World Cup Eve

Twas the night before World Cup and all through the land,

Not a creature was stirring, except for the hundreds of thousands of foreigners and locals waiting for the Cup to start...

Since Brazil won the right to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup in October of 2014, millions of people throughout the globe have been looking forward to it getting under way, and we're now just one day from kick off.

When hosts Brazil kick off against Croatia at 5pm tomorrow afternoon it will start a month long celebration of the biggest sport in the world and dominate news media the world over – hopefully for the right reasons.

It hasn't all been smooth sailing for the organisation of the big event, with many locals angry at the money being spent on building stadiums and infrastructure that may not benefit the citizens in the long run. There's been strikes, riots and plenty of public outcry from people who feel bullied by the world governing body, FIFA, who stand to make millions out of their showcase tournament, while the people of Brazil will be left to pick up the tab.

John Oliver's take on FIFA

There has also been problems and delays in building the stadiums, with one stadium partially collapsing in November of last year and some other installations still not completed.

While I've been fortunate to steer clear of any serious issues so far, I was a victim of the metro strike in Sao Paulo when I arrived in Brazil's largest city. With two of the lines closed, what should have been a straight forward journey to my hostel took over three hours and no fewer than six changes from bus to metro and back. Having travelled on the city's overcrowded system for a few days now it is hard to see how it will handle the extra capacity brought in by the World Cup.

One of Sao Paulo's busier metro stations

It may sound like the whole thing has become a bit of a downer, but I can tell you it's anything but. While there are certainly people not happy with how the World Cup has affected them, the overwhelming vibe in Rio and Sao Paulo (where I have been so far) has been positive.

There's a constant stream of people – both local and foreign – walking around the city in their chosen team's shirt, while throwing some friendly banter around. I personally, seem to have met every one of the thousands of Dutch fans that are in the country to see their country play against the Socceroos in Porto Alegre on the 18^th. Everywhere you go you see people in differing coloured shirts having a beer and a laugh with each other. I even appeared in a Brazilian national magazine alongside a bunch of fans from other countries – all just as stoked as each other to be here and share what is sure to be a once in a lifetime experience. If that can be maintained throughout the tournament itself, hopefully all of the problems will be forgotten.

Croatia fans in full voice in Sao Paulo ahead of their match against Brazil

That's not to say we should forget the plight of the locals who feel they've been left out. While in Sao Paulo, I've been fortunate enough to stay with an NGO that has decided to boost their fund-raising by renting out some of the rooms in the house their volunteers and staff share. As part of my stay here, I was able to visit the school in a nearby favela where children who would otherwise be doing nothing on the streets are able to take part in various fun and educational activities. Seeing where these kids come from, and how they can thrive when given the chance, opens the eyes of travelling gringos like me and others who will be coming through over the next month. If we can help support organisations like this that do amazing work, as well as spend our money at local establishments and stores, then maybe we can help leave something good behind for the people of Brazil.

Many nationalities coming together for the cup

Ok, so it may seem like I'm clutching at straws but here's the thing: We all want this to be a great thing. The hundreds of thousands of foreigners that are anticipating that kick off tomorrow are all coming with the expectation of this being a trip of a lifetime, and for most it will be. While we may not be able to do much about the negative side of the Cup, all we can do is do our best and try not to dwell on it. We are, after all, here for football, not to make the world a better place.

It would just be nice if we could at least not make it a worse place.  

Bring on the football! 

Previous World Cup coverage on Long Road To Rio 

Confessions of a convert - June 8

Arriving in Rio - June 4

World Cup Fever - May 4

Preparing to invade Brazil - December 10 

My Addiction - December 4

That Goal - July 23

Arriving in Rio - The Perfect Travel Week

In the last seven days I've had possibly the perfect travel week. I visited Machu Picchu in Peru, Iguazu Falls in Argentina and Brazil and “Christ the Redeemer” in Rio De Janeiro. All three of these appear on at least one of the “Seven Wonders of the World” lists and are all just as amazing as advertised.

Machu Picchu

Oh, and I also picked up my tickets for all three of Australia's group matches at the World Cup. 

I found out the night before boarding the flight that tickets could be picked up from Rio Airport, and from that moment I decided it would be my first task as soon I stepped off the plane. 

Turning up at the ticket booth I was expecting a large wait, but found myself the only person there and proceeded to pick up my tickets (from some quite nervous staff, suggesting maybe not many people had been through at all yet) before being interviewed by Chilean TV about my experience - as well as some gentle banter about our upcoming game the 13th. I've since been a part of another interview, this time for a Brazilian weekly magazine.

