struck up conversations with a couple of Norwegians and a Canadian, all of whom were in Brazilian colours for the day - also goes to show the global appeal of the tournament and the fact that it is not only we Indians who have fun being a part of a truly global event regardless of our country's football fortunes.
The ride went off smoothly and we entered t
he stadium an hour before kick off, what was getting to us however was the intense cold the kind that we Indians atleast those not living in the North are never exposed to. It was freezing and as the night wore on it progressively got worse. I had on around 7 layers of clothing, a scarf, cap, hood, gloves, two layers of socks but I still was very uncomfortable. The Brazilian fans made the atmosphere warmer as only they can. The joy that a Brazilian brings to the game is infectious and served to bring the temperature up slightly but even they it was obvious were having trouble with the cold.
he stadium an hour before kick off, what was getting to us however was the intense cold the kind that we Indians atleast those not living in the North are never exposed to. It was freezing and as the night wore on it progressively got worse. I had on around 7 layers of clothing, a scarf, cap, hood, gloves, two layers of socks but I still was very uncomfortable. The Brazilian fans made the atmosphere warmer as only they can. The joy that a Brazilian brings to the game is infectious and served to bring the temperature up slightly but even they it was obvious were having trouble with the cold.To make matters worse the Selecao did not have too bright a start as the the first half ended goal less. At half time things were so bad that I half wished that the match would be over soon. The game however was thankfully brought to life with a Maicon screamer from the right flank. The goal was one of the best the tournament would see and I am sure brought
relief not only to the Selecao but also the 40,000 that were in Ellis Park that night.
relief not only to the Selecao but also the 40,000 that were in Ellis Park that night. We had atleast something to show for the cold that we were suffering. Brazil then got into their groove and the midfield trio of Kaka, Robinho and Elano put some pretty passes together. The second goal scored by Elano was a great move set up by a pattern of pretty passes.
At that point we were expecting a goal glut, the North Koreans however pluckily kept at it and pulled a goal back at the death. The 2 - 1 scoreline was a fair reflection at the end with North Korea, the moral victors. The Brazilian fans beside us seemed to be happy enough with the three points and knew that Brazil, being Brazil would get better as the tournament progresses.
I frankly do not remember much of the journey back apart from the fact that the cold was getting worse and worse. I could feel my face and lip become number and number from the cold on the way from the stadium to the drop off point nearest our hotel. The 50 or so meters that we covered on foot from the drop off point to our hotel was the fastest and coldest 50 m I have ever walked in my entire life. Completely cold we could go to sleep at our hotel only after having a very hot bath. We were still shivering however as we hit the bed.
I frankly do not remember much of the journey back apart from the fact that the cold was getting worse and worse. I could feel my face and lip become number and number from the cold on the way from the stadium to the drop off point nearest our hotel. The 50 or so meters that we covered on foot from the drop off point to our hotel was the fastest and coldest 50 m I have ever walked in my entire life. Completely cold we could go to sleep at our hotel only after having a very hot bath. We were still shivering however as we hit the bed.
Day 5 in South Africa was incredibly memorable and full of highlights but the cold will probably stay with me for the rest of my life. Learning - if you are ever going to a World Cup in the Southern Hemisphere, please carry thermals. The wind chill at soccer stadiums gets really unbearable.
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