Victory Gloating

I'm one of the only guys in my office that likes the Boca Juniors, even though they're one of the most popular soccer teams in Argentina. But before I go any deeper into this, let me just clarify that I have to like one team, so I like the Boca Juniors because my mom got me their jersey when she was here a few years ago. I didn't even know who they were when she gave me the shirt, and it sat in my closet for a few years. So I'm not exactly a real fan.

On Sunday night a big rivalry game between Boca and San Lorenzo was played. San Lorenzo is another popular team, and this was a big game. A couple of my coworkers are San Lorenzo fans, and one of them is always talking about San Lorenzo. They never cease to bust my chops about liking Boca, but I don't mind and if anything, it makes me feel like I fit in a little better. I watched the entire game because I knew I'd have to talk about it today. Boca won 2-0, and of course when both goals were scored I was looking away from the TV.

Sure enough, first thing in the morning when my coworker comes into the office and says hello, I can see the little embarrassed-don't say anything face. A huge grin breaks across my face and he starts to laugh, saying "What are you smiling at?" "How'd the game go last night?" I ask. And for the rest of the day we bust his chops, and we're all laughing about it. I feel like one of the guys today, and it reminds me of back home with a group of buddies making fun of someone else for liking a different team or player. It reminds me of just being a normal guy instead of the foreigner.

Despite the fact that Boca is having a lousy year, San Lorenzo is probably better this season, and a Boca loss later in the week will get me just as much mocking, for today I'm able to strut around and gloat about the big win on Sunday. And I don't even know anything about this sport.

Bike Tour on the Day Off

Today was a holiday in Argentina, and though I'm not exactly sure what it was for, I think it had something to do with the Virgin or something or other. I'm not complaining, as it was the perfect way to break up the week and make up for not getting Thanksgiving off while everyone in the States was enjoying themselves. To make things better, the weather was perfect today.

If you recall any mention at all through Twitter, I was supposed to go on a Bike Tour on Saturday afternoon, but the event was washed out. I was instead placed on 9:30 am tour this morning. I wasn't crazy about the idea of waking up at the same time as usual for work on my day off, but at least I was doing something active and worthwhile, rather than sleeping in and doing nothing interesting.

To kick things off last night, I went with my friend Clint and his girlfriend to La Bomba de Tiempo, which is a pretty popular drum circle in Abasto every Monday night. I'd gone to this earlier in October when it was some kind of special event on a Saturday, going into the wee hours of the morning. I wasn't that impressed with it then, and my thoughts on it were only solidified last night.

Maybe it's because I'd rather hear other instruments instead of only drums and bongos, but it just seems like most of the people there are phonies. It seems like it should be something cool to do, which explains why I heard more English from tourists rather than Spanish from locals. But I get the feeling you have to be on some drugs or really drunk to enjoy it. Not drinking all all in preparation for the GRE on Saturday, I was hardly impressed, and once the crowd started a mosh pit, we decided it was time to step outside for some air.

We spent the rest of the time outside, and once the show was over went home. I woke up to clear blue skies, and though it was a bit chilly, finally got outside in just a t-shirt and shorts. The other tourists met up at the statue in Plaza San Martín, and once everything was figured out, our small group split off for the "Different Buenos Aires" tour. With two Brazilians, a German woman, and our guide Javier, we went through the other sights of Buenos Aires that I mostly knew well by now.

Our first stop was down through Puerto Madero, where the early hours of a holiday left us with nearly free reign through the port. I was familiar with the area, but it was still interesting to hear some of the stories behind it. We moved on to the Ecological Reserve, where I had yet to explore. It was pretty unimpressive if you've been to some beautiful places in the world. It's basically just a loop around a swamp that is good for biking or running. As the afternoon was pushing on, it was basically shirtless old man running slowly heaven. Though it wasn't the nicest place I've ever been, I can definitely see how it's a welcome relief after seeing nothing but concrete in the city center for a few months.

We continued on through La Boca, and I got to see other parts of the neighborhood where I spent my first month in this city. Again, though people talk about how dangerous La Boca is, compared to other places I've been in the world, it's not that scary, especially during daylight hours. We stopped at El Caminito for 20 minutes and I sat with the Brazilians as they had a drink. It was an odd conversation, in an itinerant mix of Portuguese, Spanish, and English. The boyfriend would say something in Portuguese and I'd either kind of understand or not, and his girlfriend would then translate in limited but well spoken English. Then I'd reply in Spanish and they'd both understand, or we'd go to English for a moment. It had no rhyme or rhythm.

