The South African Sojourn: Day 10 - Bye Bye South Africa!

Finally it was time to stay good bye to South Africa after the experience of a life time spanning ten incredible days but it is important to look at the experience in two halves.

First the world cup, Fifa 2010, and I would like to believe all world cups are truly global experiences and are very enriching from a personal perspective. Unless one is lucky enough to study in an international business school or work in the United Nations. Nowhere does one meet as many people from all walks of life as one does at a football World Cup. You meet a diverse group and feel more a part of the extended human race if the same is possible. It is not that the people that you meet are very rich. We met zoo keepers from the USA and spoke to Brazilians sleeping at airports and at stations, but yes, all are united by a strong passion for football. Sepp Blatter and company might be very corrupt and sleazy, but they have a beautiful product in the World Cup. Long may it last!

The second experience was the South African experience, taking in bits of the great country. Steeped in natural resources, torn apart by internal strife, blessed with natural beauty of an uncommon variety but most importantly - a country willing to learn from the past, willing to remember the mistakes that they have made, willing to embrace democracy with all its potential hurdles and impediments to progress with the belief that nothing is more important than the human values of liberty, respect and dignity.

It was perhaps apt that we caught the rerun of Invictus on the flight back from Johannesburg to Mumbai. India needed men like Gandhi, Patel, Ambedkar, Nehru to lay the building blocks of the nation. South Africa needed a man like Mandela, and needed sporting icons like Francois Piennaar to take the nation where it is today. South Africa will have trouble, strife, corruption, complacence but I am sure that the human spirit will carry them forward.

South Africa for reasons of extreme beauty, fantastic adventure in the form of safaris and tours, unique food culture, a truly cultural and historic experience is a country definitely visiting. As for the Fifa World Cups. I am definitely making my way to Brazil 2014 for a truly "world" experience.

Jogo Bonito! Long live the beautiful game!