miércoles, 30 de junio de 2010

Places to Visit

Gold Reef City

Gold Reef City Casino, with its amusement park and re-created atmosphere of old-time gold-rush Johannesburg, offers the whole family an action-packed experience brimming with history and fun that’s hard to beat. Take a light-hearted historical tour of a replica mining village, hop aboard a steam train, and pretend, for a moment, you’re a miner and go 2000m underground; catch displays of traditional and gumboot dancing and watch gold being poured - for it is on this precious metal that Johannesburg was founded.

Head for Gold Reef City’s Disney-style theme park, but with an African twist, for even more entertainment and thrills. Dare to see Jozi’s skyline from atop the Giant Wheel, ride the UFO, Dream Boat and stomach-churning Anaconda. For the lucky or loaded, Gold Reef City Casino, open 24 hours a day, offers slots, tables, sports betting, and a Salon Privé for the highrollers; or enjoy restaurants, old-fashioned shops and pubs, music venues and theatre shows.

Gold Reef City is certainly one of Gauteng’s most enduring attractions loved for its carnival atmosphere, variety of entertainment and value-for-money fun. In the same area, don’t miss the the Apartheid Museum, which provides chilling insight into the story of racial segregation in South Africa.



Cederberg Conservancy

Discover 162 000 hectares of pristine mountain terrain, stretching from the Pakhuis Pass in the north to Grootrivier in the south, when you visit the Cederberg wilderness.

Follow in the footsteps of the ancient San and Khoi to the Stadsaal Caves in the Koue Bokkeveld, on the rock art trail, where some sites date back around 8000 years. The area is a celebrated hiking and climbing destination, loved for its solitude and rugged mountain beauty that’s rich with endemic plant life including fynbos, the rooibos tea plant, threatened Clanwilliam Cedar trees and the rare Snow Protea, found only along the snow line of the Sneeuberg.

Mountain bike its rocky paths or tackle a challenging 4x4 trail; and if you’re fortunate you’ll see the rare Cape Leopard and other reserve inhabitants like porcupine, aardvark and Cape fox, along with 100 species of bird. Unforgettable though, are the fantastical rock formations this park boasts - Wolfberg Cracks, Wolfberg Arch and Maltese Cross – nature’s own sculpture garden on a grand scale.

Kruger Safari

Kruger National Park is a world-acclaimed safari tour destination and part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park between Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe – the world’s greatest animal kingdom. Game viewing’s best in winter (May to September) with mild temperatures and little rainfall; while in early spring (August to October) courtships duels, newborns and prolific birdlife can be seen.

There are rewarding self-drive routes to every corner of the park and twice-daily game drives from most camps, along with 7 guided wilderness trails, mountain biking and 4x4 routes from selected camps. Stay in a park-managed camp or one of the many luxury safari lodges on private game reserve concessions inside the reserve.

Besides the Big 5, lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino, see endangered African wild dogs; go on a bush walk – if you’re lucky you’ll meet the Little 5, leopard tortoise, buffalo weaver, ant lion, elephant shrew and rhinoceros beetle - or camp out in the bush; even be a ranger for a day, and discover the secrets of bush craft, animal tracking and game capture.


Golden Gate Highlands

At the foothills of the Maluti-Drakensberg lies Golden Gate Highlands National Park, a spectacle of towering sandstone cliffs that turn gold, rose and russet-hued in the early morning and late afternoon sunlight.

Explore deep shady valleys and orange and mauve dappled grasslands in this breathtaking landscape, where you’ll come across red hot pokers (aloes), wild lilies and watsonias on self-guided walking trails. See black wildebeest, eland, blesbok, oribi, springbuck and Burchell’s zebra on a drive through the park; and stop at the vulture restaurant, to look for rare bearded vultures circling above.

Hike up the Brandwag Buttress for glorious views, or head for Ribokkop, the highest point in the park; and go on a guided walk to Cathedral Cave, where a stream plunges 30 m through the domed cave ceiling – out of season only, so as not to disturb the breeding colony of bald ibis roosting there. Horse ride, mountain bike or escape, to Highlands Mountain Retreat, with its eco-log cabins built snugly into the mountainside, where panoramic views complement this parks’ magnificent stillness.

Entry requirements to South Africa

Travel To South Africa
To travel to the foreigner is required



You need a passport and visa
Documents required to achieve


For over 18 years:
• Identity Card in good condition.

For children under 18 years:

• Identity Card valid and in good condition, and Simple Affidavit of parents.

• If traveling alone, a notarized authorization from both parents.


