Big Leks Updates

Hello World…

First update from me since we’ve gotten here. Had pretty much no internet access, and running around north-east South Africa for our games has been hectic, but at the same time incredible. Here’s a recap so far:

Thursday: Arrived in the Joburg airport 2.5 hours late after the airline we were flying with (Air Namibia) had their computer system crash and had to check everyone in by hand and paper. Landed in a brand new terminal and immediately saw people from everywhere, already waving flags and playing vuvuzelas. Around the same time that we landed arrived planes from Sao Paolo, Buenos Aires, and Mexico, and the medley created an awesome energy. Picked up our rent-a-car (less than $10 a person a day) and right away drove to somewhere that has become very familiar here in SA: the mall, a fixture of life down here. Bought a tent and some other essentials then drove out to Pilanesburg national park, about 2.5 hours north-west of Joburg. Also found out two shining lights to our stay here so far from a guy that worked in the outdoor store: Carling Black Label Beer is the “beer of the people” and should only be bought in its 750ml manly form, and that brandy in SA is cheap and delicious. This was huge news to Moo and I, two of the biggest fans of the legendary Christian Brother’s brandy (after my granddad bequeathed a bottle to us that he had meant to use as “cough medicine”).

Friday was spent out on safari. After a night shivering in my sleeping bag that I bought in Accra (note to self, never buy a sleeping bag in a country that never has gotten below 85 degrees) we woke up before dawn and were the second ones into the park at 6:30. Pilanesberg is an old volcano crater that blew up millions of years ago, and now is a series of hills and valleys. Would be gorgeous by itself, but the wild animals turn it into a paradise. With Kai fearlessly driving, the three of us played a day long game of I-Spy, with Moodawg winning. We had some great luck, and saw 5 rhinos, including a family of three, about 20 elephants, three lions (including a male crunching on a zebra), and lots of giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, antelope. At four we returned to the camp and watched the US-Slovenia game on a big screen in their conference room, I heard about crime being a problem in South Africa, and Team USA experienced it firsthand. They got robbed.

Saturday we woke up early again and made one last quick trek into the park, then drove to Rustenburg, a pretty rinky dink town an hour south of the park. We checked into our campsite and immediately started driving to the stadium to watch Ghana-Australia. There are park and rides set up in the towns hosting the games, but the one in Rustenburg was a failure, and we ended up driving 2 hours in traffic then were 10 minutes in the shuttle. The whole way though we were waving our Ghanaian flags getting honks non-stop from people driving past us. South Africans seem to be supporting Bafana Bafana first, then whichever African team is playing second, with a lot of love for Ghana especially. The game itself wasn’t the best. Ghana should have won, especially being up a man most of the game, but the atmosphere of the game was incredible. Silhouetted by a red sunset and hills in the background, the stadium itself was really pretty. And lucky for us we had tickets right in the main Ghana section and danced the entire game to a trumpet and drum player. Being the only white people decked out head to toe in our Ghana gear, people all game asked us for pictures, and Moo dubbed us the “light skin Black Stars.” Black Stars stay shining.

Sunday we drove back to Joburg to catch Cote d'Ivoire-Brazil. If you asked me if we've been robbed while here in SA, the answer would be yes, by Brown Sugar Backpackers. Literally the only place in town with availability, the hostel charged us 350 ($50) rand per person per night to CAMP! I understand making some money during this time, but that bordered on exploitation. Caught the park and ride to the Stadium, the amazing Soccer City behemoth. Built like a South African basket, the stadium itself is gorgeous. The four of us cheered our best for Les Elephantes, but Luis Fabiano was too good, and Drogba's late goal was little consolidation. After the game we all danced with the Brazilian band that had been playing the whole game and about a hundred Brazilians. Even if we weren’t cheering for the Brazilians, it’s hard not to celebrate when they win.

Monday we drove 4 hours south to Bloemfontein in Free State to catch South Africa-France, after stopping by the moving and incredibly well put together Apartheid Museum. We arrived late and set up camp in a funky lodge outside of town that had old German train cars you could sleep in. The game in Bloemfontein was incredible. Unlike Rustenburg and Soccer City, the stadium was right in the middle of the city, and after catching a ride into town with two extremely friendly South Africans, we walked to the Stadium decked out in our Bafana Bafana gear. The atmosphere was electric and the vuvuzelas were louder than ever. South Africa played great, beating the French 2-1. Not only were we happy that the South Africans had won, the French, who cheated to squeak their way in, rightfully lost. Wear it France. Although they didn't make the next round, South Africans celebrated regardless, and we joined them after having dinner with an old family friend, Dave. 

Wednesday we woke up early and drove back to Joburg, checked into our hotel, and were relaxing when we heard a knock on the door. A German guy wearing the national team jersey looked around the room. I asked him if everything was alright, and he said that him and 2 friends had gone out to lunch and returned to a completely empty room. While they were gone someone came in and took every bag they had. Definitely sounded like an inside job and the four of us were spooked. After locking our bags to the bed frame, we set off back to Soccer City. The light skinned Black Stars were in full force once again, meeting people from all over Ghana who had come to the game. The real Black Stars played great, but seem to be afflicted with a disease that has struck all African teams: Cantfinishitis. This is the second disease that we have diagnosed on this trip. The first: Carcolepsy-a strange virus which makes Amitch fall asleep instantly upon entering a car, no matter how bumpy a car may be.

Thursday we had the day free, and spent the first part, no surprise, in a mall. After watching the incredible US-Algeria game on Wednesday, we knew there was no way that the US could play Ghana without us watching it. We went to the FIFA ticketing office to try and buy reasonably priced tickets, and waited for 3 hours for our trusty Category 3 tickets to pop up. They did, once, but when we went to buy them they had disappeared from the system. Eventually we caved and bought the more expensive tickets. FIFA in some ways is the biggest drug dealer in the world. They hook you on a product (the games) and then start charging more and more the better the games get. But once you’re hooked, it’s hard to stop wanting to go to games, and the reasons/excuses to go just get more and more ridiculous. Greedy bastards. After getting the tickets to the Game, we walked on air back to our cars and headed to Soweto, taking a walking tour around the area where the famous student riots where a young child, Hector Petersen, was killed, sparking international outrage, and what some would say was the beginning of the end of the regime. The self guided walking tour also takes you past the former house of Mandela and the current house of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Talk about great neighbors. We met a very sweet lady, from Soweto, who was taking her out-of-town grandchildren on a tour of her neighborhood. She told us all about the neighborhood, and her son who was a member of the student uprising, went into exile, and eventually was nicknamed after the first president of Russia. Great day of history and South African warmth.

Today we drove to Pretoria, about 40 minutes north of the hotel, and are staying with a friend of my aunt’s. Incredibly hospitable people, they welcomed us in, and have been too kind. I hope one day to return the favor to all nephews of my friends haha…

Off to Rustenburg for the US-Ghana game. Talk about torn loyalties. On one side have my home country, the other, the country that has adopted me in some ways. If the US wins, some pockets (although now larger) will go wild. If Ghana wins, the entire country will go nuts. We’ve gone to the last two Ghana games, and repped them as hard as possible. So I’m not going to feel too bad repping the US this game, although with two Ghana wrist bands. Let’s just say that no matter what happens I’ll be happy…

This is the last time I’ll write such a behemoth of an update. So much has happened the last week, and this is quickly reaching the length of my senior thesis. Miss all of yall, and if you never want to chat, call at 27-787398134.