The spirit of South Africa

Follow Dan Wetzel on Twitter at @DanWetzel

CAPE TOWN, South Africa – Among the undeniable truths which become clear after spending weeks in Africa for the World Cup:

1. These are some tough people.

2. They really love to have fun and, right now, soccer is the most fun thing going.

And so we introduce Maurice Meyer, a 32-year-old businessman who was listening to the radio while driving around the city of Pretoria this week. The DJs were offering a contest that promised a VIP ticket to the World Cup final to anyone willing to do the craziest thing. Meyer was unimpressed with the acts callers were offering – get the station’s logo as a tattoo, receive a private waxing, etc.

“I heard of the competition over the radio and I thought to myself, ‘No, man, these guys’ stories are all lame,’ ” Meyer told The Associated Press.

“[They] sounded half-baked,” he told the Beeld newspaper. “I thought: Why not swim in a river known for crocodiles and hippos?”

Well, perhaps because crocodiles eat humans?

Oh, and the river he chose isn’t just known for having a few crocodiles. It’s actually named the Crocodile River.

It flows northwest from Johannesburg. Rivers don’t get named last week, so even hundreds of years ago, humans thought it was imperative to call it something that would forever serve as a warning to one and all to not swim, boat or even stand casually on its banks in light of the killer reptiles in the water.

To add to the drama, Meyer brought his wife, Nicole (she would have to earn her own ticket to the game). And they promised to cross the river both ways – coming back, they would cling to a rope to deal with the swift currents.

This is perhaps the single best example I can offer of what it meant to stage the World Cup in South Africa. It’s a raw, wild place that, at the same time, embraces a fun-loving side. And it’s full of men and women who figure taunting crocodiles is a rush. It’s both civilized and uncivilized at the exact same time – a mix that often works perfectly.

On the video, Maurice swims across quickly – or as anyone would if they thought crocodile teeth might be snapping right behind them. Upon reaching a large rock on the other side, he implores Nicole to jump in. It takes awhile (face it, women are smarter). She actually hesitates and gives final contemplation to the lunacy of this act.

After a number of “1-2-3 jump!” encouragements, Nicole darts across the river like Michael Phelps.

“My wife swam a lot faster than me,” Maurice noted to the AP.

Maurice pulled her out of the water and they shared a long hug. Don’t say romance is dead in Africa.

The more difficult part was coming back. It took longer to swim against the current, with Maurice actually struggling longer than Nicole.

Neither reported seeing a crocodile, although no one can really tell if any were around. They may have just been full. All limbs were still attached, which is the most important thing.

Incredibly, the Meyers did this without a guarantee they’d even win. And they won’t. The radio station considered their feat too dangerous and refused to endorse it. The station did link the YouTube videos on its website, though. The winner of the contest is expected to be announced later this week.

Filming this adventure was Maurice’s brother, Gert, who held a video camera in one hand and a gun in the other – just in case “something happened.”

This means the “security” plan was if one of the Meyers was chomped by a croc and the two were splashing around in a fast-moving river, the brother would try to fire a perfect shot, killing the reptile but not the human.

Good luck with that.

“I don’t know if he was going to put me out of my misery or if he was going to shoot a crocodile or something,” Meyer joked.

The jokes are the best part of South Africa. Everyone is a comedian here. Life isn’t simple in this country. It’s not really first world and parts are certainly third. Nothing surprises anyone, apparently.

I was being driven to the airport in Johannesburg last month when we came upon a wild grass fire burning along the side of the highway. This was no small fire. It was a huge blaze (by United States standards), with billows of smoke pouring across the road. The guy driving me was telling a story and drove through the smoke without missing a word. He never even looked at the wildfire – it’s just everyday life.

So in a place where the earth burning doesn’t cause a second glance and the political, social and economic structure is under such intense strain, importance is still placed on enjoying every moment, of challenging yourself and others.

Whether it’s watching a sunset from a Durban coastline or cage-diving with great white sharks in the waters of Gansbaai or cozying up to a lion in a park near Johannesburg or convincing your wife to swim with the crocs for a soccer ticket, it’s beautiful, it’s daring, it’s nuts and, in the end, it’s about having a lot of laughs. (Can you believe we did that, mate?)

Or consider this: Meyer so wanted to go to the World Cup final that he pulled off this stunt, and yet a month ago he wasn’t even a soccer fan. He supported rugby.

“But I have become a football lover since the World Cup,” he told the AP.

Enough to dare a river full of crocodiles to have him for lunch. It’s South Africa – like no place on earth.