We (Marc and I) knew the weather was coming but thought we could beat it.
It beat us but we won!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Devan's Boyfriend
Devan is good at riding horses.
Murphy knows it.
They finished 6th in the USEF Championships at the Colorado Horse Park.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Job Done, Camera Gone
Job done. It all seems like a blur now that the six weeks have passed. I have to hand it to the fabulous crew of fellows that I worked, travelled, lived, slept and ate with. Some of the guys I have known for more than a decade and others I just met for the first time. We worked like a well oiled machine. And we played well together too!
The final was a bit of a mad rush and crush. Our flight was delayed from Port Elizabeth and being behind schedule was the last thing we needed on the last day. We had all of our belongings at this point and needed to go from the airport to the Towers to swap out some clothes and gear and drop bags at our rooms. We actually crammed all of our bags into the nearest room and jumped back into the van and headed out to sit in traffic again on our way to Soccer City. It was going to be an unprecedented event because when our two teams come together we will have 17 photographers covering the final. It was great to see everyone as we rushed in with hours to spare. The adrenaline was pumping. It was a chilly night but the way we were crammed into our positions shoulder to shoulder there was a bit of heat conservation and the chill was kept off. Speaking of friends new and old I had the pleasure of sitting next to an old friend, David Leah. Not necessarily referring to his age, but I have known since the 1994 World Cup. The expatriated Brit took up residence in Mexico City and founded Allsport Mexico about 20 years ago and has now morphed his agency into Mexsport. After a flourish of yellow cards and a goal in the late minutes of extra time our crew got to toss back a couple of beers in the media center and catch up as we start to say farewell in the hours after the cup was hoisted by Spain.
After finally going to bed at 5:30AM all that was left was the LONG journey home. A little lie in and brunch at the mall found us on a 3:30PM bus to the airport. Stuck in traffic for an hour people were already found dozing off on the coach. Then to the queue for a group check in at the airport escorted by our travel agent to help avoid excess baggage fees. That gladly ate up most of the spare time before boarding the 8:00PM, 11 hour, redeye to London. I got to sit next to Clive Rose whom I hadn’t seen since Vancouver. We got to catch up a bit and fidget together trying to catch a little sleep and very little sleep is what I got. With a 6:00AM arrival I had a 7 hour layover before my flight to Denver. A few more welcomed distractions would help devour those 420 minutes. In addition to the lost time, the bigger loss was my snappy camera I left in the seat back pocket on the South Africa Airlines plane which had the last couple snaps from the trip on it. My first move was to have to go through customs as I was not able to check my bags through. Carlos and I were the only non EU residents so we headed for the long line on our own after we bid adieu to members of the crew again as they hit the express lane. As we reclaimed our luggage more time was spent filing the paperwork for Carl’s missing case of laptops. I now said so long to Carl who needed to catch a train to terminal four and a Continental flight to Newark. Under the recommendation of my daughter Devan who made the same layover a couple weeks earlier I headed to the Giraffe Café for a salmon and egg breakfast, where coincidentally I met Sandra and Lars my German peers. We had some coffee and chatting before they caught their flights to Germany. I then sat down to organize my expenses and before I could really get into them my flight was called for boarding! As I settled into my seat facing a 10 hours flight some dude in a CU Buffs hoodie showed up with the same seat number. The flight attendant (with angel wings) checked our tickets and matching seat numbers. She returned with a new boarding pass for ME! Off to Business Class! Sweet!
That took the sting out of the shin kicker that was going to wrap up my 32 hour journey. However with a kick in the crotch, 32 hours became 34 hours, as I was detained my US Customs for not having a Carnet for my camera gear. Everyone is looking for finances to bolster their budgets and the US Government is not too low to stoop to the tactics of thinking I would pay twice the US value for camera gear in South Africa and try and import it and thus collect taxes from me. After a great deal of probing and dismantling of my luggage and interrogation they let me go even after they couldn’t raise anyone at our Los Angeles and Seattle offices that could vouch for me. I finally rolled the trolley ladened with my nearly 200lbs of luggage through the doors to be greeted by my family and end my odyssey.
The final was a bit of a mad rush and crush. Our flight was delayed from Port Elizabeth and being behind schedule was the last thing we needed on the last day. We had all of our belongings at this point and needed to go from the airport to the Towers to swap out some clothes and gear and drop bags at our rooms. We actually crammed all of our bags into the nearest room and jumped back into the van and headed out to sit in traffic again on our way to Soccer City. It was going to be an unprecedented event because when our two teams come together we will have 17 photographers covering the final. It was great to see everyone as we rushed in with hours to spare. The adrenaline was pumping. It was a chilly night but the way we were crammed into our positions shoulder to shoulder there was a bit of heat conservation and the chill was kept off. Speaking of friends new and old I had the pleasure of sitting next to an old friend, David Leah. Not necessarily referring to his age, but I have known since the 1994 World Cup. The expatriated Brit took up residence in Mexico City and founded Allsport Mexico about 20 years ago and has now morphed his agency into Mexsport. After a flourish of yellow cards and a goal in the late minutes of extra time our crew got to toss back a couple of beers in the media center and catch up as we start to say farewell in the hours after the cup was hoisted by Spain.
