What a weekend!
What's the good word up yonder?
It's Sunday afternoon now. I'm munchin on some sort of a cold-cut sando that I picked up from the supermarket...pretty tasty, but I have no idea as to what I'm eating. It looked good and figured what the heck.
This weekend has probably been one of the wildest and most fun I've experienced in Peru thus far. I'll roll it out for you...
24 August 2007...19:00 to 22:00 Zulu hours:
After spending a good part of the day at the jobsite getting organized and situated, I made my way back to Lima because a.) there is little marine work going on at the site and b.) There weren't any hotel rooms available until Saturday afternoon. I did not go into Chincha, but from what I understand, there is only one hotel up and fully online. I'll find out more this upcoming week.
Back in Lima, I popped into the office looking to get a few reports out and to touch base with some folks but I wound up getting invited to join a gaggle of my fellow Golderites in a few games of volleyball and some cervesas afterwards. Couldn't pass that up. I had a few good digs and a couple decent volleys, but I'm sticking with cycling. While drinking a beer I mentioned that the professional soccer team "Universitario" or just "U" (pronounced "-00") was staying in the hotel I'm staying at and that they had a game on Saturday. One of the fellas from the office, Max, said he'd meet up with me at one o'clock on Saturday at the hotel and that we'd head out to the game together. So as I drifted off to sleep, I got to think about what my first Peruvian soccer experience was going to be like...I never could have imagined a better story...
25 August 2007...13:00 to 18:30 hours:
After waking up, grabbing a bite and picking a few chords, I danced my way down the brick-lined stairwell to meet up with Max...sporting my "U" shirt and fired up to catch the game. When I entered the hotel lobby, I saw the team getting ready to file into the double decker team bus parked outside and was greeted with a bunch of smiles and nodding heads from the team and staff happy to see their colors on my shoulders. After about 10 or so minutes the team was loaded up and Max was nowhere to be found. As I poked my head around the corner to see if Max was close by, the hotel manager asked if I was going with the team. I said with a chuckle, "No, sir. I'm just waiting for my friend, and then we'll go to the game," as the manager scurried around the front desk towards me. "No. no. no. Come with me. Come. Your friend is not here? Come with me." After talking to one of the older gentlemen sporting the team warmup outfit and a few head nods and smiles, I found myself jumping into the team bus and grabbed a seat next to what looked like a mix of coaches, managers and fans. I was going to the game!
As I sat on that bus, traces of memories came back to my mind of going to my first college football game with my dad...it was a late season game in 1985...it was cool, overcast. Notre Dame was playing Ole Miss. I remember the excitement and the hustle and bustle of getting to the stadium. Yesterday, I sort of felt like that little kid again.
The bus pulled into a police station to make a pit stop. We all unloaded and then we jumped into police SUVs "for security reasons." I helped carry a few bags of water and supplies from the bus to one of the cars and then afterwards I was asked to remove my "U" shirt (for my own safety). I was hastily loaded into the back hatch of a Jeep Cherokees (jacking my head on the door overhang in the process) and sat on a spare tire; the back hatch opening and closing over every bump as the young deputy screamed down the street. There was a whole line of cop cars full of soccer players and other team staff flying down the back roads of Lima.
When we get to the stadium, I'm escorted through the hallway with some other friends of the team and before too long, find myself on the playing field. We got there about two hours prior to game time so I chatted with a few of the fellas, trying my best to stay out of the way and not be a nuisance. I still didn't know how the hell I wound up where I was, but it was pretty awesome.
The fellas took care of me out there, and didn't let me get too far away or walk in dangerous water. The soccer fans out here are rabid, especially the fans from "U's" rival that day, the Sport Boys. I'd be a rabid fan too if my favorite teams colors were pink! Anyway, we pretty much strutted through the front gate, sat at midfield seats and watched the game. I didn't drop a single sole! The fans were wild and crazy. Boos, shouts, yells, chants. Really impressive. It wasn't a full house, but it was super loud, nonetheless. Here's an example of how it sounded (just click the picture then the play arrow):
The game would be going on, normal chants or songs being sung in the background...then all of a sudden...BOOOM! You'd look and see the smoke of an M80 or other improvised explosive device bellowing out of the stands. Total savages! After the game, we all made our way back towards the locker room. Before the game, we hung chilly outside the locker room, but this time, they invited me into the locker room and I shot the bull with a few of the staff. One of the equipment managers asked me for my shirt and he went and got it signed by most of the players on the team. That was really cool.
Once everyone got cleaned up, we filed out and loaded into a police vehicle...not your typical squad car, or SUV this time...but this thing...
I'm standing in the back of this beast with the players, the head coach, the team doctor...everyone. It was truly wild. Maybe 30 of us packed in this thing. I felt like saying "Hut...hut hut...hut...hut". Unreal. I've never heard of such a thing. Keep in mind, I'm still trying to figure out how I wound up on this trip...what a ride! Could you imagine the Chicago Bears or New York Yankees tooling around town in this thing because the opposing team's fans might blast them?