Shortly after picking up my tickets at Rio Airport

If this wasn't the perfect travel week, it was pretty close.

Ok, so the idea of “perfection” is highly objective and not really possible, but I've got to say from a purely tourist perspective, this has been the best week of travel of my life.

Iguazu Falls

When you're spending a long time on the road, you tend to space out such awe inspiring attractions and rarely get to see so many of them in quick succession, but sometimes it just works out, well, perfectly.

I hear what you're saying though, given my blog is called Long Road To Rio, surely arriving in Rio means its the end. This is far from the truth, however, as arriving in Rio is merely the beginning of what is set to be one of the biggest parties the world has ever seen.

Clearly though, I should have come up with a better name for the blog.

Rio is this awesome

Things are just getting more and more exciting in Rio (and Brazil as a whole) as the Cup edges nearer. Virtually every other foreigner you meet now is going to be attending the matches, or at least hoping to soak up some of the atmosphere while cheering their favourite teams on from the dedicated fan zones.

While it's hard to imagine any week topping this last one on this trip, if the World Cup all goes well then this will surely be one of the most exciting months of my life.

And if Australia can win a game it may even be, for lack of better word, perfect. 

How Old is Too Old?

Central America is a great place to be for people who are fans on adventure sports. In the last few weeks I've jumped off waterfalls, slid down volcano on a plank of wood attempted to learn to surf – yeah I'm the Australian guy who never surfed.

Ready for Volcano Boarding at Cerro Negro

As is typical, I did all these things with various people I met along the way, all of whom had two things in common. The first is that they were generally more adventurous than I was. They were willing to jump off the higher waterfall or go faster down the volcano, while I've oft used the phrase, I'm too old to die doing something stupid. Which brings me to the second point; that they were all much younger than me.

I've gotten to an age now that whenever I meet new people in a hostel I'm the oldest one in the group 99% of the time. And much of the time it's not even close. In recent months I've hung out with people who didn't know who David Bowie was. Or the Doors. People who only know Ed O'Neil as the family patriarch in Modern Family. These people were born when I was close to finishing high school, and are now taking gap years before they start the rest of their lives. If they're anything like me, that may take a while. These kids are so young, I may have even felt old when I started travelling ten years ago.

Jumping from waterfalls in El Salvador - and no I didn't do this one

The question has to be asked have I gotten too old for backpacking? When should I stop travelling for long periods in hostels and cheap buses and replace them with luxury vacations sitting next to a pool at a resort?

The majority of my friends – both back home and others I've met along the way - have good jobs, houses (or at least mortgages) and are starting families. Some are even onto their second marriages. After two previous long trips away, I kind of expected that I'd be joining them soon too, but for the moment I've been getting home only to realise that I'm not ready for all of that – and may never be.

One thing I do want to avoid though, is becoming one of those crusty old guys you always see in the hostel. You know the one. They’re generally in their 50’s, bald and smelly, banging on about how “you kids these days have it so easy. When I was your age, I walked for 3 days across four borders while being chased by armed militia. And you think you’re travellers?!”

Am I the first Aussie to have their first surfing lesson in another country?

I'm sure there's going to be a time when I feel too old for this, and the negative aspects of backpacking (listening to other people, erm, enjoy each others company in the dorm - which has happened three times on this trip so far being one) outweigh the positives. 

For now though, I'm going  by the adage, you're only as old as you feel. And with very little money, responsibilities or plans for the future beyond the FIFA World Cup in Brazil in 2 months time, I'm feeling pretty young! 

Preparing to Invade Brazil

The moment much of the world had been waiting for came and went last week, with the FIFA World Cup 2014 Final Draw taking place on Friday.

World Cup Draw

Well, that went well.

Spain, Chile and the Netherlands. You could hardly have feared a worse group for the Socceroos to face on the worlds biggest stage. Sure, Australia were always going to be a bit of a long shot to win the prize – or even make it out of the group stage – however the draw they've been given means that even getting a single point out of the tournament may be beyond their grasp.

Not only are Australia facing the defending champions in Spain, they're also facing the runner up from 2010. Add to that one of South America's local powers, and Ange Postecoglou and his men are really up against it.

While one could dwell on the negatives of the draw and wallow in our own self pity, I'm choosing to look forward. This will likely be the one and only FIFA World Cup I ever attend, unless Australia ever wins the rights to host, so therefore I'm going to make the most of it. Sure, Australia will likely end up putting in results similar to their effort against Germany in 2010, but at least there's no real way they can underachieve. Anything north of slaughter will be positive. And as I've just submitted my request for tickets for the group games, I'll (hopefully) be able to see some of the best players and teams in the world.

