We are the champions

Soon after I came here I went, with a group of teachers, to Boca Juniors to watch a football match (I thought I'd blogged about this but I can't find a post). It was quite incredible. We climbed the stairs to the the top of the terraces and then clambered down the terrace to find somewhere to stand and watch the match. Pretty soon the terraces filled up and then the fun began.

The fans are organised, they threw banners down from the very top of the terrace to the very bottom - wide banners in the club's colours (blue and yellow) such that the banners acted as wide, cloth bannisters. Then using these, the most devoted (or mad) fans climb onto the leaning rails and proceeded to lead the singing.

There was a band (trumpet, bass drum and trombone, I think) and the same song was sung over and over again - well it sounded the same to me but I didn't understand what was being said so I could be wrong - all the way through the first half. There was a rest during the interval and then it was all repeated during the second half.

The thing is, the song-leaders and banners blocked the view of the pitch so I didn't actually get to see any football and the said song-leaders were turned around looking at all the other fans so they weren't watching the football either!

Anyway I thoroughly enjoyed it (it's the only football match I've ever been to although I've no intention of going again) and my dad went green with envy when I told him about it.

Which brings us to today. When my parents planned this trip, my dad wanted to go to a Boca match. Unfortunately, this being the height of summer, there are no football matches in BsAs. Fortunately, this means the stadium is open for visits - and this is what my dad did today. While my mum and I whiled away a couple hours drinking tea and putting the world to rights, my dad had a guided tour of CABJ stadium, had his picture taken at various high spots and thoroughly indulged himself in football. He was one happy man (and the lumpiness has diminished). We also walked around the La Boca neighbourhood which is extremely colourful but pretty focused on tourists.

We finished the day with pizza, beer (mum), wine and backgammon (me and dad) - and he kept beating me!