The deserts - luring soccer fans

Namibia is one of the countries hovering on the edge of the FIFA Soccer World Championships 2010, equally focusing on upcoming the event, watching critically, whether South Africa as host will fullfil general expectations. South Africa's reputation, indeed the whole continent of Africa's reputation is at stake. South Africa is now gearing up for final preparations as there is no more doubt -there was a quite lot of that - that all the facilities will be ready for the world event.
The soccer championships will bring hundreds of thousands people to the Cape and to other main locations of the championship. No doubt, many of the international soccer fans - called "Schlachtenbummler" in German - will combine their trip to South Africa with some choice sight seeing in the host country or they will explore neighbouring states.

For the majority of the spectators it will be their first contact with Africa overall. An even if some of them have visited the Arab mediterranean fringe in north Africa, their encounter with southern Africa will be totally different and offer a vast spectrum of experiences never dreamt of. Namibia is well placed within the range of the venturesome soccer tourist in South Africa. The flight transfer from Cape Town to Windhoek is no different in range compared with an air trip between Cape Town and Johannesburg. Furthermore, the fascinating south of Namibia, the newly declared national park of the Sperrgebiet - the once forbidden no-go-territory of the diamond diggers - between Lüderitz and Oranjemund, the abandoned diamond settlements inside the Sperrgebiet and the Fish River Canyon with both the newly renovated Spa at Ai-Ais and the world famous vantage point at the abyss of the canyon - all these are but a day's drive by motor vehicle from the Cape.
But here we wish to sound a word of caution. Self driving travelers should not cover too long distances within a day and rather plan an additional night stop at one of the many tourist hotels, guest farms and guest houses found all along the route through Namaqualand in the towns of Kamieskroon and Springbok, and again on the Namibian inside and around the Fish River Park which constitutes a part of the rugged transnational Ai-Ais-Richtersveld peace park, sign of positive cooperation between Namibia and South Africa. On the eastern border in the south, Namibia, together with Botswana and once more South Africa, participates in another peace park through the recently opened border post of Mata-Mata: the transnational Kgalagadi-Gemsbok Park.

For the soccer traveler planning a secondary trip on the subcontinent, the fascinating vistas of the south of Namibia may be more within economical reach if he opts for self-driving from the Cape. On the other hand, flying in from Johannesburg and Cape Town to Windhoek will immediately open up the heart land of Namibia between the highland savannah and the central Namib coast. Exciting prospects indeed! Making the right choice among a rich Namibian variety remains a challenge.