Soccer Laduma Blog By Peter Du Toit: Soccer Laduma in Brazil…

Last week, Soccer Laduma's Peter du Toit jetted off to Brazil just in time for the opening game of the 2014 Fifa World Cup. Read his daily diary as he brings you the sights sounds of the world's biggest football celebration.   Day One - The Flight Over:    Sat across from a group of Nigerians including the owner of Abia Warriors.   Day Two - São Paulo:    Arrived at São Paulo airport the day before the opening game. Not the best looking airport I've seen. lt's clear that no money has been spent on upgrading this airport. The only signs of World Cup fever that I saw were the arriving fans in their football kits.   Day Three - Salvador:    This is the third biggest city in Brazil with a population of 3 million and was the original city where slaves arrived from Africa. It's difficult to make yourself understood here as no one speaks English. Obviously all the bars were filled with Brazilians for the opening game, but we managed to get a table at one of the beachfront bars. What I found strange was that no one stood for the national anthem or sang along, although a few people joined in towards the end. I also expected more fanaticism from the fans while the game was on, but I found them strangely subdued.    Day Four- Spain v Netherlands:    Very excited to be going to our first game! We could feel the excitement in the air. The breakfast area was a sea of orange. The Dutch fans are truly amazing - up there with the best, if not the best, I've seen! We posted pictures on the Soccer Laduma social channels which you'll be able to view. Not only are the Dutch fans dressed up from top to toe in orange (including their sunglasses), many of them are dressed in outrageous outfits. Some are in orange three-piece suits and there was even one dressed as an airline pilot all in orange! The great thing about the Dutch fans is that with all their fanaticism, there is a touch of humour to everything.    We left the hotel three-and-a-half hours before the game and a journey that should take 30 minutes took an hour and a half! It was bumper to bumper traffic all the way! The taxi dropped us off about 2km from the stadium. There was a heavy military presence all around - you wouldn't mess with these guys! The walk to the stadium was a strange one. You walk along the embankment of a beautiful man-made lake with the stunning Arena Fonte Nova stadium rising to your left. Yet to either side of you are hills which are densely populated with Favelas (slums). Outside the stadium there were great festivities, with both Dutch and Spanish fans in spectacular outfits, all having fun with no undertone of animosity despite the importance of the game.    Getting into the stadium and to our seats was the easiest I've ever experienced at any stadium anywhere in the world. 10/10 to Brazil! It was exactly the same when the game was over. In an amazing co-incidence at the stadium, in a stadium with 50 000 fans and seated in the row directly in front of the boxes, bizarrely in the box right behind us, who do we bump into but Patrice Motsepe and Pitso Mosimane! Don't know who was more surprised, them or us! Later we bumped into Alex Bapela holding the South African flag up high. I don't know what it looked like on TV, but the game live was unbelievable.    After the game all the fans congregated in the oldest square in the city in an area called Pelurinho. There was live music and partying, with Dutch fans out in full force, exuberant after their phenomenal win!   Day Five - Fan Zone:    Took a taxi to the Barra beachfront area and also checked out the Fan Zone. (They were still busy finishing the entrance!) The people from Salvador are known for their laidback approach to life!   Day Six - Germany v Portugal:   The breakfast room was very subdued compared to the previous game. Traffic to the game was so hectic that some areas were completely gridlocked and we were worried that we wouldn't get to the game in time. Getting into the stadium was a different story as well - much harder. There was a great atmosphere inside, though, with both sets of fans chanting and singing. The highlight was the Fan Walk from the stadium to the historic town square. It was great fun! We've posted videos and pics on all Soccer Laduma platforms so go and check it out!   Next week's column will be written from the vibrant beach city of Rio, but until then you can follow our journey with daily updates on Soccer Laduma Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and SLTV.   Click Here To Watch Peter In Brazil