Saturday morning and it was up to the station again to Cape Town. This time in anticipation of the big game!

We jumped off the train in Salt River and headed for the Biscuit Mill…  Just love it! We started the day with salmon bagels with cottage cheese and wine, followed by Oysters and Champagne and pudding was Seafood Paella!  And of course there were lots of titbits like angelfish, olives and lots of other yummy food.

We could see the train was packed when we left home (and we left early) and we knew lots of people were heading for town by train so we decided to catch a ‘real South African taxi!  It only cost R5.00 to town. It was quite an experience jumping red lights and some pretty nifty driving.. I am normally on the outside so it was interesting to see it from the other side!

We were dropped off on the top floor of the station and we waited at the train exit points for our family and friends who were all coming through to do the Fanwalk and go to the Fanfest.   The station was absolutely packed and people were really getting into their teams with lots of bright vivid colours everywhere.. Such amazing family and friendly times.. Every time we travelled on the train we made new friends and we all babbled on excitedly about the World Cup and unity and and and..  No people sitting with earphones or reading books or newspapers – everyone just got on – everyone with the same goal~

Our visitor was sorry that England never got through as he said that Cape Town would have been alive with the English as they are also very vocal with their passion for soccer!

I believe on Saturday, 350 000 people did the Fanwalk and 150 000 travelled to town by train!  I can believe it!

The fanwalk was amazing – it was being done by young and old – Cape Town came alive and was buzzing (literally) like bees on the move!  They had predicted rain for Saturday but what a pleasure that the sun shone yet again and our beautiful city never disappointed us. Everyone worked together and everything was awesome!  It was a sight enjoyed by all who did it!

We walked under the new circle and made our way to the Entrance for the Stadium.. My heart was racing with excitement to think I was actually going to a game  – something I hadn’t even dreamed of being able to go to.. Way out of my price range!

Once we went through the security checks etc we went and enjoyed a beer in the beer tent and watched the excited supporters..

Walking up the steps also gave me such a sense of excitement and my heart was still racing.  We found our seats – and watched as the stadium filled up. We were sitting in the only bit of sun in the stadium!

Everyone was so passionate about their teams and it was truly an amazing experience!  Only thing I didn’t like was I never saw any goals being scored as the people jumped up in my way~  At least when you watch on TV or at the fanfest you can watch the goals being scored!

After the game we joined the tens of thousands of people who flocked to the Waterfront to find some watering hole!  The walk flowed so well from the stadium – I was very impressed. I can actually see why it was a good location in the end – close to public transport and close to our  popular Waterfront.   We managed to get into Paulaner for a quick drink and decided to leave town before the crowds. There were lines and lines of people trying to get into the local bars. We took a stroll back to the station past the synchro-lift, the Wheel of Excellence which was beautifully lit up. We walked through the top of town on our way to the station. We were so impressed with the beautifully painted horses and the lovely display in the Fountain and up Adderley Street. The Waterfront felt so close to the station! The trains were packed with commuters so we were pleased to have left early. We were turned away from the first train and had to wait twenty odd minutes on the next train. Funnily enough our friends and family jumped on the same coach as us purely by accident. We had no idea we were travelling at the same time!

We came back to Pirates in Plumstead where they had a big screen so that we could watch the Spanish game.

We walked home around midnight and the trains were still running and packed with fans on their way home!

My Name is Yvonne Luden. I have always been passionate about photography for as long I can remember. I spent the whole of my first salary buying my first camera – a second hand one at that! I have upgraded each time and now am the proud owner of a Nikon D200. I just love taking photos around our beautiful city and country. I also love taking photos of children and fun family shots. I feel that one learns from every single picture you take, and one can only get better!

Experience Cape Town and FIFA Fan Fest. City Sightseeing Cape Town’s blog tells you the stories behind the best attractions and events in Cape Town, South Africa.
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