Andi and I drove down into the city centre with our cameras to try and get some last minute pictures before the streets were closed off. We found parking, albeit illegal, according to a good natured official, who allowed us half an hour to snap away.
This large pool and fountain sit in the centre of the traffic circle in Adderley Street, the main road in the city which runs from the top end of town right down to the harbour. The excitement was quite electrifying as people poured in their thousands from cars, buses, taxis and trains to make their way towards the soccer stadium (those lucky people with tickets) and fan parks where giant TV screens would relay the opening ceremony and match from Soccer City in Johannesburg.
The fountain circle was a popular place for a group photograph ...
... to play your newly composed Concerto for Vuvuzela ...
... in B Flat major, I believe*. Boy, does it hurt your lips after a while!
.... and compete, duelling banjos style, with another keen player.
In the meantime, all around the island, the traffic hurtled, hooters blowing, people leaning out of car windows blowing their vuvuzelas, flags fluttering from the car windows and brandished enthusiastically by passengers. In all the time I've lived in Cape Town I've never seen or heard (most definitely not heard) anything like it.
As we made our way back to the car I noticed this tranquil canal which also runs the length of Adderley Street. The lime green trunks of the fever trees had been swathed in the various colours of the different flags and their reflections shimmered in the dark mirrored surface of the canal water.
I must mention before closing off that I owe the pictures on this post to Andi. In a moment of senior absent mindedness I deleted a memory card of images, under the impression that I'd already downloaded them. I've never done this before and, hopefully, I'll never do it again.
* I know next to nothing about music, so apologies if this description is wrong!
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