As we pulled out of the lot, we closed all the windows for fear of broken glass or other unfriendly projectiles flying in. Right after we started to move, we hit something big and BAAAM! A few guys fell to the floor inside the truck and we were all trying to figure out what happened. Turns out that the driver took the wrong line through the exit gate and the top of the truck slammed into a barricade (sort of how I drove my bike into the parking garage). After we all came to, we made our way back to the Police station to get back in the bus, but the little encounter with the barricade screwed up the back door spring, so we were temporarily stuck int he back of the truck until they could get the door unjammed! Completely unbelievable. I was laughing my arse off in that truck. All the players were razzing each other. It was hilarious. They slid a pick-axe through one of the windows and after jimmying around with the spring, they finally got us out.
When we got back to the hotel, I bought a round of beers for all the fellas that help me out during my adventure. I got a thumbs up and an invite to do it again next time! A few more pix from the game are posted on the photo site...click the link on the right.
25/26 August 2007...22:00 to 04:00 Hours!!!!
And if that wasn't enough excitement for the day, I met up with a group of kids for some beers, Pisco sours and dancing. One of the gals from the Lima office is getting hitched next weekend and this was a last hurrah for her. I had a real good time. I got out and cut a rug, and one of the gals taught me the basics to Latin dancing. That hip movin/swervin stuff ain't easy, but after a few minutes, I started to get the hang of it. I found myself chatting and dancing with one of the girls, Marleny, quite a bit last night. After awhile of not really getting out and chatting socially and all, it was nice to mingle and do a little dancing and smiling again.
At about, oh, 3:30 am, I had had enough and I offered to make sure Marleny got home safely. In the states, I'm used to driving a gal home, walking her to the door, yaddi, yaddi...but here in Peru, there are nothing but taxis. The fact that I don't know my way around town all that well didn't help my chivalrous attempt either. I lobbied for the cabbie to take her home first and then for him to drive me back to my hotel, but that was a battle I could not win (nor fully understand, for that matter!). An amiable "goodnight" capped the end to a great day(s).
26 August 2007...Currently
Today I'm enjoying the chance to rest up and prepare for work back at the site tomorrow. I'll probably meet up with Eder and a friend Milind for some dinny tonight, then call it a day. I hope your weekend was great and you got to enjoy family, friends and good times. I'll catch you all on the flipside.
Scotty
It's Sunday afternoon now. I'm munchin on some sort of a cold-cut sando that I picked up from the supermarket...pretty tasty, but I have no idea as to what I'm eating. It looked good and figured what the heck.
This weekend has probably been one of the wildest and most fun I've experienced in Peru thus far. I'll roll it out for you...
24 August 2007...19:00 to 22:00 Zulu hours:
After spending a good part of the day at the jobsite getting organized and situated, I made my way back to Lima because a.) there is little marine work going on at the site and b.) There weren't any hotel rooms available until Saturday afternoon. I did not go into Chincha, but from what I understand, there is only one hotel up and fully online. I'll find out more this upcoming week.
Back in Lima, I popped into the office looking to get a few reports out and to touch base with some folks but I wound up getting invited to join a gaggle of my fellow Golderites in a few games of volleyball and some cervesas afterwards. Couldn't pass that up. I had a few good digs and a couple decent volleys, but I'm sticking with cycling. While drinking a beer I mentioned that the professional soccer team "Universitario" or just "U" (pronounced "-00") was staying in the hotel I'm staying at and that they had a game on Saturday. One of the fellas from the office, Max, said he'd meet up with me at one o'clock on Saturday at the hotel and that we'd head out to the game together. So as I drifted off to sleep, I got to think about what my first Peruvian soccer experience was going to be like...I never could have imagined a better story...
25 August 2007...13:00 to 18:30 hours:
After waking up, grabbing a bite and picking a few chords, I danced my way down the brick-lined stairwell to meet up with Max...sporting my "U" shirt and fired up to catch the game. When I entered the hotel lobby, I saw the team getting ready to file into the double decker team bus parked outside and was greeted with a bunch of smiles and nodding heads from the team and staff happy to see their colors on my shoulders. After about 10 or so minutes the team was loaded up and Max was nowhere to be found. As I poked my head around the corner to see if Max was close by, the hotel manager asked if I was going with the team. I said with a chuckle, "No, sir. I'm just waiting for my friend, and then we'll go to the game," as the manager scurried around the front desk towards me. "No. no. no. Come with me. Come. Your friend is not here? Come with me." After talking to one of the older gentlemen sporting the team warmup outfit and a few head nods and smiles, I found myself jumping into the team bus and grabbed a seat next to what looked like a mix of coaches, managers and fans. I was going to the game!
As I sat on that bus, traces of memories came back to my mind of going to my first college football game with my dad...it was a late season game in 1985...it was cool, overcast. Notre Dame was playing Ole Miss. I remember the excitement and the hustle and bustle of getting to the stadium. Yesterday, I sort of felt like that little kid again.
