Honestly, we're trying our best!
Unfortunately, this lack of achievement (despite our best efforts) appears to be a pattern lately. On Sunday we had big plans - we were finally going to see Boca Juniors at La Bombonera, playing Quilmes (one of our favourite Argentine beers). We'd been trying for ages to get tickets only to be mysteriously informed at every ticket place that they didn't actually sell tickets - ours is not to reason why. So finally we'd decided to go down to the stadium early on Sunday and just get our tickets there.
Dressed in neutral colours and leaving anything nonessential at home (including our maps of the city), we grabbed the good ol' 152 and arrived at the stadium no problem. It was mysteriously quiet considering it was two hours before a game but we were in denial. After walking past about twenty ticket booths (all closed) we found ourselves in the Boca Juniors museum asking where we could buy tickets. Right behind you, the guy told us - and then added, "pero no se juegen aca hoy".
Well that sure sounds like he said they're not playing here today, I thought, but clearly he's wrong. "What?" we both asked. "Yeah, they're not playing here today," he said. Fortunately we're so good at the bluffs now we didn't even blink. Well yeah, duh, we said coolly. We're totally just here checking it all out and stuff like. Seriously. De veras.
Casually we sauntered over to the ticket booth and said so, like, obviously they're not playing here today, duh, haha, but you know, when are they playing here again? And, um, how far away is where they're playing today?
True to Argentine form, the guy took one look at us and started speaking English (we're here to learn your language, people!). Apparently Boca will not be playing in Boca until August (the season's ending, would you look at that timing) - but San Lorenzo, where they were playing that day, was only 45 minutes away.
Then he popped that bubble too - looking us up and down, he carefully added it probably wasn't the safest neighbourhood for the two of us to visit, particularly for a football game.
Well I know what we'll do, Becca said. Let's go to Locos por Futbol, a sports bar in the barrio of Recoleta where they'd surely be showing the game. It had suddenly become very important that we see this game somehow. Without the trusty guidebook I wasn't exactly sure how far Recoleta was from Boca, but Rebecca assured me it wasn't far at all.
After an hour and a half of walking, a subway ride uptown, and another 20 minutes of walking, we arrived (good one, Bec) - only to be blocked at the door. Locos was full and had been for ages - because they were showing the Argentina vs Mexico game. Even better than Boca and Quilmes. So we sat outside and listened to the roar of the crowd inside every time a player even touched the ball, and tried to act like we didn't really care that much anyway.
Fortunately it was the first sunny day in Buenos Aires in about six weeks, and surprisingly warm also. Armed with the Sunday papers, coffee and pizza, we absorbed all the Vitamin D we could. And next Sunday you better believe we'll be camping outside Locos por Futbol at 9 a.m. We'll drink all day, if that's what it takes.
If we're not in Chile, that is.
Dressed in neutral colours and leaving anything nonessential at home (including our maps of the city), we grabbed the good ol' 152 and arrived at the stadium no problem. It was mysteriously quiet considering it was two hours before a game but we were in denial. After walking past about twenty ticket booths (all closed) we found ourselves in the Boca Juniors museum asking where we could buy tickets. Right behind you, the guy told us - and then added, "pero no se juegen aca hoy".
Well that sure sounds like he said they're not playing here today, I thought, but clearly he's wrong. "What?" we both asked. "Yeah, they're not playing here today," he said. Fortunately we're so good at the bluffs now we didn't even blink. Well yeah, duh, we said coolly. We're totally just here checking it all out and stuff like. Seriously. De veras.
Casually we sauntered over to the ticket booth and said so, like, obviously they're not playing here today, duh, haha, but you know, when are they playing here again? And, um, how far away is where they're playing today?
True to Argentine form, the guy took one look at us and started speaking English (we're here to learn your language, people!). Apparently Boca will not be playing in Boca until August (the season's ending, would you look at that timing) - but San Lorenzo, where they were playing that day, was only 45 minutes away.
Then he popped that bubble too - looking us up and down, he carefully added it probably wasn't the safest neighbourhood for the two of us to visit, particularly for a football game.
Well I know what we'll do, Becca said. Let's go to Locos por Futbol, a sports bar in the barrio of Recoleta where they'd surely be showing the game. It had suddenly become very important that we see this game somehow. Without the trusty guidebook I wasn't exactly sure how far Recoleta was from Boca, but Rebecca assured me it wasn't far at all.
After an hour and a half of walking, a subway ride uptown, and another 20 minutes of walking, we arrived (good one, Bec) - only to be blocked at the door. Locos was full and had been for ages - because they were showing the Argentina vs Mexico game. Even better than Boca and Quilmes. So we sat outside and listened to the roar of the crowd inside every time a player even touched the ball, and tried to act like we didn't really care that much anyway.
Fortunately it was the first sunny day in Buenos Aires in about six weeks, and surprisingly warm also. Armed with the Sunday papers, coffee and pizza, we absorbed all the Vitamin D we could. And next Sunday you better believe we'll be camping outside Locos por Futbol at 9 a.m. We'll drink all day, if that's what it takes.
If we're not in Chile, that is.
posted by SarahT at 6:01 pm
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