Greens in Argentina - Part 9
Our last day in Argentina - whilst most of us will be pleased to get home, all of us will be saddened to leave Buenos Aires. It's a great city and we've had a great tour.
Some of the tour group isn't travelling back to Australia tonight with the main group. Some are hopping in a hire car and heading for Rio De Janiero via San Paulo and a number of other exotic sounding places. Others are going to takes in other parts of Argentina. Tim Harwin is flying 'home' to Abu Dhabi after guesting for us at the Sevens.
Our flight home leaves at 2.30am so we have a full day in front of us to take on last minute shopping up at Florida (despite Abdullah's pick pocketing experience we are still keen to venture there) and / or breathe in the ambience of what is surely one of the world's most liveable cities.
The weather has once again come to the party for those of us wishing to travel around town on foot - a cloudless blue sky - BA has really turned it on for us whilst we have been here.
The clear weather also ensures that we should be provided with the full South American soccer experience when we attend the Argentine Premier League game between Veles and Independiente prior to going to the airport tonight.
Shopping is completed, bags checked and we congregate in the lobby of the hotel before boarding two 19 seater buses that will take us to the game. One bus contains all the tour luggage, the second the majority of the touring party. Rafa Carracas chooses to travel with the luggage - no doubt keen to take advantage of any pilfering opportunities that may be avaialble via the presence of unlocked luggage.
We arrive at the ground after about an hours journey. We pass through three security check points manned by riot police complete with shields, rifles and horses. We are 'frisked' at each stop before being admitted to the ground which is a concrete structure that is undergoing much needed refurbishment. We walk up six sets of long and steep stairs and take our seats (a spot on the concrete terrace) at the Veles end of the ground - the view is that we will be safer in the company of the home team supporters. The red clothed supporters at the Independiente end of the ground provide a stark contrast to the white and blue at our end. The chanting starts and we are moved a slightly smaller area on the other side of the razor wire fence that runs from top to the bottom of the terrace. Alexanjro advises that if any hooligan behavior is going to manifest itself it will eminate from the more populated area of the stand.
Veles suppoters continue to hang banners from the razor wire and netting that is suspended in from of the terraces to protect the respective goalkeepers from flying objects. Each new banner restricts the view and the crowd becomes more animated each time a banner is hung. Jostling breaks our when the latest white and blue addition blocks the view of the goals for a lot of the crowd. Lots of remonstrating and shouting, waiving hands and pushing and shoving however the banners stay.
Its standing room only when the game gets underway, the chanting gets louder, the stand trembles as the crowd dances and jumps as one at regular intervals and Independiente score two unanswered first half goals to have the scoreboard advantage at the break (not that there is a scoreboard at the ground - work that out?)
Veles gets a goal back almost straight after the break. We leave the ground with twenty minutes to play in order to make it back to our bus and then to the airport on time. Walking out of the ground we hear a massive cheer, one of drivers of the many public buses that line the route back to our transport confirms that Veles has equalised. The game finishes in a two all deadlock shortly before we arriver at Ebeiza airport.
Upon our arrival we unload the bags and make for the departure gates. Heartfelt farewells are exchanged with Alexanjro who has gone out of his way to make sure our tour went seamlessly - it did - he did a fantastic job.
Time also to farewll Rafa Ccarracas although the good-byes weren't so heartfelt as he was last seen scampering through a departure gate bound for Bolivia along with one of our club bags full of jerseys and medical equipment. The clothing won't be needed if Rafa gets his intended business venture off the ground - the medical equipment will definitely come in handy though!
I'm sure he'll grace us with his presence again one day................
That's all from Buenos Aires.
Correspondent D' Internationale