Hard to believe that one day I could say that “I had dinner in Joburg while watching Italy desperately trying to avoid an early trip home, followed by breakfast in Cairo watching Japan show why they belong in the top 16, next lunch in Paris seeing Brazil and Portugal provide soccer magic and finally, dinner in Paris with Spain convincingly defeating Chile on a wall-size screen… triple”
WOW! Lippi, Italy’s coach, claims to be responsible for his boys making “reservations for dinner in Rome for Friday evening.” The truth is Slovakia deservedly beat Italy because La Forza Azzurri put their hopes in a squad with too many senior players… good experience but not enough fitness and hunger to keep up with youth and desire. Ciao Italy.
I stand in line for 90 minutes to find out the plane for Cairo leaves from a different gate. South Africans do not change their procedures and definitely do not break hierarchical protocol… until I shared my view on common sense. Is a good thing somebody is watching over me. Explaining that Vivis was waiting for me to watch World Cup games I convinced the guy responsible for unlocking the airline booths to walk me directly to ticket counter where I got an aisle seat. I pulled my last AYSO shirt and gave it to my guardian angel. Within the last 20-25 minutes before arriving in Cairo, I got to see the pyramids, the ones from Giza and a few more from the plane, awesome!
The world was expecting Japan to play defensively and go for a tie but not Mr. Honda and his teammates. The world now knows there are two Hondas, the one you can drive and the one that drives an entire nation into the top 16 and World Cup history. I got a couple of Egyptian souvenirs and boarded the plane to Paris.
Once I secured a room for the night, I headed for central Paris, Saint Mitchell plaza where all the restaurants have great food and more importantly today, were showing the game. Kaka did not
play, Portugal could not score, but Brazil controlled the game and both teams provided exciting plays and a good show. Two glasses of Sangria and a chocolate crepe later, I went for a walk, getting more souvenirs and finding a good place for dinner. Escargot was in my original plan but I just could not order them! I settle for good French onion soup, French beef pot roast and apple tart pie (yummy).
I decided to go into the restaurant with the biggest wall size TV screen to watch Spain slowly but effectively maneuver its game against Chile. Chile earned the World Cup spot based on good, solid soccer but La Furia Roja executed a technical plan supported by highly technical players who maintained possession and frustrated the Chileans. The only negative point came in the last three minutes when Spain played in their own half and Chile would not cross the halfline… not entertaining soccer.
The evening was young so I went for another walk and I missed the last train to the airport… ooopppsss! Sometime around 1:30 a.m. with the help of Joanna and husband Nacho, their friends Fatuma and “El Gringo” I made it to Gare del East where I catch a bus to the airport. Immediately, I asked for a wake-up call. The next morning, I spend two hours in line to be told you have to go to Terminal A, a 15 minute walk. With an hour and a half until departure (not good for international departures in foreign countries) I looked around for an angel but found none… well not right away. After a looong walk, 2 pounds less (water weight loss) and a few stops to ask if I was moving in the right direction, I see the line for my flight check-in – there was no way I would make it with about 75 minutes before departure.
It was time to apply creative travelling experience so I went to the shorter line for business and first class passengers. I asked, “Do you have space in business or first class?” and all I heard was, “Excusez-moi, je ne comprends pas?” Oh, oh!! I keep explaining, well begging, and the young lady (my next angel) decides to give me my boarding pass, an aisle seat in the first row of coach – great seat! I watched a few movies, ate good food, took a short nap and next thing you know… I’m home! Long, but exciting trip home. I immediately asked and found out we lost against Ghana – more on this later.
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