Back on the bikes we quickly zoomed through San Telmo and up to the Microcentro, back to Plaza San Martín where we'd started. It was now 1:30 pm, and though it was hotter, it was still perfect temperature with low humidity, a rarity here. I went home to make a sandwich, and took a draining nap for about an hour. Once back on my feet, I headed up to Palermo to read and study in a park for a bit. The day was still going strong, and the area was filled with families on picnics.

Though the scene made me miss my time with friends and family, it was still a good day off and a pretty comprehensive day, covering many parts of the city. That beats a day at the office.

Above: Ecological Reserve, La Bombonera, Puente de la Mujer

How I Got To See the Boca Juniors Play River Plate for Free

1 de 7

Palermo, ya sin máscara, puso el empate. (Canal 7)

Another beautiful Sunday mostly wasted with fatigue and watching football. But this Sunday was sightly different because of two types of football. The Patriots were playing the Buccaneers in London, but I had to leave that game at half time to watch the Superclasico, Boca Juniors vs. River Plate, in a bar. Boca and River are historically two huge rivals in Argentinian soccer, and have always been the top of the league both in talent and passionate fans. The Superclasico happens but twice a year, and as one of the most desired games to see in the world, tickets are extremely expensive.

I thought about getting tickets, but was quoted $300 ARG, which is way out of my league, so my plan was to just go to a restaurant/bar near my house and watch alone. The two most internationally marketed teams from Argentina, Boca and River always draw a crowd, so even trying to scalp tickets would be pointless. I like Boca, if for no other reason then because my mom once bought me their jersey, and you have to like someone. However, this is tricky because they are kind of like the New York Yankees in that people across the world who know nothing of the sport will know Boca, yet they are the team of the people.

I sat down at a table in front of an elevated 13 inch TV at a pizza shop off of Avenida 9 de Julio and ordered a Coke. Behind me I heard a couple speaking English, and I thought they were American. Typically, I don't bother to speak to people when I hear English. But for one reason or another, I thought what the hell, that I'd rather make a couple friends for the game. It turns out they were from Ireland, so apparently I can't even remember the accent of my people.

After a quick introduction the man told me that they had tickets to the game, $200 pesos a pop, but the subways weren't working so they decided not to go. I quickly told him that the subways were in fact running and that they should get to the stadium as soon as possible or at least sell them in the street. I talked to the waiter to find out how they could get there quickly and explained the situation, so he confirmed that the subways were running.

Suddenly, the boyfriend whose name was Jamie, was interested again in trying. They had two options, either sit at this pizza shop and watch the full game, or get to the stadium as soon as possible and most likely miss the first half, but get to witness one of the best sporting events on earth. The girlfriend had already lost interest and asked me if I wanted to go, but I told her I couldn't afford it. But she knew her boyfriend wanted to go, and graciously gave me her ticket. I was a bit in shock, but I quickly paid the waiter for the half drunken Coke as he smiled happily for me, and Jamie and I were off.

1 de 7

Palermo, ya sin máscara, puso el empate. (Canal 7)

We had to get far uptown and the game was starting as we walked to the subway, which was open. My legs were killing me from the race yesterday, and a sharp pain in my hip shot with every step, but we moved on getting to know each other. We took the D Line to the end and then walked about 15 minutes, following the sound of cheers as River Plate scored. We knew it was River who scored because it was their turf.

The size of the stadium was impressive from the outside as we approached, three times being told to go to a different gate. We had general seats, and couldn't go in wherever we wanted. Ultimately, we had to walk around half the stadium, then climb up a series of steps which for some reason reminded me of going to a game at Shea Stadium when I was 6. The Mets were playing the Pirates, and Barry Bonds hit the game winning home run in the top of the 11th inning, but I never saw it because my mom got bored and made us leave in the 10th. But I mainly remember walking down those ramps for what seemed like hours.