• Travel only with a parent, a notarized authorization from the parent who does not travel.

• If one or both parents living abroad, the exit permit shall be granted to the Chilean Consul in the country of residence and legalized in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Chile.
• If it is who has the custody of the child by an enforceable court decision must file a certified copy of the sentence, unless she is registered outside sub register the birth.
• If only one parent attends to apply for Passport, must sign the affidavit at that time, allowing the other to sign the Service at retirement

Insurance is required
Input is required to go to global

Also clothes to wear

You can not bring fruit or vegetables or any foreign national organic element that could affect the environment





The Chileans who travel for tourism and for a maximum period of 90 days, do not require a tourist visa.
To get to South Africa require a passport valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry into that country.
The passport must have at least 4 blank pages for stamps for stamping of entry and departure.
It is not possible to issue temporary or emergency passport at the airport, so travelers who do not meet these requirements are returned to the departure airport.

Health


Citizens traveling light originating in a country where yellow fever exists or calling at airports where there mouth disease (Argentina and Brazil), MANDATORY should get at least 10 days before your trip.


It is recommended to be vaccinated against malaria.

Vaccines and related certification can be obtained from the International VACUNATORIOS Hospital del Salvador.

Hire a full travel insurance, before your trip, so that it covers medical costs and a possible medical evacuation to Chile.
Security

Carry a photocopy of your identity documents, thus facilitating the extension of a consular document in case of a lost original.

Get the booklet prepared by the South African Police Service in relation to safety advice.

The change in dollars (or euros) should be done at banks, hotels or "Forex Exchange." Do not make changes in informal or illegal sites. The Chilean peso is not accepted in South Africa.

Hits the streets in groups and in safe areas

History of FIFA

No other sporting event captures the world's imagination like the FIFA
World Cup. Ever since the first tentative competition in Uruguay in 1930, FIFA's (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) flagship has constantly grown in popularity and prestige.
A group of visionary French football administrators, led in the 1920s by the innovative Jules Rimet, are credited with the original idea of bringing the world's strongest national football teams together to compete for the title of World Champions. The original gold trophy bore Jules Rimet's name and was contested three times in the 1930s, before the Second World War put a 12-year stop to the competition.
When it resumed, the FIFA World Cup rapidly advanced to its undisputed status as the greatest single sporting event of the modern world. Held since 1958 alternately in Europe and the Americas, the World Cup broke new ground with the Executive Committee's decision in May 1996 to select Korea and Japan as co-hosts for the 2002 edition.Since 1930, the 19 tournaments have seen only seven different winners.
However, the FIFA World Cup has also been punctuated by dramatic upsets that have helped create footballing history - the United States defeating England in 1950, North Korea's defeat of Italy in 1966, Cameroon's emergence in the 1980s and their opening match defeat of the Argentine an

cup-holders in 1990.
Today, the FIFA World Cup holds the entire global public under its spell. An accumulated audience of over 37 billion people watched the France 98 tournament, including approximately 1.3 billion for the final alone, while over 2.7 million people flocked to watch the 64 matches in the French stadium.
After all these years and so many changes, however, the main focus of the FIFA World Cup remains the same - the glistening golden trophy, which is the embodiment of every footballer's ambition.

Team Records
Brazil holds the most World Cup championships with five, Italy is in second with four titles and West Germany/Germany holds third with three World Cup titles. Hungary has tallied the most goals in a single Wo

rld Cup when they scored 27 in 1954. In the 1954 World Cup Austria beat Switzerland 7-5 for the most goals (12) combined in a World Cup match. Hungary beat El Salvador in 1982, 10-1 for the highest goal differential in a World Cup match (Hungary is also the only team to score 10 or more goals in a World Cup).




Individual Records
Ronaldo is the top scorer in World Cup history with 15 goals, and he is followed by Gerard Muller with 14. Salenko of Russia scored 5 goals in a match during the 1994 World Cup. Bert Patenaude of the US was the first player to ever record a hat trick (1930 World Cup). Hakan Sukur of Turkey scored the fastest goal in World Cup history in 2002 when he scored 11 seconds into the match against South Korea. Lothar Matthaus of Germany / West Germany has the most appearances by a player in the World Cup with 25. Norman Whiteside of Northern Ireland was the youngest player (17 years old) to ever step on the field in World Cup (1982). Pelé of Brazil was also the youngest player to score in a World Cup (1958) match. Pelé also was the youngest player to ever win a World Cup (1958). Roger Milla of Cameroon was the oldest (42 years, 39 days) player to play in a World Cup (1994). Milla also scored a goal in that match against Russia. The first player to ever be ejected from a World Cup match was Galindo of Peru in 1930.

