Chasing the Men in Blue

8216;8216;Welcome to South Africa, it8217;s a jungle out there, and you need me.8217;8217; Arnie couldn8217;t have said it better. After exchanging 100 for 810 crisp Rands, the hospitable tour guide informs us that Johannesburg will be our base for a week. It8217;s also the ideal base for fans who wish to trail the Men in Blue, since the Indians play most of their early games around Jo8217;burg. After the opener against Holland at Paarl down south, they head back north to play matches around Jo8217;burg at Durban, Centurion and Pietermaritzburg.

JOHANNESBURG

Our tour itinerary mentions in bold: Trip to Wanderers, venue for the World Cup final. It was slated for Day Two, but we cricket crazies can8217;t hold on for so long. A request is floated: Can8217;t we make it today? The guide replies with a straight face, 8216;8216;Only if you guys don8217;t do any black magic to make the Indians play there on March 23!8217;8217; We promise not to sneak in a voodoo doll and get to see the impressive stadium with its fresh paint and buds programmed to bloom next year.

Once we8217;ve absorbed this grand sight, we8217;re ready to take on the city. Like the country as whole, Jo8217;burg is the classic cocktail of the third and first worlds. Near the airport is Ceasor8217;s Casino, with eateries that serve everything from crocodile tail to a zebra leg and all-night bars where one can smash earthen pots as belly dancers do their stuff.

Downtown Jo8217;burg is strictly avoidable unless one has a local guide. And please camouflage the tourist in you: No gawking at the sky-scrapers and no cameras around the neck. To get a feel of the place, visit to the famous Rastafarian Bar is highly recommended. South Africa8217;s never ending black and white debates work as bitings with amazing cocktails amidst ultra high-decibel metal bands. As words like opportunities, underprivileged and apartheid fly around, I clearly hear one statement: South Africa8217;s best batsman today is coloured Herchelle Gibbs and the best bowler a black Makaya Ntini. For someone used to judging cricketers on the basis of runs and wickets, 8216;player profile8217; suddenly takes on a new colour.

PAARL

For fans and cricketers alike, India8217;s opening game against Holland at Paarl on February 12 will be a walk in the park. With the cricketers expected to squash the Oranjes some time after lunch, fans will have enough time to stroll through the various wine farms on the slopes of Mt Paarl. The mountain streams and myriad birdcalls in the background provide the perfect calm before the storm.

PRETORIA

From the vineyards, the Indians move on to the violet hued Jacaranda City, or Pretoria, where the real business starts. The mighty Aussies are their next opponents and the city 8212; it houses majestic museums, monuments and the country8217;s parliament 8212; signifies the seriousness of the contest. Later in the contest, India play Pakistan at the same venue.

That provides the Indian fan enough time to visit the Cullinan diamond mines and Soweto, the black township that was the hot bed of the anti-apartheid moment. Tour guides in Soweto highlight the sight of scores of blacks filling water in plastic pitchers. It8217;s probably a Kodak moment for westerners, but for us, it doesn8217;t cut much ice.

A visit to Vilakazi Street, home to two Nobel laureates 8212; Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu 8212; is a must do. Among other things, we sports aficionados are kicked to see a belt gifted by heavyweight boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard prominently displayed at Mandela House.

PIETERMARITZBURG

From the hustle and bustle of the capital, it is back to the countryside. On February 23, Indians play Namibia at the city closest to our hearts. On a personal note, Pietermaritzburg completed my Gandhi odyssey. I was born in Rajkot, where Gandhiji studied, have visited Porbandar, where he was born, worked in Ahmedabad, where he built his Sabarmati Ashram and here, in South Africa, stopped by at Phoenix City where Gandhiji lived. It is impossible to visit Pietermaritzburg, where Gandhiji was pushed out of the train and then jailed, without feeling a sense of living history.

The city is small enough for the Indian fan to do in its entirety. For those with kids, the butterfly nursery, it is a must-see. And to indulge the gambler in you, there8217;s the Golden Horse Casino, with slot machines, horse racing, blackjack8230;. The casino manager escorts us to the VIP lounge, and announces matter-of-factly: 8216;8216;This is place where we maintain utmost secrecy about our clients. You can ask your cricketers to come here and they can bet without anyone getting a whiff of it or being hassled for autographs.8217;8217; The irony is hard to miss: A South African inviting Indian cricketers to bet after taking journalists in confidence. Sorry bud, but the word 8216;bet8217; doesn8217;t send the rightest of signals!

DURBAN

India8217;s last league game against England brings them to this coastal city, vaguely reminiscent of Mumbai because of its beachfront and its seafood. The pavement along the sandy Golden Mile is a dream destination for curio shoppers.

But if Tendulkar, a self-confessed seafood junkie, hits a ton against Hussain8217;s boys, he must celebrate with a visit to Fish Company. The chef8217;s recommendation: A platter of all things that swim! Tiger prawns, mussels, crabs, fish and lobsters were some of the things I recognise. For the rest, I didn8217;t care as they all tasted great.

Finally, it8217;s time to return to Delhi. But on the flight back, I remember something that had slipped my mind completely: A demand for silver jewellery from those back home. The in-flight shopping guide comes in handy as I wonder how to spend my last few dollars. I hope our cricketers don8217;t take any tips. Considering the sky-high expectations of silver Cup layoge, Cup layoge! back home, a modest pair of 25 earrings certainly won8217;t do.