On cue, we arrived at halftime, watching as some fans cooled off in the gates' shade. We picked a spot out on the steps and walked into the Coliseum in Rome. A sold out event, with 3/4 of the stadium in red and white, 1/4 in blue and yellow. We were near the "fan" section, and the drums were blasting proudly, the passionate songs be yelled from every lung. All over us people were handing out newspapers and shredding them up. Jamie's theory was it had something to do with Maradona basically telling the press to go to hell. But I thought it was to create a ticket tape display. It turns out I was right.

Once the players came back on the field everyone released the newspaper at once. It was storm of white shreds that lasted for 5 minutes as the wind blew southward, and everyone was covered in it. Once or twice a thick section which was never shredded would hit you in the head, but that was par for the course. As it all rained down, it reminded me of a scene from "Gladiator," with the rose petals floating down as Russell Crowe enters the arena. This was the Roman Empire, and we were watching gladiators. There is a lot of Italian influence in Argentina, after all.

I may have been impressed with the playing of the game but as soon as the half started people stood up on top of balcony in front of us with maybe a foot of room before death, blocking our view of the goal. It was 1-0 River, and the crowd was livid, wanting more. My attention spanned from glimpses of the field to just watching the crowd, which I found more interesting than the actual game. Tattoos everywhere, shirtless and toothless men screaming obscenities that not only implied the worst of things for the receiver, but also seemed to rhyme. The mostly male crowd bleated out numerous cheers that they no doubt memorized long ago without the aid of a lyric sheet, while I simply tried to blend in by waving my hands around. I'm a Boca fan, but no way would I ever show it there. Otherwise you'd be reading my obituary.

I couldn't see it, but suddenly the crowd went silent except for the Boca section, and Boca players jumped with joy. It was now 1-1, but instead of getting upset, the River fans cheered louder. The stadium shook. And eventually the game ended in a tie, with not much else interesting happening. Jamie and I went to leave but were blocked by a line of riot police. The Boca fans were being let out first, and to prevent a riot River fans had to wait. But in a display of total disrespect and guile, the Boca fans stayed in their place cheering. They knew the longer they stayed, the long we would, but they would still get out first. You had to hand it to them, it was clever.

We stood there waiting to leave for about as long as we'd actually seen the game, with more and more people shouting slurs at the Boca fans and getting less patient with the police, but they had to wait until all of the Boca fans were gone. Once the police moved away it was like a dam broke, and the flow pushed us to the stairs and into the street. Once back in the center I said a goodbye to Jamie and wished him luck. He and his girlfriend have been traveling through South America for a few months and tomorrow leave to try out a year in Sydney, Australia. I'm glad they stayed here another day, which allowed me to get to see one of the most talked about games you can see.

Above: Photos courtesy of Clarin

Day Trip to Colonia, Uruguay and More

With my friend Kristine visiting Buenos Aires, I've been spending long days bouncing from interviews and sight seeing in the capitol. But with the weekend we have found more opportunity to simply tour without the added stress of worrying about finding a job, though that thought is always there with me. After an interview on Friday we checked out Puerto Madero, which is continuing to be built up and reminded us both of the seaport by Baltimore. We wound up doing so much walking that I was quickly exhausted, especially after a long week, so after getting Kristine settled into a hostel and getting a steak dinner with some wine, we called it a night.

Our plan for Saturday was to take a day trip to Colonia, Uruguay, a small beach town that is accessible from Buenos Aires by ferry, either taking 1 hour or 3 hours, depending on how much you pay. We elected to take 3 hours going and 1 hour back, giving us the most time there. At the hostel Kristine was sharing a room with a Spanish girl named Iris, and she decided to join us for the day. As it would later turn out, Iris was from Sevilla, where I studied abroad, went to the same university as me at the same time, and worked at the Internet cafe across from my old house that I went to all the time. I probably saw a lot of her, but never knew it. We even knew some of the same people.

I woke up at 6:15 am Saturday, and after showering and dressing headed over to the hostel to meet the girls. Getting to the bus which took us to Puerto Madero, we went with BuqueBus, a company that runs ferry service. We hadn't reserved our tickets, but in higher season it's probably smart to do so. The terminal was like an airport, and we had to go through customs and those with bags had to check them. The trip was relaxed as we laid out on the top deck, taking in all the sun in a day without clouds. It has been hot in the last week, and despite that it's still winter and rain is on the way tonight to bring back the cold, it reached over 80* a few times this week. As it would happen, I got burned yesterday, continuing my tradition of getting burned no matter where I go or when I go.