World Cup Records
The 1994 World Cup held in the United States had the highest average attendance with over 68,990 for each match. The 1950 World Cup Final (Uruguay vs. Brazil) had over 174,000 spectators for the largest number of spectators to watch a single game. While this match did determine the winner of the World Cup that year, it was not a "true final", as there was a second round of group play and the top placed team, Uruguay, was the cup winner! The 1970 World Cup Final at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City had the highest Final attendance with 107,412 spectators attending the game. The 1954 World Cup held in Switzerland holds the highest average for goals per game 5.38 (140 goals in 26 matches

jueves, 24 de junio de 2010

STADUIMS

Nelson Mandela Stadium
located on the shores of Lake North End, is the first devoted exclusively to soccer in the city and its areas of influence. As one of the specially constructed for the FIFA World Cup 2010, was completed one year kick-off an entire brand for the city.
The Nelson Mandela has a roof, its structure, and a spectacular view of Lake North End. Before the construction of this multi-use space, all international matches were played at the EPRU rugby stadium in the Eastern Province.

The playing field is grass, but the surrounding area is artificial turf. One of his biggest tests was the Soweto derby between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs football game that attracts more crowds in South Africa.


Green point
The new stadium in Cape Town is located in the suburb of Green Point (hence its name), near the sea and the mountains of the city as a backdrop. Its location is ideal, as it is located a stone's throw from the center of the city transport. The new premises of the stadium was built on land previously occupied by a golf course. The Green Point Common, where the stadium is built, was originally much larger than we see today, as it included most of the land between the sea and the Signal Hill, extending from downtown to Sea Point.
Green Point Stadium, whose construction will end in December 2009, will have a total capacity of 64 100 locations, and will host the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup 2010.
Cape Town has another great stadium, Newlands, but is used primarily for rugby. However, it was the scene of the South African tour of Tottenham Hotspur in 2003. World Cup 2010 FIFA has given the city the opportunity to build a multipurpose stadium that will host all kinds of events and concerts, once the World Cup has passed through the city. It could also be used by professional football teams in the city, the Cape Town Ajax and Santos.


Moses Mabhida Stadium
Duran will be the stage for one of the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup 2010. Its design is inspired by the South African flag, with an architecture that represents the unity of a sports loving nation. The two arches of the south side of the stadium together with the northern part, which symbolizes the new unity of a country who was able to be divided.
This giant cement capacity to 62 760 spectators has been designed specifically with a spectacular view from 106 feet. From there, some viewers may enjoy an incomparable view of the terrain and cities.
The Moses Mabhida can be considered a world class stadium and multifunctional, located in the heart of Kings Park Sporting Precinct. In the surrounding area has several facilities to practice various sports, restaurants, markets and areas for children who join the stage with the beach.
Its location coincides with that of the former Kings Park Stadium. Mabhida Moses, whom he honors with his name, was born near Pietermaritzburg on 14 October 1923. It belonged to a poor family that was forced to leave their land. In 1963, Oliver Tambo asked him to return to Africa to develop the armed wing of ANC. Mabhida accepted and became a political leader and instructor of new military recruits. Later, serve as commander of MK.


Ellis Park Stadium
is located in downtown Johannesburg, and has served as a stage for various events known as the end of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup between Brazil and the United States. Its capacity has been restored and now stands at 55 686 spectators.
It was built in 1928 as a rugby stadium. Later it was demolished and rebuilt in 1982, again only to play the sport. His name is a tribute to JD Ellis, Councilman Johannesburg approved the use of a lot more than 5 hectares for the construction of a stadium.
This stadium was the scene of the final of the Rugby World Cup 1995, when the combined local beat New Zealand and sparked a national holiday. Undoubtedly, no one will forget the pictures of Nelson Mandela hugging the trophy on that occasion. In addition, Ellis Park has experienced many unforgettable football matches: Bafana Bafana managed a 1-1 draw with Argentina in 1995 and a 0-0 draw against France in 2000, the then champion of the FIFA World Cup. Both games were friendlies.
Another memorable event in this stadium was the conclusion of the match between Nelson Mandela's African Eleven and Eleven of the Star World, in honor of then outgoing President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela. Kalusha Bwalya, Mark Fish, Lucas Radebe and Tijani Babangida joined stars of the caliber of Rigoberto Song, Dunga, Luis Hernandez and Claudio Suarez to pay homage to a great head of state.