After finally going to bed at 5:30AM all that was left was the LONG journey home. A little lie in and brunch at the mall found us on a 3:30PM bus to the airport. Stuck in traffic for an hour people were already found dozing off on the coach. Then to the queue for a group check in at the airport escorted by our travel agent to help avoid excess baggage fees. That gladly ate up most of the spare time before boarding the 8:00PM, 11 hour, redeye to London. I got to sit next to Clive Rose whom I hadn’t seen since Vancouver. We got to catch up a bit and fidget together trying to catch a little sleep and very little sleep is what I got. With a 6:00AM arrival I had a 7 hour layover before my flight to Denver. A few more welcomed distractions would help devour those 420 minutes. In addition to the lost time, the bigger loss was my snappy camera I left in the seat back pocket on the South Africa Airlines plane which had the last couple snaps from the trip on it. My first move was to have to go through customs as I was not able to check my bags through. Carlos and I were the only non EU residents so we headed for the long line on our own after we bid adieu to members of the crew again as they hit the express lane. As we reclaimed our luggage more time was spent filing the paperwork for Carl’s missing case of laptops. I now said so long to Carl who needed to catch a train to terminal four and a Continental flight to Newark. Under the recommendation of my daughter Devan who made the same layover a couple weeks earlier I headed to the Giraffe Café for a salmon and egg breakfast, where coincidentally I met Sandra and Lars my German peers. We had some coffee and chatting before they caught their flights to Germany. I then sat down to organize my expenses and before I could really get into them my flight was called for boarding! As I settled into my seat facing a 10 hours flight some dude in a CU Buffs hoodie showed up with the same seat number. The flight attendant (with angel wings) checked our tickets and matching seat numbers. She returned with a new boarding pass for ME! Off to Business Class! Sweet!
That took the sting out of the shin kicker that was going to wrap up my 32 hour journey. However with a kick in the crotch, 32 hours became 34 hours, as I was detained my US Customs for not having a Carnet for my camera gear. Everyone is looking for finances to bolster their budgets and the US Government is not too low to stoop to the tactics of thinking I would pay twice the US value for camera gear in South Africa and try and import it and thus collect taxes from me. After a great deal of probing and dismantling of my luggage and interrogation they let me go even after they couldn’t raise anyone at our Los Angeles and Seattle offices that could vouch for me. I finally rolled the trolley ladened with my nearly 200lbs of luggage through the doors to be greeted by my family and end my odyssey.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
The A Team
38 days, 18 flights, 23,000 Air Miles, 14 hotel nights, 20 games done and only ONE to go. Our A Team knocked off the third place match as Germany defeated Uruguay at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth last night in the rain, again. The King Edward Hotel didn't surprise us either as things did not go smoothly again. Our last visit there was punctuated on our arrival as we were greeted by chanting, sinking, STRIKING staff members. Go figure. First of all Quinn and I got a single room. We got is swapped for a double but it was on the second floor over the entrance. The room was flooded with the noise from the protesters and as we were in need of a nap before the game we asked to change rooms again. This all seemed to be more difficult than it should have been, which is standard operating procedure at the KEH as far as we can tell. We now move on to Johannesburg to finally join our other crew to photograph The Netherlands v Spain in the final at Soccer City. Our betting pool might be more suspenseful than the actual match as Laurence, Alex and and Lars are all still alive and can each win or tie give the outcome of the match. After one more night at the Sandton Towers I will finally head home on Monday night. It has been a long time coming and as much as I am not looking forward to the arduous journey, I am ready to be home.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
A Three Hour Tour
Today we had a day off and we did something AMAZING! We took a three hour shark diving tour with Captain Brian McFarlane http://www.sharkcagediving.net in Gansbaai. Initiated, motivated and secured by our one and only Lars Baron. We set off this morning at 7:30AM for the 2 ½ hour drive around False Bay.
The waters of South Africa are renowned for their Great White Shark activity. It is especially intense during these winter months. Near where we are staying in False Bay guide Chris Fallows operates a tour out of Simonstown. He has gained notoriety as he is one of only two operators on the west side of the bay that have permits to do tours around Seal Island while towing decoys to entice breaching. This is also the only documented place in the world where Great Whites breach. This area was made famous by the super slow motion high definition footage of a Great White breaching and taking a seal from mid air in the Discovery Channel series Blue Planet. Fallows pictures populate the internet, clutter local post card stands and even adore the walls of McFarlane’s enterprise.
