Diary: Nelsen says 'good luck'

Driving into Cape Town is a unique feeling. Windows down, Free Nelson Mandela by The Specials on the stereo, we descended from the mountains into this distinctive city. With the ocean stretching out far into the distance, and the imperious Table Mountain providing the backdrop, it was next stop Antarctica.

This isn't quite the southernmost tip of Africa, but there is a definite feeling of being at the edge of the world. And there was a clear sense of achievement after driving over 1,200 miles across the length of South Africa.

It had been a memorable drive and the final day on Route 62 had been the highlight. Weaving through spectacular mountain passes and vivid green plateaus, the journey was punctuated with regular sightings of random animals - ostriches, elephants, zebras, antelopes and monkeys all made an appearance. Stubboah even saw a penguin, but it flew away, and Labengwah repeatedly mistook the common rock...for a lion.

It felt like half the world had suddenly arrived in Cape Town. Our hostel was loath to turn anyone away, so they hastily erected bunk beds in the corridors to accommodate more fans. I've always fancied swinging a cat, but this wasn't the place to start.

Cape Town epitomises the laid back atmosphere of South Africa. It may take a little longer than Europe for things to get done, but who cares when everyone's got a massive smile on their face.

Again the World Cup fan park was a highlight. Each group of fans proudly wore their shirts and laughed at the on-screen misfortunes of others. Judging by the abuse, France appeared to be the most unpopular and were being followed by a group of diehards who had travelled thousands of miles to follow France around South Africa...and support every team they played against. That's commitment.

My highlight was a man sporting a hat made from the flag of each competing team and a hundred or so eggs. Around his neck was a phone with speed dial to Nelson Mandela. Apparently, Nelson says good luck, but wants to know why England persists with Emile Heskey.

South Africa is also adrenalin country. In the last week, myself and Bigoben abseiled off the top of Table Mountain, Stubboah jumped out of a plane dressed as Bananaman, and we all jumped into the Pacific Ocean protected from an army of great white sharks by a cage. Micksomotosis was hyperventilating with fear and asked if relieving himself in his wetsuit could attract the sharks. "Not really...but I'll rip of your genitals," was the tour operator's reply.

Nicknamed ‘Tommy sharks' for their fondness of Tommy gun-wielding Brits in the 19th century, these are awe inspiring animals when viewed from the water. One 4 metre Tommy circled below the cage before darting straight up from the depths to seize a tuna head. "If you're on a surf board and see a shark do that, start praying," was the warning.

Along the southern coast we found the first signs of indifference towards the World Cup. The south is rugby territory and the countries Springbok rugby team is virtually a religion. Murmurs of complaints that the World Cup was only benefiting the rich and that the government were being held to ransom by Fifa could be heard. Many locals had wanted to rebuild an existing stadium, but Fifa had insisted on the postcard perfect stadium flanked by Table Mountain and the Atlantic Ocean.

I have a lot of symphony for South Africans, as it seems they have taken the flak for anything in the tournament that hasn't been perfect. For example, Fifa's ticket centres and website insisted that England's group games were sold out - rows of empty seats said otherwise. However, the mainstream media suggest it's an improvement in ‘African organisation' that is required.

Despite South Africa being knocked out of the tournament, Bafana Bafana (‘The Boys The Boys' as the South African football team is locally known) had restored a lot of pride with their convincing win against the French. "It's a shame you didn't make it through," I said to a local bar owner. "Through to what?" he replied, "South Africa has always been here and always will be. Welcome."

I have no fears that Bafana Bafana's exit will dampen enthusiasm for the tournament. England's performances may not have been inspiring, but the World Cup has captured the imagination of many, and Brazil and Ghana have been adopted as second teams by South Africans.

For a second week, I haven't seen any evidence of the infamous ‘crime epidemic.' There was a man wielding an AK47...but he was protecting money being transferred between banks. This is an incredible nation with incredible people and our only regret is that the World Cup just isn't long enough for us to really get to know the whole country.