Soccer City Stadium
is not only one of the most artistic and inspirational headquarters of the African continent, but built to new, will be the stage for the opening match and final of the FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010.
Its design is inspired by the African branch known as calabash, whose aesthetic is seen in a wonderful evening. Soccer City is located southwest of Johannesburg, close to one of the most fanatical of football that exists in the region: Soweto, home to a percentage close to 40% of the population of Johannesburg.
Soccer City can be considered the cathedral of South African football. In the mid-1980s, several leaders of South African football clubs joined forces to build the first international football stadium in the country, which financed the construction of the football fraternity.
Soccer City hosted the first speech of Nelson Mandela mob after his release in 1990. In addition, thousands of people gathered at the stadium in 1993 to mourn the death of Chris Hani.In Soccer City also experienced the final of the African Cup of Nations in 1996, of which South Africa was proclaimed champion.
The original capacity of the stadium, known as FNB, was 80,000, but after the reforms envisaged its capacity has risen to 84 490 seats with the addition of a sunroof and new locker rooms.


Free State Stadium
Home to one of the most passionate groups of fans in the country, the Free State Stadium is destined to be the main focus of the FIFA World Cup. Aggiornamiento FIFA Confederations Cup, hosted the semi-final between Spain and the United States, which resulted in the victory of the noteamericanos more surprise in the outcome of the tournament.
During its renovation, the stadium capacity, which has been the scene of major football matches and rugby, the two great passions of the city of Bloemfontein, increased from 38,000 to nearly 41,000 spectators. It is worth mentioning that with the growth of Bloemfontein Celtic king of the sport's popularity has grown exponentially. His supporters are known as Siwelele, a word in Sotho language.



Mbombela Stadium
built specifically for the FIFA World Cup 2010, will give a major impetus to the Nelspruit football, as now the province of Mpumalanga has no stadium of international standard.
Mbombela is the name of the stadium and also the municipal corporation where it is located, which includes the city of Nelspruit. Mbombela is a Siswati name which literally means' many people together in a small place. "
The stadium will have a slightly curved rectangular shape, which will ensure good visibility from all seats.
The stadium will be approximately 7 miles from downtown and 12 km from Kruger-Mpumalanga airport. Its proximity to natural parks in the area will offer viewers the opportunity to get to see wild animals during the days of rest.
Mbombela Stadium, which is expected to be completed in October 2009, enjoy a total capacity of 40 929 locations.


Peter Mokaba Stadium
Peter Mokaba The new stadium was built beside the old man in Polokwane, Limpopo province.Located about five miles from downtown, now has a capacity of 41 733 spectators.
Named after one of the sons of the fight for the emancipation of South Africa against apartheid, the stadium has a historical importance for the country. Peter Mokaba was born in Polokwane and was renowned for his fighting spirit and leadership.
The shape of this mass of concrete was inspired by a local icon, the Baobab tree with a steel structure that holds the flat roof at each corner, supported also by other structures for vertical movement through ramps as well as The location of the different service areas.


Royal Bafokeng Stadium
Royal Bafokeng is one of the stadiums chosen to celebrate the FIFA World Cup 2010. The stadium's name derives from the Bafokeng people who live in the region.
In 1999, the Bafokeng won a legal battle to claim ownership of 20% of platinum is extracted from the mines located in the province. Hence, owning shares in the platinum mines that exist in the region.
When remodeling is completed, the stadium available for seating 38 646.
South Africa played in the selection room for a qualifying match for FIFA World Cup against Burkina Faso in 2001, and won 2-1. Also, the stadium has hosted numerous parties in the Premier Soccer League, despite Rustenburg not have its own team.
The stadium is only 25 minutes drive from Sun City, Pilanesberg and 30 minutes. It is located 12 kilometers from the city of Rustenburg.



Loftus Versfeld Stadium
located in the heart of Pretoria, currently has a capacity close to 43,000 seats. It is one of the oldest stadiums in the country. The site currently ranks first used for sports in 1903, and there they built the first concrete structure that could accommodate 2,000 spectators in 1923.
Has undergone periodic renovations since 1948 so you need a few tweaks to putting them ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2010.
It was named after Robert Owen Loftus Versfeld, who is credited with the introduction of organized sport in Pretoria. It has been used to host numerous sporting events, among which are the Rugby World Cup 1995 and African Nations Cup 1996. He was also one of the venues for the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009, and currently is home to the club Mamelodi Sundowns and SuperSport United.