McFarlane’s boat can take 40 sightseers and a crew of eight. They have an eight person shark cage that is lowered into the water and then tied to the side of the boat. Like big tasty treats, eight ‘divers’ cram shoulder to shoulder into the length of the cage. The waterborne safari goers take a gasp of air and under the direction of the captain and crew plunge underwater to peer at the mighty creatures as they are lured toward the cage by a floating seal replica and dead fish used as bait.
5mm wetsuits, complete with booties and hood, protect you from the 14 degree C water and a dive mask provides a clear view. As the lures are pulled closer to the cage and ultimately away the prehistoric beasts thrash and bang into the side of the cage and at times when missing the bait grind their teeth on the bars of the cage. It was such a time warp I have no idea how long it took everything to happen, but I went in the cage twice. I would guess for 15 0r 20 minutes (my peers suspect longer) we saw 10-12 Great White Sharks from 2-4 meters long each time. Some were in the distance (3-4 meters away), some close (0 meters) and while we were told to not touch the sharks the sharks were obviously not instructed to not touch the tourists. As I looked
to my right and watched as one jutted its nose through the bars right at Quinn and Laurence, its pectoral fin had slid between the bars and brushed against my hands as they clutched the hand rail that I was using to hold myself under. As it brushed me I startled and let go of the bar and threw myself against the back of the cage out of harms way. IT WAS AWESOME!
But of course the nine of us, including eight photographers, had countless cameras but no underwater housings. As is the case all too often I have a camera stuck in front of my face as I plunge myself into all sorts of experiences in my life. But this time I relegated myself to consume the experience and absorb it and commit it to memory. It was such a surreal situation I can’t believe it happened. I considered it a once in a lifetime opportunity but if I ever find myself in the situation to do it again I would do it again in a heartbeat. I just hope it wouldn’t be my last.
The Seals are the ultimate lure for the Great Whites in the alley. Attribute it to the circle of life.
The waters of South Africa are renowned for their Great White Shark activity. It is especially intense during these winter months. Near where we are staying in False Bay guide Chris Fallows operates a tour out of Simonstown. He has gained notoriety as he is one of only two operators on the west side of the bay that have permits to do tours around Seal Island while towing decoys to entice breaching. This is also the only documented place in the world where Great Whites breach. This area was made famous by the super slow motion high definition footage of a Great White breaching and taking a seal from mid air in the Discovery Channel series Blue Planet. Fallows pictures populate the internet, clutter local post card stands and even adore the walls of McFarlane’s enterprise.
McFarlane’s boat can take 40 sightseers and a crew of eight. They have an eight person shark cage that is lowered into the water and then tied to the side of the boat. Like big tasty treats, eight ‘divers’ cram shoulder to shoulder into the length of the cage. The waterborne safari goers take a gasp of air and under the direction of the captain and crew plunge underwater to peer at the mighty creatures as they are lured toward the cage by a floating seal replica and dead fish used as bait.
5mm wetsuits, complete with booties and hood, protect you from the 14 degree C water and a dive mask provides a clear view. As the lures are pulled closer to the cage and ultimately away the prehistoric beasts thrash and bang into the side of the cage and at times when missing the bait grind their teeth on the bars of the cage. It was such a time warp I have no idea how long it took everything to happen, but I went in the cage twice. I would guess for 15 0r 20 minutes (my peers suspect longer) we saw 10-12 Great White Sharks from 2-4 meters long each time. Some were in the distance (3-4 meters away), some close (0 meters) and while we were told to not touch the sharks the sharks were obviously not instructed to not touch the tourists. As I looked
to my right and watched as one jutted its nose through the bars right at Quinn and Laurence, its pectoral fin had slid between the bars and brushed against my hands as they clutched the hand rail that I was using to hold myself under. As it brushed me I startled and let go of the bar and threw myself against the back of the cage out of harms way. IT WAS AWESOME!
But of course the nine of us, including eight photographers, had countless cameras but no underwater housings. As is the case all too often I have a camera stuck in front of my face as I plunge myself into all sorts of experiences in my life. But this time I relegated myself to consume the experience and absorb it and commit it to memory. It was such a surreal situation I can’t believe it happened. I considered it a once in a lifetime opportunity but if I ever find myself in the situation to do it again I would do it again in a heartbeat. I just hope it wouldn’t be my last.
