Tomorrow this thing actually kicks off. I'll be at the bar at 8:30 to watch the first game before coming home to do any final packing/cleaning items. Finally bought my US Jersey tonight, but I'm a little disappointed that the Nike store didn't have any with players names and numbers on them. Serves me right for waiting until the last moment.

I've spent all night listening to South African music and burning some CDs for our driving time. The kickoff concert for the Cup that was on earlier today introduced me to some artists I hadn't heard of before. The internet took care of the rest. Technology is great.

Speaking of technology, I may decide to do a webcam chat on a weekend afternoon or 2. If I end up doing one, you will find it at this link: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/south-africa-20101
At least, I think this will work. I really have no idea. But we'll try it out anyway!

In the meantime, here are a few more videos from the last World Cup.

First, the Wave as seen at the Spain-Tunisia game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTivyhHetwc

And second, la piece de resistance, what the World Cup is ultimately all about - Scoring a Goal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQbfcWdY0wU

Finally, here are some more pictures from World Cup 2006:
From the France-South Korea match:

Let's get this party going!!

written by  nucappy on June 10, 2010 from Chicago, United States
from the travel blog: London and South Africa - World Cup 2010!
tagged PreTrip
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I've been listening to South African "kwaito" music over the past few days in an attempt to find something good to listen to while we'll be driving down there. It's, well....different. It's somewhat like a combination of rap with African drum beats in the background. It's also not in English, so it makes it a bit difficult to sing along. No matter. There's also a style called "Afrikaans", but I really wasn't able to find anything I like there. I imagine we'll listen to the radio a bit and find some songs that we all like just like the last World Cup in Germany.

Less than 48 hours until the first match begins....unreal.

written by  nucappy on June 9, 2010 from Round Lake, United States
from the travel blog: London and South Africa - World Cup 2010!
tagged Music, Prawns and PreTrip
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If I can figure it out, I'll try to set up a ustream account so that people can see us to know that we're still ok (this is for you, Moms). I'm pretty sure it has its own chat thing too, so chances are if we do get on the horn, that it'll be sometime in the afternoon for those living stateside. I can only assume that ustream isn't Baxter-friendly, so I apologize for that.

Picked my seats tonight for our flight to Jo'burg and back to ensure that I won't be stuck next to a stranger or in the middle, which is worth $60 for almost 22 hours of total flying time, and wired away a bunch of money to the person who is generously putting us up in her condo for 3 nights to help us save money. Apparently international wire transfers take up to 10 days, which I can only assume is because they put the money in a canister and send it through a series of underwater tubes to [[South-Africa]]. So much for the 21st century.

I'll leave you tonight with a video from our time in Paris during the last World Cup. I can only expect our time at Stamford Bridge will be the same this Saturday:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW5MboUDGHc

See you tomorrow blogland.

written by  nucappy on June 7, 2010 from Chicago, United States
from the travel blog: London and South Africa - World Cup 2010!
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As a primer for those who don't know or who've forgotten what it is we plan to do over there, we will be:

- Watching the US-England match from Stamford Bridge, home to Chelsea FC (they were the best team in England this year).
- Going on a 3-day safari in Kruger Park
- Attending the Mexico-France match
- Attending the US-Slovenia match
- Touring around Pretoria and Johannesburg
- Attending the Brazil-Ivory Coast match
- Exploring the Stellenbosch wine region of Cape Town
- Seeing the Cape of Good Hope
- Rappelling down part of Table Mountain and mountain biking down the rest
- Attending the Cameroon-Netherlands match

All that takes place over 13 days.

I will do my best to post any pictures and videos that I take along the way, provided this website allows that sort of thing.

All videos will hopefully show up here: http://www.youtube.com/user/nucappy

Feel free to comment away, vent your anger at your team losing, or check in to make sure I'm still alive.

Posts may occasionally be backdated due to inability to access internet, but I will still try to write up summaries in order to have a full trip log.

Still can't believe this is happening, much less only 5 days from now.

written by  nucappy on June 6, 2010 from Chicago, United States
from the travel blog: London and South Africa - World Cup 2010!
tagged PreTrip, Welcome and WorldCup
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