Climate


South Africa has a generally temperate climate, due in part to being surrounded by the Atlantic and Indian Oceans on three sides, by its location in the climatically milder southern hemisphere and due to the average elevation rising steadily towards the north (towards the equator) and further inland. Due to this varied topography and oceanic influence, a great variety of climatic zones exist.
The extreme southwest has a climate remarkably similar to that of the Mediterranean with wet winters and hot, dry summers, hosting the famous Fynbos Biome of grassland and thicket.
The Free State is particularly flat due to the fact that it lies centrally on the high plateau. North of the Vaal River, the Highveld becomes better watered and does not experience subtropical extremes of heat.
The high Drakensberg mountains, which form the south-eastern

Flora and fauna


South Africa is ranked sixth out of the world’s seventeen megadiverse countries
with more than 20,000 different plants, or about 10% of all the known species of plants on Earth
Vegetation becomes even more sparse towards the northwest due to low rainfall.
The Fynbos Biome, which makes up the majority of the area and plant life in the Cape floristic region, one of the six floral kingdoms, is located in a small region of the Western Cape and contains more than 9,000 of those species, making it among the richest regions on earth in terms of floral biodiversity.
There are around 130 different species of protea in South Africa.
While South Africa has a great wealth of flowering plants, only 1% of South Africa is forest, almost exclusively in the humid coastal plain of KwaZulu-Natal, where there are also areas of Southern Africa mangroves in river mouths.
Plantations of imported tree species are predominant, particularly the non-native eucalyptus and pine.
Numerous mammals are found in the bushveld including lions, leopards, white rhinos, blue wildebeest, kudus, impalas, hyenas, hippopotamus and giraffes.
South Africa houses many endemic species, among them the critically endangered Riverine Rabbit (Bunolagus monticullaris) in the Karoo

Religion


According to the 2001 national census, Christians accounted for 79.7% of the population.
Zion Christian (11.1%), Pentecostal (Charismatic) (8.2%), Roman Catholic (7.1%), Methodist (6.8%), Dutch Reformed (6.7%), Anglican (3.8%); members of other Christian churches accounted for another 36% of the population. Muslims accounted for 1.5% of the population, Hindus about 1.3%, and Judaism 0.2%. 15.1% had no religious affiliation, 2.3% were other and 1.4% were unspecified.
Other minority religions in South Africa are Sikhism, Jainism and Bahá'í Faith.

GASTRONOMY - FOOD AND BEVERAGES - TYPICAL FOOD

South Africa's cuisine is based especially on meats and seafood from the coastal area of the country.

The South African cuisine has its roots in English cooking, which was merged with the dishes and ingredients native to the region.

It also has origins in the black slaves who came from Asia.

Typical foods of South Africa are the bobotie, the sosaties and pudding.



Also enjoy African foods such as hard porridge with vegetables or gravy. These dishes are accompanied by highly seasoned and spicy sauces.

Other foods that can be enjoyed in restaurants and bars are: lobster, potjiekos or stew, kabobs, lemon, braai (barbecued meat), sausages and boerewors or chicken peri-peri.



As for seafood and shellfish you can eat oysters, prawns and sea fish such as the kabbeljou and kingklip.

The food of the locals or Afrikaners is popularly known as field boerekos or lunch.

Speaking of Resataurant and bars, they offer good food and cheap throughout the entire country.

Tips

Not included in the bill, in fact prohibited by law. But in general are usually left to porters, taxi drivers, waiters and cleaning staff a 10 to 15% of the total.

Native of South Africa Specials

Sosaties: are like kebab meat and hot sauce.


Potjiekos: a stew with vegetables and meat.


Braai: roast.


Bbotie: minced meat with hot sauce and spicy foods.


Biltong: dried and salted meat.


Boerewors sausages with spicy sauce.


Poetoepap: it is a pasta made with white corn and meat.



Drinks

South Africa is characterized by a rich and popular beer. The most consumed style lager is that it is "soft" and "light" (similar to glass). A common style is also the beer Umqombothi "home distillation.

In the country, also made very good sweet wines, white and red. Also fine liquors and spirits such as brandy and sherry.

The areas with the highest productivity of wines are Walker Bay, the Little Karroo and the Winelands (Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek).

Drinks if they are consumed in bars, restaurants and lounges are sold at authorized dealers 9-18 pm. Monday to Friday and from 9-13 pm. Saturdays.





Outside these hours only are available in supermarkets and the sale is just over 18 years.

Languages


South Africa has eleven official languages

The country also recognises eight unofficial languages

Many white South Africans also speak other European languages