Who goes to Cape Town and doesn’t visit the World Cup Stadium? Well, I’m not sure…but I wasn’t about to be one of those people. SarahCatherine and I couldn’t quite find information about the tours of the stadium, but we knew they existed, and were willing to risk a visit to see the outside of the stadium at least. Thus, per usual, we took the Jammie into the city and then followed the tourist signs heading towards the World Cup Stadium.
At last, we crossed over a bridge and could see the doughnut in the distance.
(Green Point Stadium in the distance)
Right in front of us was the Truth Café. Now we had also gone into the city to visit this café, and here’s why…In SarahCatherine’s South African class, she had learned all about this incident that had taken place in the early 2000’s. Basically, a hotel was to be built on Prestwich Street. However, while digging, an unregistered graveyard for outcasts in the 18th and 19th century was discovered. Many bodies were found. Yet, the workers continued to excavate the bodies from their proper places. This angered much of the city. While the hotel was being built, and while the city decided what to do with these bodies that had been boxed individually, they stored the boxes in multiple places. The city protested and rallied that these bodies deserved to be properly buried, and even put back in their place. The city decided to build a memorial on a triangular plot of land close to Prestwich Street. Soon, however, they didn’t feel it was necessary to continue paying for the upkeep of the memorial, and so sold it to a coffee shop. The Truth Café is attached to the memorial, and there are wooden slats you can look through to see stacks of the boxes filled with bones.
(Boxes on shelves)
The café told the history of the old graveyard and what had happened to the people. But enough of the café, we hadn’t even gotten there yet.
After spotting the stadium far away, we walked along the ‘Fan Walk’, which is basically just the long walk from the city of Cape Town along certain roads all the way to the stadium. On our walk we saw the Rockwell, the hotel built on Prestwich Street, along with swanky hotels and restaurants that had presumably been built and restored before the city hosted the World Cup.
(The Rockwell on Prestwich Street)
Continuing on the Fan Walk, we entered Green Point, and finally reached the outside of the stadium.
(Green Point and Stadium)
It was huge, like a large silver ring.
(Stadium)
To the left of the stadium was the old soccer stadium, surrounded by rusted fence with only about ¼ of the stands left.
(The old soccer stadium)
We stared in awe at the new stadium, and then pulled ourselves together to find out about the tours. Passing us was a worker and possibly a security guard driving in a golf cart. We flagged them down and asked about the tours. As we had suspected, there were currently no tours because the stadium was under maintenance. The guard then, however, told us that if we wanted to get inside the stadium, we could make it happen. He told us to meet him farther down at a gate by the ticket sales, and then scooted ahead of us. As we walked to meet him, SarahCatherine and I decided we would give him R100, as the regular tickets were around R50. We discussed the deal with the guard outside the gates, and then he let us in. It was a quick showing, maybe 5 minutes tops, but was well worth it. We walked into the stadium at about the halfway high point and surveyed the field.
(Inside the Stadium)
It was beautiful and the stands seemed to ascend forever. After a few minutes of soaking up the scene, our guard scampered back to the gate and commanded us to follow.
(SarahCatherine and I. You can't see us but you know we're there)
We paid the man and then walked away with our heads a bit higher. As Ida Cooper, our program leader, told us later that week while we were out to tea, we were true South Africans now because we had been a part of a shady bribe. I won’t lie, it’s a damn good story, and I felt like a bad ass.
After our illegal tour, or shall I say viewing, of the stadium, we headed back to the Truth Café. We each ordered a muffin and then I ordered a latte. The café isn’t just well known because of the memorial, but also because they roast their beans right there in the café, across from the cash register. Also, as another customer explained to me, they don’t have that ‘bite’, or the bitterness that coffee normally has. The barista made a swan out of my milk in the cup.
(Swan Latte)
It was very impressive. After we enjoyed our breakfast and drinks outside, I decided to buy a bag of beans to bring home. With this bag of beans, I got a free cup of coffee. I thought it just meant regular coffee, but the worker let me get a latte. This time I was prepared, and told the barista to give me the coolest design he could do. He drew me a face in a regular mug, and then poured it into a to-go cup for me.
(Face Latte)
It was insanely good. The couple behind me also ordered a latte, and he drew them a peacock.
(Peacock)
SarahCatherine and I just stood in awe. Then he took a request and we told him to make a scene of Table Mountain, which he did.
(Devil's Peak, Table Mountain, Lion's Head)
It was greatly entertaining to watch him decorate coffee, but we had to continue on our way.
(Our artistic barista)
The final stop down town was to visit Bo-Kaap. We didn’t have to go very far to get to the Muslim community of Cape Town. Bo-Kaap, a neighborhood, is well known because of the way the houses are decorated.
(Bo-Kaap)
Most of the houses are painted in solid bright colors, and are lined up in rows because they all connect.
(Bo-Kaap)
Pictures can’t quite do the houses justice. They were beautiful.
(Bo-Kaap)
After an extremely long day in the blazing sun and on our feet, we rested for a bit at the apartment, and then got dressed and headed down to our favorite place for nachos, Lyra’s. After dinner it was show time. One of the people we met here told us we had to go to a performance at the Baxter Theatre, the UCT theatre, before we left.
(Baxter Theatre)
So, SarahCatherine and I bought tickets to ‘Some Like it Vrot’. It was a musical comedy, and that’s all we knew.
(Musical Comedy)
Inside the theatre it was very old timey, dark red velvet cushions and gold colored handles and trimmings.
(Weathered after our long day)
The play began. It was only after a few minutes had passed that SarahCatherine and I realized the play was not wholly in English. No, it also had Afrikaans in it.
(The Cast)
We got the gist of the plot, and some parts were very funny, but the majority of the comedy was in Afrikaans. It was quite an experience.
Four activities checked off the list this day.
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