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Puerto Vallarta Resident Peter Engel Shares Memoirs of his Travels to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup
 Peter Engel's 2010 World Cup Travelogue
| | Peter Engel | |
This travel account of seven parts written by Peter Engel, a Swiss born Puerto Vallarta resident actually began on April 20th when he left Puerto Vallarta for Switzerland, arrived on May 10th in Kenya, Africa and concluded on July 16th when he left the African continent.
Peter, who goes by the name "Pedro" when in Mexico or any Spanish speaking country, and his Swiss friends who made this trip did much more than just watch the World Cup games, which began on June 11th.
They spent 67 days traveling on the African continent in all types of vehicles, both private and public. Peter's memoirs, personal observations and opinions will be published on BanderasNews beginning with his introduction and each of the subsequent six parts, with superb photography will follow along every few days.
Only one part of the travel account even deals with soccer. As he traveled, Peter took notes in his native German language, then transcribed them into a written narrative also in German. Then came the task of translating to English and the editing process. Peter is fluent in at least 5 or 6 languages, however putting words on paper is quite difficult.
I found this travel account, as he puts it, extremely interesting and consider it a must read for anyone interested in travel - whether they have been to Africa or not. Peter is quite candid about his personal likes and dislikes and some readers might not agree with his observations or opinions, while others will find his candor quite refreshing. I found it extremely interesting to both hear about and then read about his journey, which made me feel that I was along on the trip.
Just a few words about the relativity of the World Cup compared to other sports. In the U.S. baseball has its World Series annually, however only Toronto is located outside the country and it is called th World Series. The Super Bowl is watched annually in over 200 countries, however all teams are in the United States and it is a one day affair. The closest to the World Cup is of course the Olympics, also held every four years.
The recent World Cup of soccer, which is played every four years and is the most watched and followed sporting event worldwide was held this past summer from June 11-July 11, 2010. The bidding process for hosting the tournament finals was open only to African nations; in 2004, the international football federation, FIFA, selected South Africa over Egypt and Morocco to become the first African nation to host the finals.
The matches were played in 10 stadiums in nine host cities around the country, with the final played at the Soccer City stadium in South Africa's largest city, Johannesburg. Thirty-two teams were selected for participation via a worldwide qualification tournament that began in August 2007 and included 208 countries.
In the first round of the tournament finals, the teams competed in round-robin groups of four teams for points, with the top two teams in each group proceeding. These sixteen teams advanced to the knockout stage, where three rounds of play decided which teams would participate in the final.
I hope that you find this travel adventure account interesting and informative. Remember that one need not be a soccer fan - nor a sports fan - to enjoy Peter's account as well as the photograhy. (Intro by Bob Cohen)
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 World Cup Travelog Part 4 - A Week in Nambia and Into Capetown, South Africa
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In Part Four of his seven-part 2010 World Cup travelogue, Puerto Vallarta resident Peter Engel tells us about his experiences in Namibia, and the week he spent exploring the many attractions in the Western Cape Province and the beautiful city of Cape Town, before the opening match on June 11th.
World Cup Travelog Part 3 - Zambia to Livingstone Falls and on to Botswana
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In Part Three of his seven-part 2010 World Cup travelogue, Peter Engel, a Swiss born Puerto Vallarta resident, takes us from Zambia to Livingstone Falls and on to Botswana, where he stayed in a lodge just outside the Chobe National Park, where encountered many species of African wildlife.
World Cup Travelog Part 2 - The 54 Hour Train Ride from Tanzania to Zambia
 Peter Engel
In Part Two of his seven-part 2010 World Cup travelogue, Peter Engel, a Swiss born Puerto Vallarta resident, tells us about his experiences and adventures on a 54 hour train ride through Tanzania to Zambia, the second stop on his journey to the final destination: Cape Town, South Africa.
Peter Engel's World Cup Travelog Part 1 - Leaving Puerto Vallarta, Arriving in Switzerland and Entry into Africa
 Peter Engel
In Part One of his seven-part 2010 World Cup travelogue, Peter Engel, a Swiss born Puerto Vallarta resident, takes us from Mexico to Switzerland to Dar-Es-Salaam, the first stop on his journey through Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia to the final destination: Cape Town, South Africa.
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