Bs As Soccer, LCD Soundsystem is Happening, and New Course

During my Spanish lessons, there was a section in our textbook called the 10 corners of Buenos Aires.  It is a sort of tourist guide of things you should see while in Bs As.  I have been to none of them.  Things not mentioned in the 10 corners: attending a rowdy soccer match between two rival in city teams or seeing a band play one of their last shows before breaking up.

Before we headed off to the soccer match, naturally we wanted to find out what time the game started.  Of course the tickets do not the time printed on them, and the two clubs do not have schedules on their websites.  Therefore we depended on Google, ESPN, and random blogs.  The only problem was that the information about the starting time was conflicting.  Some said 7:15, 9:15 and Google even had it on the next day.  We called rabid fans of Boca Juniors, and they were not sure either.  In any event, we took in a few more sources and assumed it was begging at 9:15.  Additionally, we had no tickets.

As we approached the Racing Club stadium, it was certain that we got the time right because there were the signs that you are close: police in riot gear, empty bottles of beer strewn about, and people selling immitation jerseys and flags.  We took a long circuitious path as most of the roads leading to the stadium were blocked and finally found a scalper near an open entrance.  We did not even haggle with the guy as the sounds from the stadium were erupting, and we wanted to get in ASAP.  In any event, we paid a fraction over face value and were now in the stadium.  We were in the Racing section which must be reserved for English speakers but immediately adjacent to the rabid Boca Juniors fans.

The craziest fans are always behind the goals.  Boca was immediately to my right and Racing was across the field from us.  Notice how there is no clock, scoreboard, or jumbotron.  I.E. you have no idea when the game will end nor would you know the score if a goal was scored and you were absent...minded.  Replay, forget about it.

 

Notice the moat and barbed wire fence surronding the field.  I was really hoping to see a ball go in there.  And it did.  I thought for a second that a crazy would jump in and steal it, but instead some guy with a net retreived it and put it back in play.

Here is a video of the Boca Juniors fans.  They were really this loud for the entire game.  It was quite amazing at their passion.  I would say they love their soccer more than the Mexicans, but they still can`t manage to sell out a game.  Their noise basically mute the Racing fans except for the few scoring chances Racing had.  The game ended 1-0 with Boca winning, but it was clear that Boca was a much better team.

One last interesting thing about the game.  When we were leaving, I asked my friends, why is everyone just hanging out in the stadium.  In the US, it is a mad dash out of the stadium as soon as the outcome is decided.  I quickly found out why no one was in a hurry to leave.  The police pin you in the stairwell until the away team fans leave.  With the Boca team winning, we waited well over half an hour just making sarcastic snarky comments to ourselves about the situation.

This Is Happening ---------

LCD Soundsystem has announced that they are quitting.  Luckily for me, they were coming through Bs As.  Tickets were expensive at 180 Pesos, but I was willing to pay it.  However, I waited until the day of the show to buy tickets.  The price had jumped up to 275 at the box office.  I have never experienced a price spike and refused to the pay the money as I assumed there would be scalpers working the street.  Later that night as I came upon the massive line to enter, I asked everyone in line if they had tickets for sell.  There was nothing.  There were no scalper working.  I was baffled at this but was still determined to get in.  I was there with a friend from Berkeley who is a better Spanish speaker than me.  We ended up bribing the door guy and got it for under the original 180 Peso ticket price.  I think this doesn´t teach a positive lesson, but sometimes being shady saves you money and feels pretty cool to get in that way.  The bribe was well worth it as LCD put on an amazing heartfelt show.  The place was packed with fans including myself ready to jump and sing at a moments notice.  

LCD Soundsystem´s last song before the encore.  They rocked for almost 2 hours and left the stage looking teary eyed.

More Random Photos of Bs As -----------------------------------------------------

A friendly rooftop get together.  There was more meat in queue and we were unable to tackle all the meat between the 15 or so people eating.  I did not want to eat until sick as I knew there would be a long night ahead.

Club Niceto aka Club 69 on a Thursday night.  They played strictly German electro music.  My German friend said a memorable quote that night, `They should rename Buenos Aires, Buenos Awesome.`

Overexposed Bs As sunset from a friends balcony in Palermo Alto.  The sky was bleeding orange.

Club One on a Sunday night.  Yes they party til the wee hours of the morning on Sunday too. 

Another view of Club One from the VIP.  I don`t know how I got in there.  I ran into a girl from my spanish class, and she wondered the same thing.  No big deal.

Girls just want to have fun.  Some club in Palermo Hollywood.

Farewell to my crazy crazy apartment. 

-------------------------------------
My New Course

I have decided to head to Brasil.  I went to the Brasilian consulate in Bs As in effor to obtain a visa.  What I saw instead was an American girl adorning a Brasil shirt leave the place crying.  When she looked at me for consolation, I did my best to look disappointed too, but I sometimes when girls cry, I can`t help but laugh.  As I was also turned down for a visa, I have developed a backup plan.  I will travel to Iguacu Foz and get my visa there.  It is rumored that there is a same day turnaround.  If this rumor is not true, I will head across Paraguay and back into the north of Argentina.  If the rumor is true, you should expect photos of the Garotas de Ipanema.