I ran into my first touts in Port Elizabeth, all working for a Canadian character. The touts had been working on the assumption South Africa could have been involved. They were also pushing tickets for the Uruguay v Ghana match on July 2nd, a fixture that had seemed likely to involve England, hence their glut of supply.
The touts were being were undercut by Mexicans (who had also planned too far ahead) and others who were practically giving tickets away. I met a Uruguayan who had a spare. We donated the ticket to folks from a nearby block of flats who had been enthusiastically for Uruguay. I hope the lady managed to go or at least got something for the ticket.
The atmosphere surrounding the Mandela Stadium was weak. This was a shame, because the community could easily have been more integrated into the occasion. Some of the small shops, places to eat were closed or were inaccessible because of the fences all designed to funnel fans into the stadium. I managed to navigate my way around the cordon to find a knock out Chicken Bunny Chow in side street cafe. It was a shame few other guests of the city were able to share such a tasty pre match meal or talk football with folks on the steps of their homes.
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