So I'm past my phase of obsessive posting of waterfall pictures... I'm now in a country called Uruguay, population 3 million... in the capital Montevideo, population 1.5 million... I can only say that the place is having a wonderful impression on me... its the most European city I've come across in South America, but is undenyably not Europe (consult a map)... now before I get on to that old subject that'll get all those humans lacking a Y chromosome, and many of those who have one, groaning I'll give you my little tit-bits and impressions of this tiny county slapped between Brazil and Argentina... ... ... Uruaguay is a small country but it has quite a bit of character... so far, Montevideo seems probably the richest city I've come across so far, but dispite this some things remain... the bins are collected by a man and boy on a horse and cart, Steptoe and Son style... its a country of flask huggers (thats not a euphamism like `window licker`... you just constantly see people walking around with a flask and a special cup)... you see, a popular drink, their tea if you will, is Ma`Te... they drink it from a weird cup that looks like a minature beer cask with grass growing in it with a protruding metallic straw for sipping... like a mishapen pipe... its a weird kind of bitter tea that everyone seems to drink... sat down at a bench or walking along they have their arms full with the flask of hot water and the odd drinking cup... I'll try to take a photo once I pluck up the courage to do so! ... The country is dusty and dry but with old, classic looking clonial buildings... its a beautiful place... it has a city and a beach... you can feel the wealth flow through the city a bit like a subtle Monaco... but its lovely here, not obscene and offensive as I found Monaco! ... like a clean and controlled Rio... without the randomness of the landscape and the flavelas they accomidate... I mean, I`m sure this city has its dangerous places... but it has a more friendly glow then many places I've visited in this continent... but my visit didn't start well... the hostel website said a taxi would cost $15 from the airport... but they didn't mention that I needed a specific type of taxi... when I arrived the meter said 178... so if that was pasos then that's reasonable... like $10... but it turns out that was a code which led to a certian tarrif... the taxi cost 900 pesos... like 30 quid... I was furious and let it be known when I arrived in the hostel... I was in such a rage I couldn't speak... I felt their lack of clarity had lost me a lot of money... and after only 3 hours sleep the night before (I needed to wake at 3.30 am for my flight to Montevideo), I was near breaking point! ... I sat alone in my room and collected myself... then I remembered what I'd seen in my periphery as I entered the hostel (and now time for the worlds biggest sign)... people from the hostel were going to a football game that evening!!! Yay:) ... this trip is turning into a football fiesta, but remember, the thing I love most is the whole process and the story behind the game... the history and context of the team, the stadium, the voices shouting adoration at their new heros or whisteling at those who've let them down... teams represent communities, teams have history, and deny it all you want but you will learn about people from their football team:) ... I had planned to watch Penarol (a big Montevideo team) on thursday ( I still do, I have my ticket for a 50,000 sell out sat in my locker as I type:)... I told this to the guy organising the trip to the game last night... he was distraught... I need to watch Nacional (the other big team of Montevideo!), that is the real team... I bought tickets for Penarol after he checked I had all my vital vaccinations such as rabies etc (he thinks their fans are animals... but ask a Penarol fan about those from Nacional and...) ... then we went to get tickets for Nacional... and he got to work winning me over... His passion for the team is clear, its in his blood... His grand father has been told by the doctor to avoid games because the excitment could kill him, and this guy from the hostel (Nacho) literally burst a lung at a Nacional v Penarol game once! ... ... ... now I could get stuck into all the history... but I'll leave some of this football crap out for now... I'm working on a football blog for when I return home... a way to compensate for the loss of this beautiful travel blog I've come to adore so much... in the football blog I'll get stuck into the history... but for now I'll just give you the key things... Nacional are a proud team, and Uruaguay is a country vastly proud of its football heritage...