World Cup 2010: Germany 4 - Australia 0

The other positive, is that I get to go and discover some new cities, with Australia's matches being outside of the major centres of Rio and Sao Paulo. I know nothing about the three cities Australia is due to play in – Cuiaba, Porto Alegre and Curitaba – but I'm going to make it a point over the next few months to learn what I can about these cities where Australia will go into battle, and hopefully help out any fellow Aussies travelling to support our boys.

All of the info below is just what I've been able to find online so if you have any more details on any of these cities, please feel free to let me know in the comments and I'll post an updated blog closer to the tournament. Accommodation is going to be a major stumbling block for many of us, so if anyone has any tips on this, please let us all know!

Match 4: Australia V Chile – June 13 @ 18:00

Cuiaba, Mato Grosso

Australia will kick off their campaign against one of South America's big hopes, Chile, who will likely bring with them thousands of dedicated fans, so it is going to be important for as many Australians as possible to be there to support our boys.

Cuiaba, a city of around a million, is the capital of Mato Grosso state, and is located ideally between the southern tip of the Amazon and the Pantanal which is known for being a great place to see some local wildlife.

To get there by bus from Rio is around 32 hours, so a flight would be preferable, however its looking like flights will be difficult to come by and very expensive – so perhaps settle in for a couple of long bus rides.

FIFA TV Documentary on Cuiaba

Match 20: Australia V The Netherlands – June 18 @ 13:00

Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul

This city of 1.5 Million and the capital of the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul sees the Socceroos go up against 2010 runners up Holland. The Dutch are perenial contenders and will be tough to get any points out of, however Australia has a couple of players who ply their trade in the Dutch system, and will be looking forward to having a crack at players they regularly compete with and against.

The city is another long haul, 24 hours from Rio, however it is only 12 hours on a bus from Uruguay's capital of Montivideo, so it may be worth crossing into the country of the Socceroos' traditional South American nemesis for a few days if you're lucky enough to get tickets to this game.

FIFATV Doco on Porto Alegre

Match 35; Australia V Spain – June 23 @ 13:00

Curitiba, Parana

Spain has taken all before them for the last several years and will once again go into this tournament as one of the hot favourites. The city of Curitiba will provide an extra dimension to this one, being over 3000 feet above sea level – something neither side will be at all used to. This host city, of a little under two million residents – is also the closest to Rio, with just a 13 hour bus ride.

It may be after this match that many Australians start their exodus from Brazil, so it is worth noting that Buenos Aires (Argentina) is 34 hours away on a bus, while Santiago, with its daily QANTAS flights to Sydney is 54 hours away.

FIFATV Story on Curitiba

While the chances of us making it further in the tournament do look bleak, remember how happy we are just to be there. Sure, we want to put in a good showing, but as long our boys gives us some effort and something to cheer for (and we all find somewhere to sleep) this could be the trip of a lifetime.

The Josh Kennedy goal that had us all celebrating

There are plenty of tour companies, such as the Green & Gold Army and the Fanatics who do a great job and are running packages for Australians to go to all of our group games, however I'm hoping to find some more info for people like myself who hope to do it independently and on a budget. For those Aussies still looking to register for tickets, you've got plenty of time, and should log onto Football Australia or go to the official home of FIFA.

Once again, please feel free to contribute any information you have about Australia's three host cities, or any other details you think the travelling fans might appreciate. Or just let me know if you're going too and we can help each other out. I'll submit an updated info blog closer to the date. 

See you in Brazil! 

My Addiction

My name is Steve Cram, and I'm a live sports addict.

Sure, this is probably not news to anyone who actually reads my blog ever – I am taking a year off to slowly make my way towards the FIFA World Cup in Brazil in June – but it is fair to say its bigger than any one sport.

With friends at the Socceroos second last qualifier Vs Jordan

My addiction probably started when I was 13 years old and my dad took me to see the Melbourne Tigers (Australian basketball, NBL) back when basketball was actually popular in Australia. The addiction soon took hold and we went on to become season ticket holders for the next 12 years. This, combined with dozens of Australian Football League games as well as NRL, Super Rugby, A-League, cricket and Tennis matches I've attended over the years, meant that there was scarcely ever a week that went by without me going to see some live sport.