The Seals are the ultimate lure for the Great Whites in the alley. Attribute it to the circle of life.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
20,000 Miles and a Day Off
We have survived the most intense segment of travel of the World Cup and look forward to a much deserved day off. After flying and shooting every day for the last nine days, we arrived back at our Dunvegan Lodge base at half past midnight. Amazingly we have found ourselves on the downhill side of the entire trip. So far we have taken 14 flights and we will be airborne five more times to cover the remaining games. I have set a personal travel record by compiling more than 20,000 air miles in the month of June alone. On average we spent as much time flying everyday as we do actually photographing the matches. Even the members of our team that were not members of a Star Alliance frequent flier program previously will fly over 25,000 miles and reach Silver status during our World Cup voyage.
We have ‘visited’ several cities, searched out food and drink, been escorted from airports, to hotels, to stadiums and back again.
As familiar we have become with all the destinations, passing through the same airports several times, it all became a blur. It often takes a moment to remember which coffee shop was in which terminal and where you ride buses to baggage claim and where you ride the escalator up or down to get to ticketing. But what was still missing is a more intimate look at the country. The glimpses of the cities, towns, townships, villages and countryside from the air have been enticing my curiosity.
The terrain changes dramatically as quickly as you leave the beaches surrounding Cape Town the mountains jut skyward and ragged interspersed by low-lying marshlands that collect water headed for the sea. 
Areas further inland are geometrically hashed up with agricultural fields. Flying into Durban the outskirts of the city are surrounded by suburban tract homes and tracts of sh
acks in the townships.
The closer you get to the harbors of the port towns reveal cargo holding areas and rail yards. On our inland journey to Johannesburg the geography became more dramatic as the earth gained elevation from sea level to the 5700’ altitude of the city. The hills grew more mountainous and rugged. Canyons cut by rivers. And lush topography near the shores becomes void of vegetation and turns more arid.
Looking at the roads that slice through the sugarcane fields surrounding the Durban airport have me longing for an epic bike ride, being able to take the time to better inspect the houses, to better observe and appreciate the labor of the men cutting and harvesting the sugarcane by hand and aimless turn from paved to dirt roads and back again rolling from the coast, inland and back again.
We now have two days off and hope to shake off the exhaustion of the rigorous travel and get out and explore further beyond the tracks I have already made in the Kalk Bay and Fish Hoek neighborhoods of the Dunvegan Lodge.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Eighth Day This Week
Each day in this stretch seems never ending but somehow I figure we short changed at the same time. We are in a different city every day and I have realized that we never spend 24 hours in any one city. When we land somewhere it has become evident that we end up leaving that city earlier the next day than our arrival time this day. So where does the time go? It is lost to the time warp in the atmosphere. I would have preferred that our time in Johannesburg been lost to a time warp.
Jamie (Mac) warned me that it was going to be culture shock. Thoughts raced through my mind that it was going to be like District 9. Full on third world inner city congestion. An array of all the potential threats that were presented to us that would be our ultimate demise by the private security firm that prepped us at the beginning of our trip. I had visions of the worst aspects of Manhattan, Nairobi, Mexico City and few other international cities all rolled together.
We arrived this morning at the Johannesburg airport and were transported to the Sandton Towers but our newest CABS driver Ignacious. Sandton is essentially a walled city suburb of Johannesburg.
Ezra, Street and Jamie (Squire) have told me they spend their days walking from the Towers to the ‘mall’ and today I followed their steps. After just a couple hours I can’t tell you how ready I am to get the hell out of here! Talk about culture shock! The local team members ushered us through the corridors because I would have been lost without an escort. Lars and I met Stuart Franklin and Martin Rose for lunch before they headed to the airport to catch flights to their German homes. It is the biggest, nicest, most crowded mall I have ever seen in the world. I couldn't get out quick enough.
More glitz and glamour and food and goods for sale than one can imagine, especially I am sure more than the kids in the nearby Townships could even dream of. I figure I saw more people in the mall today that live in our retreat town of Fish Hoek. Can’t wait to get back to the lodge.
And as for the less than 24 hours on the ground time seems to be lost there as well. Our last day spent in Durban revealed just that. We had a 6:30AM car to the airport after our car delivered us to the Sandton Towers in Johannesburg after 1:00 earlier that morning. We beat traffic and arrived at the Jo’burg airport with enough time to spare to get yet another terminally mediocre breakfast.