... OK, I took a break from blogging but am here now... back in the zone and to fill that blog shaped hole in your head... I've just emailed a football podcast I listen to (The Football Ramble, www.thefootballramble.com) about my experience watching Nacional the other night... rather then write it all again, I'll copy and past the email here for you to digest:) :
"Hello there Ramblers,
I'm emailing because your profile a few months back on the Nacional v Penarol derby in Montevideo (listen to it at http://www.thefootballramble.com/index.php/dwhof/entrant/penarol-v-nacional) piqued my interest in Uruguay's club football. I was in the neighbourhood (South America) so I thought I might aswell catch a game, and even though I didn't manage to catch a derby I can tell you that the rivalry is still there. When I arrived at my hostel and asked about buying tickets to the Penarol Libatadores game later in the week, the guy who owns the hostel was distraught. After bad mouthing their fans and suggesting I should only go if I'd had a rabies jab he promply invited me to a Nacional league game that very night. Within an hour he was driving me to the stadium to get tickets and to show me the museam. Even though there stadium is a bit of a shit hole he told me about how it hosted the first ever world cup game and how the commen fan is working together to get funds to improve the stadium... he compared it to those bastereds at Penarol who don't even have a home and are tennants at the council's, I must add, truly superb, Centanario stadium which was the venue of the first world cup final. He showed me the rediculous trophy cabinate, explained about the club legends such as a lad who played way back without having any hands and another captain who, when he was on the decline and about to lose his place to the youth, snuck into the stadium one night and shot himself leaving a note about how his family are set for life and the team doesn't need him anymore so it was time to go! The lad taking me to the game was from a line of Nacional fans... his grandad has been advised by the doctor not to go to games because he is likley to die of a heart attack if he goes, and the lad himself, while watching some final against Penarol literally [Richard] burst a lung and had to stay in hospital for 3 days and ended up missing the replay. He was really working overtime to win me over to the team. Anyway, the game came and we (it seems his powers of persuasion worked) won 5-2... the opponents were a small team and very crap but it was a good game with classic South American highlights of the captain of Nacional being told by the referee to ask the fans to stop climing the fence around the parimeter of the pitch before he could take a penalty, all the Nacional fans swearing vitriollically and spitting at the away fans who were literally made up of a couple of scared girls and an old man who seemed to be short of a few bob upstairs, and a stocky Brazilian who came on with Nacional 4-1 up, hogged the ball, and was generally a bit shit but who still took a bow from the crowed and took the ovation in a style that would make Romario or John Pansil proud!
You can't avoid football here and the passion is obvious... even the wifi password at the hostel is "Uruguay1950"... the guy from the hostel, Nacho, put the work in and has won me to the side of Nacional, I've bought the shirt and signed on as a fan of the Bolso... ... ... don't tell Nacho though, but I have tickets to see that Penarol Copa Libatadores game tonight... I feel like such a traitor!
Keep Rambling,
Matt Ovens"
... and then I sent another e-mail adding a couple of extra little details:
"... sorry, forgot to mention that if you do fancy watching a Nacional v Penarol derby you need to keep off the booze, all fans get breathalized before the game!
... oh yeah, and the two teams are having a competition to see who can make the biggest flag (sounds like a boy scout competition)... Penarol will reveal theirs tonight and Nacho, my Nacional friend, said that Nacional will find out the size and make theirs 1 meter bigger... later a Penarol fan who works in the hostel complained that Umbro (Nacional's kit sponsor) sponsored the flag and it has the logo all over it, where as Penarol's is made by the fans... then a Nacional fan told me they had a similar competition before and when Penarol unveiled their flag at a game, two Nacional fans snuck into the ground and set the flag on fire! ... Jesus lads, can't we all just get along!"