The bus pulled into a police station to make a pit stop. We all unloaded and then we jumped into police SUVs "for security reasons." I helped carry a few bags of water and supplies from the bus to one of the cars and then afterwards I was asked to remove my "U" shirt (for my own safety). I was hastily loaded into the back hatch of a Jeep Cherokees (jacking my head on the door overhang in the process) and sat on a spare tire; the back hatch opening and closing over every bump as the young deputy screamed down the street. There was a whole line of cop cars full of soccer players and other team staff flying down the back roads of Lima.
When we get to the stadium, I'm escorted through the hallway with some other friends of the team and before too long, find myself on the playing field. We got there about two hours prior to game time so I chatted with a few of the fellas, trying my best to stay out of the way and not be a nuisance. I still didn't know how the hell I wound up where I was, but it was pretty awesome.
The fellas took care of me out there, and didn't let me get too far away or walk in dangerous water. The soccer fans out here are rabid, especially the fans from "U's" rival that day, the Sport Boys. I'd be a rabid fan too if my favorite teams colors were pink! Anyway, we pretty much strutted through the front gate, sat at midfield seats and watched the game. I didn't drop a single sole! The fans were wild and crazy. Boos, shouts, yells, chants. Really impressive. It wasn't a full house, but it was super loud, nonetheless. Here's an example of how it sounded (just click the picture then the play arrow):
The game would be going on, normal chants or songs being sung in the background...then all of a sudden...BOOOM! You'd look and see the smoke of an M80 or other improvised explosive device bellowing out of the stands. Total savages! After the game, we all made our way back towards the locker room. Before the game, we hung chilly outside the locker room, but this time, they invited me into the locker room and I shot the bull with a few of the staff. One of the equipment managers asked me for my shirt and he went and got it signed by most of the players on the team. That was really cool.
Once everyone got cleaned up, we filed out and loaded into a police vehicle...not your typical squad car, or SUV this time...but this thing...
I'm standing in the back of this beast with the players, the head coach, the team doctor...everyone. It was truly wild. Maybe 30 of us packed in this thing. I felt like saying "Hut...hut hut...hut...hut". Unreal. I've never heard of such a thing. Keep in mind, I'm still trying to figure out how I wound up on this trip...what a ride! Could you imagine the Chicago Bears or New York Yankees tooling around town in this thing because the opposing team's fans might blast them?
As we pulled out of the lot, we closed all the windows for fear of broken glass or other unfriendly projectiles flying in. Right after we started to move, we hit something big and BAAAM! A few guys fell to the floor inside the truck and we were all trying to figure out what happened. Turns out that the driver took the wrong line through the exit gate and the top of the truck slammed into a barricade (sort of how I drove my bike into the parking garage). After we all came to, we made our way back to the Police station to get back in the bus, but the little encounter with the barricade screwed up the back door spring, so we were temporarily stuck int he back of the truck until they could get the door unjammed! Completely unbelievable. I was laughing my arse off in that truck. All the players were razzing each other. It was hilarious. They slid a pick-axe through one of the windows and after jimmying around with the spring, they finally got us out.
When we got back to the hotel, I bought a round of beers for all the fellas that help me out during my adventure. I got a thumbs up and an invite to do it again next time! A few more pix from the game are posted on the photo site...click the link on the right.
25/26 August 2007...22:00 to 04:00 Hours!!!!
And if that wasn't enough excitement for the day, I met up with a group of kids for some beers, Pisco sours and dancing. One of the gals from the Lima office is getting hitched next weekend and this was a last hurrah for her. I had a real good time. I got out and cut a rug, and one of the gals taught me the basics to Latin dancing. That hip movin/swervin stuff ain't easy, but after a few minutes, I started to get the hang of it. I found myself chatting and dancing with one of the girls, Marleny, quite a bit last night. After awhile of not really getting out and chatting socially and all, it was nice to mingle and do a little dancing and smiling again.
At about, oh, 3:30 am, I had had enough and I offered to make sure Marleny got home safely. In the states, I'm used to driving a gal home, walking her to the door, yaddi, yaddi...but here in Peru, there are nothing but taxis. The fact that I don't know my way around town all that well didn't help my chivalrous attempt either. I lobbied for the cabbie to take her home first and then for him to drive me back to my hotel, but that was a battle I could not win (nor fully understand, for that matter!). An amiable "goodnight" capped the end to a great day(s).
26 August 2007...Currently
Today I'm enjoying the chance to rest up and prepare for work back at the site tomorrow. I'll probably meet up with Eder and a friend Milind for some dinny tonight, then call it a day. I hope your weekend was great and you got to enjoy family, friends and good times. I'll catch you all on the flipside.
Scotty
2 comments:
Are you Kidding Me!!!!!!! Who can top a weekend like that? Not me. Have a good day. BZ
What a riot! Fantastic! But stick with cycling...worst you can get is a ribbing about tight pants, shaven legs and clicky shoes.
Speaking of which, Hinman won Seward (with a little help from his friends) and last race of the year, Blackberry crit is in 2 days and we'll miss ya greatly.
harry
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