Its the Final Draw...

And its a festival. Its all happening in Long Street tonight. The 2010 World Cup kicks off today and the city is popping and crackling with excitement.

At about 7pm, thousands and thousands of people from across the globe will be watching the kick off as the games begin and South Africa has their first taste of welcoming the world.

Musicians, entertainers, puppets, dancers, big screen televisions, restaurants and bars fully stocked, security and more than 8000 celebrities, including our very own Charlize Theron will all be there. It is history in the making! If you're in Cape Town, consider yourself very lucky and as far as 2010...we can't wait!!

Monkey See, Monkey Do

The latest individual to make Facebook fame is a 33-year-old Orangutan named 'Nonja.' She lives at a Vienna zoo and has been winning over fans with her photographs of her daily life. Nonja takes the photos with a camera that dispenses raisins each time she snaps.

So far, Nonja has won over almost 3500 fans since the zoo launched her online photo album just three days ago. Its true, Nonja will have to work on her technique, some of her pictures are off center and blurry but we have a suspicion its more about the raisin-dispensing-camera than anything else;)

My favourite part of the story? The Vienna Tiergarten set up the project to help keep Nonja and her three ape friends entertained in their enclosure. Who knew that even monkeys get bored and have to resort to multimedia social networking sites for entertainment. Makes me wonder who is really in the zoo?

Room for 55 000 More

A story published on News24 declares that there are no worries that SA will be able to accomodate all teh visitors estimated to arrive for the FIFA 2010 World Cup. Take a look below...

Cape Town - Accommodation at next year's World Cup finals was no longer an issue with enough rooms now available for visiting supporters, FIFA said on Wednesday.

FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke said a target of 55 000 so-called 'bed nights' for an estimated 500 000 visitors at the month-long tournament starting next June had been reached.

"Accommodation is now a non-issue," he told a news conference ahead of Friday's World Cup draw.

South Africa has yet to convince everyone it has enough rooms or sufficient transport for fans at the finals.

However, Valcke said: "We have got the bed nights we feel we need to accommodate the people, based on the estimated numbers that we are expecting.

"We are sure now to accommodate all the potential requests we will receive whatever the demand," he added.

Valcke said extra aircraft would be chartered by MATCH Services, the travel agent appointed by soccer's world governing body, to help transport supporters around South Africa.

"We are renting planes, big aircraft like Airbus 340s and Boeing 747s," he said.

The vast distances in South Africa and lack of rail infrastructure mean air transport will be vital during the tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 11.

Good times! Welcome the world South Africa.

Tourism Radio and Hummba Go Under!

Under water and face to face with great white sharks. That's right...we're going shark cage diving and there's room for two more. It could be you if you're up for an adventure of a lifetime! Hosted by White Shark Projects (www.whitesharkprojects.co.za), we're giving a spot away for you and a friend, the only question is can you handle it?

All you have to do to enter is log on to www.hummba.com and search for "White Shark Adventure" and add them to your friend list!

A draw will determine the winner!* So get onto to hummba and get shark cage diving!



*Terms and Conditions Apply
Recipients of the prize must be available in Cape Town on the 10th of December 2009. Tours are weather dependent, Tourism Radio and hummba cannot be held responsible for unfavourable weather conditions. Tourism Radio and hummba can not be held liable for any loss, injury or damage to persons or property. Prizes cannot be exchanged for cash. Tourism Radio and hummba reserve the right to not award the prize if deemed appropriate. No correspondence will be entered into and the judges decision is final.

To vuvuzela or not to vuvuzela?

A serious soccer fan has voiced his disapproval of the vuvuzela on News24. Apparently, the otherwise dubbed "traditional" vuvuzela actually only made its way into soccer stadiums from about 2000. So it is in fact not 'traditional' or 'cultural' according to the reader, they're just noisy.

Its true that you couldn't really call it an instrument, its more of a mistake that makes a noise I think. The upside is that its such a distinct sound that whenever I hear one these days, I think of soccer. Now that is the power of the vuvuzela.

I'm sure that if you've ever been caught at a game next to a vuvuzela blower, you might have a stronger stance on the subject but I've never had the pleasure. The truth is that if you don't like it, you should either get used to it or get one yourself and take revenge on the spit splattering, ear drum shattering fellow fan sitting in your immediate vicinity.

We're fast approaching the end of 2009 and along with that 2010 - the big year, the year that we've all being debating, waiting for, optimistic about, pessimistic about, scared of, excited about. The outcome of hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup can't be predicted but as the start draws ever closer, hope resounds around the country and it sounds an awful lot like a vuvuzela.

Perhaps not cultural or traditional, the vuvuzela is fast becoming an instrument of change, prosperity and joy - and that is a tradition all on its own!

Bring on 2010! Bring on the World Cup! Bring on the Vuvuzela.

For more information about self-drive travel in Cape Town, visit www.tourismradio.co.za and get Tourism Radio in your car!