Between the napping and discussing things the time went by and we soon saw Uruguay in the distance. This was going to be my second time in the small country, but visiting a new town. After arriving in Colonia, we oriented ourselves and found it to be a very small but peaceful beach town. With sleepy streets lined with trees, you got the feel of a small town where everyone knows each other. It's listed as a suburb of Buenos Aires even though it's in the country over, split by the Rio de la Plata. It was now past noon and we were hungry, so we changed $50 Argentinian pesos to $250 Uruguayan pesos and wound up spending it all on a big lunch which we all split.

Well fed, we spent the next few hours walking around the town, taking pictures, and in my case burning. As usual, I lacked sun block and a hat. One thing we noticed were the antique cars. Colonia has (apparently) almost as many antique cars as Havana, Cuba, and many people can be driven around in them. Other tourists rented scooters or golf carts to see the town. But with such small ground to cover, it's really unnecessary unless you just don't like walking.

Later on we tried to figure out how it was possible to view the sunset on the water, obviously going directly west, when we were on the Atlantic. Arguing about it for a while, we finally found a map and saw that the Rio de la Plata is huge, and it wasn't the Atlantic after all, but rather just the river which spread all the way to the horizon and beyond. Again back on the ferry to Buenos Aires, we met back up for a very late dinner, not even getting to the restaurant until midnight, yet it was still packed. Argentinians eat late.

Every 29th of the month is a day for eating ñioci, an Italian potato dish. All restaurants and cafes will offer it for a cheaper price. The story goes that it dates back to maids and employees from the government, who wouldn't be paid until the first of the month. By the last day of the month they would have no money left and would eat the cheapest thing, that being ñioci. Now it's something you can order once a month. We went to the same restaurant as the night before and got a big dish for $10 pesos. Keep in mind that at the moment, $1 US Dollar equals about $3.85 Argentinian pesos.

Kristine and I were exhausted, but Iris insisted we go out for a drink, so we agreed and went out to a plaza in San Telmo, packed with young people and old folks alike. There we sat talking with Argentinians and French students until 4 am when we could take no more. The touring has taken a toll on me, and I need to take it easy, but there's still so much to see. So today we got a very late start, checked out the antique market in San Telmo, where everything in expensive. I was wearing a Boca Juniors soccer jersey and got a lot of attention for it. Mostly positive, but one man told me that I was white and looked rich, so I should be from Palermo (a neighborhood here) and not be a fan of Boca. Apparently Boca is the working class team and he thought I shouldn't be a fan. That was news to me, if he represents the general feeling. Anyway, I live in Boca, so my options are limited.

It was too hot and we had to change out of pants into short, taking up another hour, so we finally headed to the center to tour Recoleta, a fancy neighborhood. Exploring the cemetery with Evita Peron's grave, I was ready to collapse. Kristine and I spent some time sitting at a cafe, where she had her first taste of Mate tea. The plan tomorrow is to check out some of Boca and then Palermo before an interview in the late afternoon. On Tuesday night we are taking a long bus to Mendoza, where we'll tour wine country for a couple of days, then head to Córdoba. I'll probably head back to Buenos Aires at the end of the weekend, though Kristine might continue to tour some of the country on her own. It's a huge country with much to see.

Above: Images from Colonia, Uruguay: Antique car, Sunset on the Rio de la Plata, Downtown Colonia

Boca Juniors vs. Deportivo Cuenca

This is a few days behind, but I was gone over the weekend and had no access to the Internet. So, even though we've now had a few more interesting things happen, I'm going to start back in time and work up to present day. With that being said, here's the scoop on what happened with the highly anticipated Boca Juniors game.

On Thursday afternoon the city was abuzz with people heading down to the stadium to see the Argentinian club team play in Cuenca. It was expected that it would be a pretty tough game and that Boca would win easily, since they're one of the best teams in South America. I met up with a couple of people before going to the stadium but had to wait around outside before going in to give a ticket to my friend. Once inside, they texted me that it was going to be very hard to find seats in the Cuenca general section because it was already packed.

