So it Starts

This afternoon, as is World Cup tradition, the host nation kicks off the tournament, in this case the match is South Africa - Mexico. Am in Pretoria, so didn't feel the need to go to Johannesburg for this one, since will see South Africa next Tuesday, here, against Uruguay. Instead, this evening am going to a braai to watch the Opening Ceremonies and the Bafana Bafana match. This will be my last night for two weeks without some sort of media duty.

The cookout is at Billy's, boyfriend of the middle Wallis daughter, Minette, the same group we cooked out with Tuesday in Sun City after visiting Pilanesberg NP. That was fun, this should be even moreso.

Have had some inquiries about where I'm staying, so thought I would use this slow day to say what marvelous hosts the Wallis family have been during my stay at their guesthouse, The Thatch Cottage.

The guesthouse is less than a 10-minute walk from Pretoria's Loftus stadium and is in a very nice section known as Brooklyn. A little known fact is Pretoria is second, worldwide, in the number of embassies, only to Washington, D.C. That being the case, there is a thriving guesthouse community in the area bordering where most of the countries' embassies are housed. Only a 35-minute drive from the Johannesburg airport, this city is smaller, and much more accessible.

My actual room at Thatch Cottage is part of a three-room suite, with it's own sitting area, adjacent to the kitchen, which is, of course, the center of activity at a B and B. Mine is the open door. One little thing, since it's winter here, and their winter is only a short couple months, few of the houses are insulated as ours are. It is rather, more economical to just throw on a blanket, and use a low-yield space heater, which is fine because what they call 'cold' here is a cool spring or fall night for us.

Around town, which by the way, also goes by the name Tshwane, signs of the World Cup are all about, in addition to, yes, the incessant background noise of random vuvuzelas.

 

The stadium itself sits in readiness for the first match here, Serbia-Ghana on Sunday. The stadium is primarily one of the country's foremost rugby facilities, and there was a good deal of controversy, early in the World Cup planning process, about even using such hallowed ground for soccer. The second hitch, and it is still in the high court at this moment, is the contractor which made the stadium upgrades for World Cup, is suing for final payment on the refit. Interesting political intrigue.

Am writing this from the Loftus SMC (Stadium Media Centre), but will hold off to a future entry to display photos, as today, it is quite empty with only a handful of journalists on hand. Let me instead answer a question for Will back home. Yes, Will, they have modern cars and shopping centers, and no, the grocery stores do not have dirt floors. Hillcrest shopping center, near Thatch Cottage, could just as easily be in an Atlanta suburb.....

..... complete with all the comforts of home.

At this juncture, though, I've got to say I have yet to run to the familiar fast food, but have instead, eaten well within the local menu and wonderful meals provided at both Thatch Cottage, and in the bush at Thaba Nwke. Today, however, the true feast begins with a month of World Cup, South Africa's spotlight, and 'time to shine'.

 

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