Our estimated arrival time in Durban is 11:10AM. We arrive on schedule and our ever faithful driver Welcome has met us with the luggage trailer we requested attached to his 10 passenger van which seats would now be filled with the addition of Ryan and Hewitt. Again we have not enough time to do anything and too much time to do nothing. The Netherlands v Slovakia match up has not drawn a lot of media and therefore tension is low for barging the field at the two hour window prior to the match. I have the Visa tour duties today so I have to be ready to go three hours before the match. This manages to kill a little time for me. After finishing I figure I have enough time to grab some food in the media center. The line is long, 20 people, but I figure I will wait it out so I can have some institutionally prepared cuisine to get me through the match. Exhaustion has set in at this point and locomotion has become automated and my vision fuzzy. As I stand there in my stupor I realize the line is not moving. I glance to the head of the line again and after minutes I realize the same people are occupying the front. Another glance of the time has shown that 15 minutes have passed and the ‘chef’ serving the fodder has disappeared. Word is passed up and down the line that he has run out of food and has returned to the kitchen to find out why the resupply chain has broken down. I decide to cut my losses and cut to the register and get snacks and drinks for sustenance. A grim selection of prepackaged junk food has provided me with a candy bar and a coke. Lunch of champions and the media hoard. I collect my gear and as I head for the door of the media center I see the people at the front of the line being served their mystery meat of the day. I arrive at my seat which is the farthest distance from the field entry today, get my computer and gear sorted and dive into my sugar laden lunch. I washed it down with a bottle of water just in time for the T minus 45 minute Visa tour. I have completed the tour and realized the need to relieve myself of the fluids. No time. The masses are gathering behind the ropes for the escort to the team benches for introductions. The sprinklers have misted Jamie’s remote, so while he wiped the lens I am toting his gear and angling to save two spots at midfield. Not a great crush of media for Slovakia so we are safe. With pressure building during the first half I am meditating on the fact that I will not be able to make the trek to the toilet until after the game. Nothing is simple. My dream job requires about a one mile round trip jaunt to the toilet at this venue. I have my third Visa tour which dominates halftime which will then leave my praying for the game to end after the second half and not be required to go extra time so as to not risk permanent bladder damage. Done and dusted The Netherlands go through and I rush for the media center. All team members collected we make the first available dinner reservation for 8:30PM. A nicely prepared meal at 9th Avenue more than meets our needs and an 11:00PM bedtime looks like a reality! Better yet a 9:00AM car departure in the morning should render more than eight hours sleep! A brief panicked awakening at 5:30AM has let me settle back in for a couple more hours before my 8:00AM alarm. Back to the Durban airport for the last time of this World Cup has found us at the Rhapsody restaurant again and with an 11:30AM departure schedule I feel rested and excited at the realization that we have finally beaten the system and have spend 24 hours and 20 minutes in Durban. Next stop Green Point Stadium in Cape Town for the battle of the border of the neighbors as Spain takes on Portugal for a spot in the final eight. Weather forecast…….rain.
Jamie (Mac) warned me that it was going to be culture shock. Thoughts raced through my mind that it was going to be like District 9. Full on third world inner city congestion. An array of all the potential threats that were presented to us that would be our ultimate demise by the private security firm that prepped us at the beginning of our trip. I had visions of the worst aspects of Manhattan, Nairobi, Mexico City and few other international cities all rolled together.
We arrived this morning at the Johannesburg airport and were transported to the Sandton Towers but our newest CABS driver Ignacious. Sandton is essentially a walled city suburb of Johannesburg.
Ezra, Street and Jamie (Squire) have told me they spend their days walking from the Towers to the ‘mall’ and today I followed their steps. After just a couple hours I can’t tell you how ready I am to get the hell out of here! Talk about culture shock! The local team members ushered us through the corridors because I would have been lost without an escort. Lars and I met Stuart Franklin and Martin Rose for lunch before they headed to the airport to catch flights to their German homes. It is the biggest, nicest, most crowded mall I have ever seen in the world. I couldn't get out quick enough.
More glitz and glamour and food and goods for sale than one can imagine, especially I am sure more than the kids in the nearby Townships could even dream of. I figure I saw more people in the mall today that live in our retreat town of Fish Hoek. Can’t wait to get back to the lodge.And as for the less than 24 hours on the ground time seems to be lost there as well. Our last day spent in Durban revealed just that. We had a 6:30AM car to the airport after our car delivered us to the Sandton Towers in Johannesburg after 1:00 earlier that morning. We beat traffic and arrived at the Jo’burg airport with enough time to spare to get yet another terminally mediocre breakfast.