When my friend Lauren got in I told her that I was a little nervous going into the Cuenca section because I had a Boca Juniors jersey on. I was told I'd get beat up for wearing it in the general section. Even though I saw a good amount of people wearing the Cuenca shirts, I kept my jacket zippered up to avoid showing it. I stick out enough as it is. We went in and saw that there was plenty of room in the section cordoned off for the Boca fans. The section was protected by a line of police in riot gear, and when they saw my jersey under the jersey underneath my jacket, they let us right in.

With an hour and a half before game time it was already packed and getting rowdy. Surprisingly enough, there were a lot of Boca fans there, and soon the section was totally packed. A lot of people are simply Boca fans because they are a good team, the same way people jump on the bandwagon with the Yankees, or in recent years, the Red Sox. But there were also a lot of Argentinians there too.

Before the game started our friend Jamie somehow found us, and we all got on our feet for the kick off. We quickly learned the Boca chant, which was very easy but continued steadily for the entire game. The girls had no plans of sitting in the Boca section, but they warmed up to it soon enough. The first half was uneventful, but exciting nonetheless because of the crowd. I've come to realize that soccer is made so much better by being there with the crowd and drinking beer. It's really enjoyable with those two things.

At half time I tried to get more beer but the cops wouldn't let me leave the section, saying they'd kill me with my jersey on. Instead we'd have to wait for a vendor to come around, even though they were quite infrequent. Eventually the girls were able to find some beers because they had no jerseys.

The game went on calmly enough until with about 15 minutes left Cuenca scored. The place erupted and fireworks and road flares were lit in the crowd. The Boca section remained quiet, even though some Cuenca fans in the middle cheered. Surprisingly, the fans didn't boo or get down, but rather immediately started in with a cheer to motivate the team. I don't know if I've ever seen that in another sporting event.

And as it turned out, Cuenca won the game 1-0, leaving the Cuenca fans ecstatic and screaming with joy. We had to wait while the entire stadium emptied out before we were let out of our section, and I was told that people would harass us when we left, but had no trouble with my jacket on again. Beating one of the best teams in the continent is a big deal no matter what, but especially for a team that's not very good and facing elimination from the tournament. So the entire city was out at night celebrating the victory, and urine could be smelled all over the streets.

So for the first Boca game I attended, the team lost, but it was still a fun night that I'd like to have repeated again. Soccer's not that bad, after all.




Above: Road flares lit in the crowd, Boca fans cheer, fans climb the fence for a better view, video of the crowd

Super Sunday

This is a big week. Bigger than I originally anticipated, actually. Sunday, April 26th is the big election. Initially, I thought it was just the election for mayor of Cuenca. Then I found out it's for the mayors of every city in the country, as well as the assembly members. And recently I've also been informed that it's also the election for president of the country. So basically, a lot is on the line for Sunday.

As happens with the elections down here, a ban on alcohol and consumption will go into effect this weekend and last until after the vote, probably to deter any alcohol-election-related violence and protests. Anyone seen with alcohol or drunk will be arrested. I'm thinking about leaving Cuenca for the weekend and going to a small town called Zaruma, about 6 hours away. It seems as though half of the friends I have here are actually from Zaruma, and I've heard good things. Especially about their traditional dish called "tigrillo," which is a plantain, egg, and cheese.

With so much on the line, it could be a really interesting weekend, if for nothing else than to see how the politics of another country play out. The last time there was an election here it was for the amendment of the constitution, which was passed with sweeping numbers. I'm not sure what people are really for on this election. But I know that everyone seems to have a side.

It's possible that there could be strikes or protests, but I'm really not too concerned about that. We're getting Friday and Monday off from the university because students need to travel back home so they can vote. Voting is compulsory for everyone over 18, except for the military. But a lot of students here are registered in other parts of the country and need to return home. So we get another 4 day weekend.

In the meantime, today is also a big day because the Boca Juniors from Argentina are playing Deportivo Cuenca here in Cuenca. I've already written about the process it was to get the tickets, and hopefully it will be a good game to remember. I'm not sure if the sale of alcohol will be banned before or after the game, but either way the ban will definitely make things interesting. It seems as though most people aren't going to the game in the hopes of seeing Cuenca win, but rather in seeing such a great team as Boca. Boca is, after all, one of the best soccer clubs in South America, and maybe the world.

The game is for a tournament that Cuenca somehow made its way into, and some people have told me that to lose by even 1 goal would be almost like a victory for Cuenca. An interesting state of mind. It's time to get ready for a big game.