Durban, South Africa - Soaring Soccer Stadium - Feb 14

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!. Durban is a city of 3.5 million, 2nd largest in South Africa. It lies on the Indian Ocean and is long known for its white sandy beaches that are warmed by the Mozambique current carrying equatorial waters south. The water temperature was 80° but today there was a swimming ban due to dangerous rip tides and undertow.

Joani and I taxied to the Ushaka Marine World complex at the south end of the "Golden Mile" of Durban beaches. We walked the mosaic-tiled Boardwalk for three miles ("Golden Mile" and "Boardwalk" being figurative terms) to the futuristic Moses Mabhida Stadium, which might make even Jerry Jones jealous. Built when South Africa hosted the 2010 World Cup, it features a load-bearing arch that soars over the stadium and supports the partial roof (all the seats are covered but there is a rectangular opening directly over the pitch) with suspended cables:

The 65,000 seat stadium was built with a tram that climbs the arch to an observation deck perched at the apex and overlooking the city:

Here is a short video taken while we were riding the tram to the top:

Here is Joani on the observation deck. All the women were given a red rose for Valentine's Day and at the top we were all served a flute of fruit juice:

Here is a video riding down the arch from the observation deck:

Here you can see the tram docked on top of the stadium at the observation deck:

Here's a final picture taken from up top showing Durban, its beaches and the breaking surf. The white buildings to the bottem left in the photo are Durban's casino complex, another major tourist attraction: 

We took a local bus back to the Ushaka Marine World complex to do some shopping and then taxied to the ship. Tomorrow we visit a Zulu cultral heritage village from our stop in Richard's Bay before we say good-bye to South Africa.