Our estimated arrival time in Durban is 11:10AM. We arrive on schedule and our ever faithful driver Welcome has met us with the luggage trailer we requested attached to his 10 passenger van which seats would now be filled with the addition of Ryan and Hewitt. Again we have not enough time to do anything and too much time to do nothing. The Netherlands v Slovakia match up has not drawn a lot of media and therefore tension is low for barging the field at the two hour window prior to the match. I have the Visa tour duties today so I have to be ready to go three hours before the match. This manages to kill a little time for me. After finishing I figure I have enough time to grab some food in the media center. The line is long, 20 people, but I figure I will wait it out so I can have some institutionally prepared cuisine to get me through the match. Exhaustion has set in at this point and locomotion has become automated and my vision fuzzy. As I stand there in my stupor I realize the line is not moving. I glance to the head of the line again and after minutes I realize the same people are occupying the front. Another glance of the time has shown that 15 minutes have passed and the ‘chef’ serving the fodder has disappeared. Word is passed up and down the line that he has run out of food and has returned to the kitchen to find out why the resupply chain has broken down. I decide to cut my losses and cut to the register and get snacks and drinks for sustenance. A grim selection of prepackaged junk food has provided me with a candy bar and a coke. Lunch of champions and the media hoard. I collect my gear and as I head for the door of the media center I see the people at the front of the line being served their mystery meat of the day. I arrive at my seat which is the farthest distance from the field entry today, get my computer and gear sorted and dive into my sugar laden lunch. I washed it down with a bottle of water just in time for the T minus 45 minute Visa tour. I have completed the tour and realized the need to relieve myself of the fluids. No time. The masses are gathering behind the ropes for the escort to the team benches for introductions. The sprinklers have misted Jamie’s remote, so while he wiped the lens I am toting his gear and angling to save two spots at midfield. Not a great crush of media for Slovakia so we are safe. With pressure building during the first half I am meditating on the fact that I will not be able to make the trek to the toilet until after the game. Nothing is simple. My dream job requires about a one mile round trip jaunt to the toilet at this venue. I have my third Visa tour which dominates halftime which will then leave my praying for the game to end after the second half and not be required to go extra time so as to not risk permanent bladder damage. Done and dusted The Netherlands go through and I rush for the media center. All team members collected we make the first available dinner reservation for 8:30PM. A nicely prepared meal at 9th Avenue more than meets our needs and an 11:00PM bedtime looks like a reality! Better yet a 9:00AM car departure in the morning should render more than eight hours sleep! A brief panicked awakening at 5:30AM has let me settle back in for a couple more hours before my 8:00AM alarm. Back to the Durban airport for the last time of this World Cup has found us at the Rhapsody restaurant again and with an 11:30AM departure schedule I feel rested and excited at the realization that we have finally beaten the system and have spend 24 hours and 20 minutes in Durban. Next stop Green Point Stadium in Cape Town for the battle of the border of the neighbors as Spain takes on Portugal for a spot in the final eight. Weather forecast…….rain.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Over The Hump
“It’s not getting any easier” the words spoken by my Aussie road roomie Quinn couldn’t have been any more true. We have finished game six in a nine day stretch and we have awoken from our requisite 5+ hour sleep. Last night we photographed Uruguay as they sent South Korea home in the first elimination match of the tournament. It was match #49, our 13th, and our fourth in the rain. There has been rain at four matches out of the 49 held. Get the picture? We have returned to the King Edward Hotel in Port Elizabeth for the fourth time. This has been our best experience here so far. Excluding the night they couldn’t have us and sent us to the Radisson. The room is a little humid from the wet parcels we have littered about hoping they would dry over night. We are not fans of Port Elizabeth. We have not had goo
d luck finding good (edible) food here. Crowds have been large and loud. I guess they do have World Cup Fever. Each stay here has been unique. At least this time we were able to check in when we arrived. Everything in the room worked. We were able to order food in the bar and watch the USA game (don’t want to talk about that). The restaurant is only buffet and closes before we get a chance to get in and get settled. The best aspect about all the visits to the KEH was the night they gave us a two bedroom suite. But we didn’t really take proper advantage of it.
I was really looking forward to Friday which was hump day for the current trip within a trip, day five out of nine, knowing that the light was at the end of the tunnel on the downhill slide. But it was just as manic as all the other days and it came and went without much notice. It brought us to Saturday. This is where the hump became a bump. We arrived at the Durban airport only to find out our plane was delayed four hours. It would take off after our deadline to arrive at the stadium, so the day was looking grim, but there was nothing we could do. We went to our usual haunt for breakfast, ordered from memory, and then tried to figure out how to spend the next four hours as we had already spent the fifth hour drinking coffee. We decided to buy our way into the South African Airlines Lounge. 1050 RAND for the crew. It landed us in the not so plush but quiet and safe VIP lounge.
Complete with complimentary beverage bar and prepackaged muffins and snack foods. I commenced to get a solid hour plus of sleep and awoke at least being able to see straight. It was a pleasure to not be constantly bombarded by the World Cup sound track playing over and over again in the airport (and EVERYWHERE else in South Africa) and the continued interruptions of the public address system announcing every flight departure except ours. Money well spent, thank you Getty Images. Our PE CABS driver Richard met us faithfully as always and, without stopping and with good use of the horn, we jetted the minibus and attached trailer across town and rolled right into the media entrance and headed straight for the pitch were we arrived after the teams had taken the field for warm ups 45 minutes before game time. Everything in place and ready to go with time to spare I decided to make a quick trip to the standard issue portable toilet trailer. As I briskly walked there with the sun headed for the western horizon, the sky to the south was dark! I did not have a full compliment of rain gear and I texted Carl ‘Mr Fix IT’ to deliver some trash bags to my position. Carl came through as always and saved the day as rain commenced at halftime and was quite heavy in the second half. The gloom of the rain did not match the mood of Uruguay as the rain poured as Luis Sanchez scored his second goal of the game and the game winner to advance Uruguay to the quarterfinals.
