The Netherlands game was wonderful for two reasons: the new Durban stadium is stunningly beautiful and the Dutch fans rival the Argentines in their fanaticism. The sea of orange was perpetually undulating. One of the best parts about this game - and each World Cup match we have attended - is mingling with the fans around the stadium before and after the game. We haven't been leaving the stadiums until about an hour after each game has ended. The people watching is fantastic, and there is a palpable sense that we are all part of something special and huge and even historic. I often wonder how many people in the crowd are fulfilling a life-long dream.
Each game is a day-long affair. We arrive at the designated parking areas - often a suburban shopping mall or school - about three hours before kick-off. (We haven't had to do anymore bribing to park!) Then we load onto buses. The lines to get back onto the buses after the game take hours, but no one seems to mind. People keep on blowing their vuvuzelas and looking at the patriotic goods people are hawking on the side of the road.
No one seems to want the excitement to end.
P.S. Note how the arches in the stadium are similar to the lines in the South African flag: two forked lines that meld into one.
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