DAY 4 SOUTH AFRICA TRIP:

Off we went to Tswaing crater for a brisk hike. The ride through the townships continues the pattern - remarkable poverty, equally warm people. South Africa is sitting on an untapped gold mine of cute kids. Following the hike, we drove into Pretoria to breeze through the imposing government buildings and monuments along with an old square modelled on Trafalgar. The government buildings were bustling with world cup tourists, our favorites being the Cameroonian couple that insisted on taking pictures with us...and perhaps got a bit overly familiar in a physical sense with each of us in the process. Oh well - maybe holding hands is customary in their country?

OH...AFRICA: From there, we drove to the Voortrekker memorial, a well-conceived edifice, though poor Justine was terrified by the heights. It tells the story of the Great Trek, and it seems it was a rough go of it for the Boers. One exhibit featured a child's toy designed to look like oxen lashed to a cart, all hewed from an ox's vertebrae.

HAKUNA MATATA: Back to jo-burg, we stopped at a popular mall flooded with World Cup fans having a chant off - Chile and Brazil are out in force. Then we went to an interactive drumming show - this show basically rocked, and I kind of felt sorry for the performers that they didn't have more of an audience. Anyway, it's fun to bang on a drum. Then we walked around Montecasino and grabbed a late dinner before turning in.

WORLD CUP TIP: Go to a Brazil game. Brazil fans are like Steelers fans - they are everywhere. But imagine if instead of being from Pittsburgh, they're from Rio. They travel deep with costumes and hotties. Do not start a chant-off with them - they will win. So I imagine the games are out of control. 2014 is in Brazil - that place is going to be rocking. I can't imagine anyone else winning in that environment.

JUSTINE'S TIPS ON SOUTH AFRICA: It's said that Afrikaners and black South Africans work better than the English descendants with either - regardless of their differences, Afrikaners and blacks both see South Africa as their home, while many of the English still like to think they're part of the Commonwealth. Additional knowledge - many Afrikaners have to be told to wear shoes, and there is a common stereotype of poorer Afrikaners being shoeless and uncouth. Watch out while rooting for the Dutch as well - a drunk Afrikaner is called a Dutchman.