As the Koreans head home, so do the Yanks. It was a good match and a couple great goals by the Black Stars. While I would have loved to have seen USA advance, it is a good vibe here to have at least one African Nation advance. South Africa, Algeria, Cameroon and Ivory Coast failed to advance to the second stage. The whole continent is behind Ghana as they have done what only two other African Nations (Senegal and Algeria)have done in advancing to the quarterfinals. I shall take up the support of Ghana which will keep the stock of the USA high as long as the Black Stars continue to win. And as team USA head home so to do my teammates Streeter and Ezra. And never got to see them here in South Africa and It seems like light years ago that we crossed paths in Heathrow. They have passed through Heathrow again today and are nearly home by now.
As the team shrinks, our squad grows. We have added Richard Heathcote and Chris McGraw for tonight’s match between Argentina and Mexico at Soccer City. Mike Hewitt and Ryan Pierce have joined our crew for the duration as two more FIFA photographers. I’ve been anxious to see Soccer City as it has been the gem stone of the venues seen over and over again in television stand ups and broadcasts around the globe. After seeing it on ever channel know to man on the global satellite TV it will be great to see in person…..but at a price...Culture Shock.
Post Script: Germany defeated England!
Monday, June 21, 2010
My Second First Day Of Winter
And the rain came down... Lightening might not strike twice, but for me winter did. I had another shortest day of the year today as winter came to South Africa. And along with winter came a warm rain. Mod
ern day weather data is fascinating but we found it hard to believe that the two hours it was predicted to rain today were the two hours in which Portugal and North Korea were to play in Cape Town. As we burned time in the media center prior to the match, we listened to the rain pounding on the tent roof. We could only hope the forecast was off by a few hours and the rain would clear up before game time. It stopped right on queue 90 minutes before kick off and we took our places on the pitch. With ominous clouds still gathered overhead I bundled all my gear up in rain covers and plastic bags just in case. I always hope that the preventions help ward off the precip but in this case, no chance. The ball was put in play and the rain came down. 3mm were predicted and I swear we have 3cm by the half. With everything drenched, the rain stopped late in the second half and I was able to pack my soaking wet gear with out the stress of rain filling my bags. Off to Durban tomorrow for the beginning of the third matches in the opening round. Teams will start going home tomorrow and we will have 18 more days until the final.
Portugal drubbed North Korea 7-0
HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIM!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
News Flash
Just got a Happy Fathers Day text from Devan who is on safari in Tanzania..... 'You're the dad best ever'. Look for more news from her travels soon. She is wrapping up a two week trip to Tanzania where she was volunteering with the Africa School Assistance Project working on the Kirenga Primary School.
Sunday Stroll
View of the False Bay beach in Fish Hoek. With beautiful weather on tap, this last day before the onset of winter, I took a trek around the neighborhood. Our lodg
e is nestled in the hills overlooking the ismuth of the Cape of Good Hope between the Atlantic Ocean and False Bay. I started my jaunt over the hill out the back door through Table Mountain National Park on a trail that drops you into Kalk Bay. We have been frequenting the restaurants, watering holes and coffee shops in Kalk Bay but the walk today gave a new perspective. The Harbor House has been our eating establishment of choice. Cape to Cuba serves a nice Mojito and the coffee at the Columbia is awesome. Most of the time spent there has been in the evening hours so daylight gave it a new perception. F
amilies, vendors, tourists and locals were out in force on the Sunday afternoon. Fisherman were casting from the breakwater walls of the harbor. Locals were shopping for fresh fish on the dock. The fish cleaners were feeding the local seals and trying to hock a view to the tourists for a snapshot or two. I could hear a percussion band from the top of the mountain as I descended to town, which was actually providing entertainment for the long line of people queued up to get into Kalky's restaurant on the dock.
Leaving Kalk Bay I walked along Main Road south toward Fish Hoek. Our much traveled vehicle route revealed many hidden aspects. One of note was a man made swimming hole on the beach. There was a pool built to collect water on the rocky shore. A bit chilly this time of year, but I am sure it becomes a venerable hot tub during the new moon phases in the summer. The water is clear and pristine to the view. Visually inviting, physically repelling today. Quite cold.