... and now, to finish, a few more pictures:)
... OK, I took a break from blogging but am here now... back in the zone and to fill that blog shaped hole in your head... I've just emailed a football podcast I listen to (The Football Ramble, www.thefootballramble.com) about my experience watching Nacional the other night... rather then write it all again, I'll copy and past the email here for you to digest:) :
"Hello there Ramblers,
I'm emailing because your profile a few months back on the Nacional v Penarol derby in Montevideo (listen to it at http://www.thefootballramble.com/index.php/dwhof/entrant/penarol-v-nacional) piqued my interest in Uruguay's club football. I was in the neighbourhood (South America) so I thought I might aswell catch a game, and even though I didn't manage to catch a derby I can tell you that the rivalry is still there. When I arrived at my hostel and asked about buying tickets to the Penarol Libatadores game later in the week, the guy who owns the hostel was distraught. After bad mouthing their fans and suggesting I should only go if I'd had a rabies jab he promply invited me to a Nacional league game that very night. Within an hour he was driving me to the stadium to get tickets and to show me the museam. Even though there stadium is a bit of a shit hole he told me about how it hosted the first ever world cup game and how the commen fan is working together to get funds to improve the stadium... he compared it to those bastereds at Penarol who don't even have a home and are tennants at the council's, I must add, truly superb, Centanario stadium which was the venue of the first world cup final. He showed me the rediculous trophy cabinate, explained about the club legends such as a lad who played way back without having any hands and another captain who, when he was on the decline and about to lose his place to the youth, snuck into the stadium one night and shot himself leaving a note about how his family are set for life and the team doesn't need him anymore so it was time to go! The lad taking me to the game was from a line of Nacional fans... his grandad has been advised by the doctor not to go to games because he is likley to die of a heart attack if he goes, and the lad himself, while watching some final against Penarol literally [Richard] burst a lung and had to stay in hospital for 3 days and ended up missing the replay. He was really working overtime to win me over to the team. Anyway, the game came and we (it seems his powers of persuasion worked) won 5-2... the opponents were a small team and very crap but it was a good game with classic South American highlights of the captain of Nacional being told by the referee to ask the fans to stop climing the fence around the parimeter of the pitch before he could take a penalty, all the Nacional fans swearing vitriollically and spitting at the away fans who were literally made up of a couple of scared girls and an old man who seemed to be short of a few bob upstairs, and a stocky Brazilian who came on with Nacional 4-1 up, hogged the ball, and was generally a bit shit but who still took a bow from the crowed and took the ovation in a style that would make Romario or John Pansil proud!
You can't avoid football here and the passion is obvious... even the wifi password at the hostel is "Uruguay1950"... the guy from the hostel, Nacho, put the work in and has won me to the side of Nacional, I've bought the shirt and signed on as a fan of the Bolso... ... ... don't tell Nacho though, but I have tickets to see that Penarol Copa Libatadores game tonight... I feel like such a traitor!
Keep Rambling,
Matt Ovens"
... and then I sent another e-mail adding a couple of extra little details:
"... sorry, forgot to mention that if you do fancy watching a Nacional v Penarol derby you need to keep off the booze, all fans get breathalized before the game!
... oh yeah, and the two teams are having a competition to see who can make the biggest flag (sounds like a boy scout competition)... Penarol will reveal theirs tonight and Nacho, my Nacional friend, said that Nacional will find out the size and make theirs 1 meter bigger... later a Penarol fan who works in the hostel complained that Umbro (Nacional's kit sponsor) sponsored the flag and it has the logo all over it, where as Penarol's is made by the fans... then a Nacional fan told me they had a similar competition before and when Penarol unveiled their flag at a game, two Nacional fans snuck into the ground and set the flag on fire! ... Jesus lads, can't we all just get along!"
... and now, to finish, a few more pictures:)
 |
| The Centanario, the venue of the first world cup final... I'll be there tonight for a sold-out game:)) |
 |
| National football museam. A picture of the scene of the 1950 world cup final in Brazil... the Uruguay team silenced all 200,000 of these people! |
 |
| At the Nacional team football museam, getting a healthy amount of brain washing from Nacho:) |
 |
| Independence square in the old town... see, this isn't just football! |
 |
| ... And they even have a lovely beach a mere walk from the city... Montevideo is growing on me every day:) |
No comments:
Post a Comment