With 90,000 other people watching Liverpool 

Recently though, I've combined live sport with my other major addiction, travel and things have started to get out of hand. In the last few years I've been lucky enough to attend sporting events in countries all over the world. I attended a Premier League Football game in London as well as an international friendly in Edinburgh. I've seen cricket in India, (ice) hockey in the Czech Republic and basketball in Lithuania, as well as being fortunate enough to work at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

The Olympics rings at Whistler Village, 2010

Its in the US and Canada though that I've attended the most live sporting events. Living in Canada one soon learns that, much like Aussie Rules Football in Australia, if you're not into hockey, you're considered something of an outcast. Luckily its a great sport and I became a big fan almost straight away. I also recently attended my first NFL game, getting to see the New York Giants . Sitting in that crowd of 80,000 people you could see that, while the world game is at the top of the pile in most countries, in the USA, their own version of football is king.

My first NFL game, meaning I've been to all four major league sports in North America

Where my addiction is most obvious though, is still with basketball. Since attending my first NBA game in New York City at Madison Square Garden in 2009, I've been to 21 more games. I don't even want to start to think about how much money I've spent on tickets as well as overpriced food and beer. But its been worth it.

Of the 22 NBA games I've been to, eight have been at the ACC to watch the Raptors

The most recent game I attended saw the two time defending champion Miami Heat hosting the Charlotte Bobcats. I was a bit late getting to the stadium and the cheapest walk up ticket available was for $108. Its time like this I really have to tell myself I'm here for a good time not a long time. The game turned out to be an absolute classic with the crowd among the loudest I've ever heard. Its just that kind of atmosphere that keeps me going from city to city watching NBA games – I've now been to games in 15 of the league's 29 stadiums and seen 23 of the 30 teams play. I sure don't want to pay $108 each time to go to a game, but I've never regretted it when I have.

Miami Heat crowd goes nuts at Chris Bosh hits his third straight three

A week or so ago I was lucky enough to meet former Australian men's basketball head coach Brett Brown in a cafe in Orlando. Brown has this season taken over the head coaching role at the Philadelphia 76ers and was in town for his team's game against the Magic. Having an Australian connection has certainly helped keep my love of the NBA going, and earlier on this trip I was able to see Brown coach against the San Antonio Spurs, featuring two Aussie players - Patty Mills and Aron Baynes.

Supporting the Aussies in the NBA

While basketball is my first love, my attention now turns back to the world game, with the final draw for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil coming up this weekend. The draw will decide which three teams Australia has to face in the group stage and will soon lead to deciding when and where these games will be played. My aim is to get to all three of the Socceroos group matches, so this weekend is a very important one for deciding where I will be in June.

I'm hoping to see Australia grouped with Switzerland, Algeria and Bosnia - a group that I think will make it repetitively easy to get tickets - but I'm just happy for the next stage of the event to be coming up.

Who else is sweating on the World Cup Draw? Who do you want to see Australia (or your country) be drawn against? 

That Goal

When Josh Kennedy scored that goal against Iraq last month, it completed the Socceroos quest to qualify for the World Cup and started their preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

That Goal

It also set up my next 12 months as I travel all the way to Rio to support the Aussie team – and I'm going the long way.

With a round-the-world air ticket in my hand, I'll be jetting off to Asia, Europe and North America before eventually heading down through Central and South America and finally arriving in Brazil.

Getting ready to watch the Socceroos Cup qualifier against Jordan

The World Cup is the biggest event in the world and what better place to check it out than in Brazil? With their love of football and and partying, next years event is shaping to be the biggest party of all time – and I have to be a part of that. I've dedicated the last eight years of my life to travelling the globe and getting to big events, and this will be the biggest event of them all.

One of my biggest regrets in travelling was missing the 2006 World Cup in Germany while I was living in Edinburgh, Scotland. Why didn't I go? To this day I still cant answer that question. This is my chance to make up for that in the best way possible.

Inside the Olympic Rings at Whistler Village in 2010

Making up for a past fail is something I've done before too. After failing to be a part of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, I made a point of travelling to Canada to be part of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver – getting myself a job on Whistler mountain and fulfilling a dream.

Over the next year I'll be travelling to 20+ countries, taking in culture, sport, cuisine and meeting some new friends. While some things will focus on the World Cup – like travelling to Spain to see the Cup in the country that currently holds it – it's mostly going to be about the journey to get there, and the people and places I come across along the way.

I look forward to sharing it all with anyone who is interested, and also hearing any suggestions and feedback. 

While I'm not taking the most direct way to the World Cup, I think its going to be the most fun.