I continued via Main Road through the commercial strip in Fish Hoek. Dropped into the Pic'n'Pay for some snacks, staples and garbage bags to ward the rain off our gear which is forecast for game time tomorrow.
I headed for the beach access on the south end of town anxious to plunge my toes in the sand. The warm midday sun was being fought off by a marine layer that was lurching bay ward from the Atlantic. Across the rail road tracks and onto the beach i found kids splashing, kayakers paddling, runners running, hand holding lovers and dogs romping. The beach was full of life on this last day of fall. Essentially retracing my steps back toward the house I had to forge the stream of fresh water whose tributaries gather outside my bedroom window from the hills, which flow into the stream that runs through the golf course, through the wetlands and into the sea. An invigorating chill that help invigorate my peds for the trudge up the road to the house.
The cool mist was winning the contest with the waning sun. After tomorrow I can only hope the sun wins the war as it battles back to longer days.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Under The South African Stars
Under the Stars, photo by 'Ronny' Regan The end of the work week came to a head with three big games representing three of the four nations that comprise our team. We were joined by Michael 'Ronny' Regan our staffer that is following the England squad. On the eve of Friday's matches, Ronny wowed us with his celestial photography as we took turns posing with the Milky Way. To start the day, Lars' German team who was coming off their 4-0 drubbing of Australia to face Serbia. We were all shocked, none as much as Lars, at the German loss in which they had to play most of the game a man down. After the conclusion we headed off to work. On the drive to Green Point, where we would photograph England v Algeria, I listened to the start of the USA v Slovenia match. We arrived at the half and well, I am tired of going over this one again and again..... I witnessed the robbery of the USA's game winning 86th minute goal in the media center. As bummed as I was about that, it doesn't seem to match how gutted Ronny, Alex, Jamie and Laurence were over the hideously boring 0-0 draw that England played to.
We have finally coasted in to our first couple days off. Earned, deserved and needed. We had a few errands to run, camera repair shop, camera store, shopping, long late lunch, scenic drive and back home. Feels nice to be able to catch our breath and not be stressed about catching planes, battling photogs, standing lines, etc. The waterfront is Cape Town was packed with World Cup watchers. England, Brazil, Algeria, Netherlands represented as well as South Africa, and more for sure. Our forced habits carry through into so many aspects of our daily life including going to the same restaurant that we ate at the last time we were are the waterfront two weeks ago. There is a big stage and televisi
on screen in the plaza and it was standing room only to watch the Japan v Netherlands match broadcast from Durban. We took the coastal route home and made a few stops for some snaps at the vistas. The tough part of the day was watching all the cyclists headed up and down the coast road. I was a little dubious about how safe cycling might be here, but I now convinced it must be ok seeing the number of people out there. The coastal road is a scenic drive and a toll road so traffic is minimal and slow, the biggest threat might be a driver distracted by the stunning views of the Atlantic and threatening cliffs.
We have finally coasted in to our first couple days off. Earned, deserved and needed. We had a few errands to run, camera repair shop, camera store, shopping, long late lunch, scenic drive and back home. Feels nice to be able to catch our breath and not be stressed about catching planes, battling photogs, standing lines, etc. The waterfront is Cape Town was packed with World Cup watchers. England, Brazil, Algeria, Netherlands represented as well as South Africa, and more for sure. Our forced habits carry through into so many aspects of our daily life including going to the same restaurant that we ate at the last time we were are the waterfront two weeks ago. There is a big stage and televisi
on screen in the plaza and it was standing room only to watch the Japan v Netherlands match broadcast from Durban. We took the coastal route home and made a few stops for some snaps at the vistas. The tough part of the day was watching all the cyclists headed up and down the coast road. I was a little dubious about how safe cycling might be here, but I now convinced it must be ok seeing the number of people out there. The coastal road is a scenic drive and a toll road so traffic is minimal and slow, the biggest threat might be a driver distracted by the stunning views of the Atlantic and threatening cliffs. Thursday, June 17, 2010
Collar Required
With the excessive travel we put in yesterday, we have freed ourselves up to break the mold today. Ou
r resident golf pro, Lars Baron, was anxious to hit the links at the end of the road, The Clovelly Country Club. Peter, our host, has paved the way for us to play. Lars has the keys to the castle and has permission to use his personal clubs. Carl, Quinn and I had our choice of clubs from the quiver in the garage. Only thing I know is, I like clubbing the hell out of the ball with the big headed driver from Lars' bag. I even out drove Lars on ocassion but couldn't match his score. The time I spent playing in the sand drove up my numbers. The end of day deal is to play as many holes as possible after 3:30PM and being winter here, you get about 2 hours to do it. The gate keeper suggested we play 11 holes. The front nine, the watering hole and the dewatering hole. We took his advice.
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