Holidays, Fun, and RIVER

It has been eleven days since I have written anything about my trip.   They have been an interesting eleven days.  They have included bike rides, soccer games, mate by the river, excursions to Boca, long days in a boring classroom, unsent letters, and grave train accidents.  It partly has been a long time since I have had the last two days off of school for Carnaval, which added to the excited.  The eleven days did not occur exactly in that order, but everything and probably more was packed in.

Class was pretty boring last week.  Nothing exciting happened, and I am kind of bored with simply taking Spanish classes.  It does not help that I had class for six long hours a day.  The week was pretty slow;  I did not do much after the long days beside study and play games with Yoly.  However, the weekend brought a flurry of exciting events.  River game, late night with the grupo de vida, church, late night with Yoly, Riqui, and friend, visited Boca (both the neighborhood and stadium), went to the river to chill, watched a movie with some friends, went for a day of relaxation and bike riding, including a game of ultimate frisbee, and lunch in the park, ate dinner with my friends, returned home to study and sleep, and woke up late this morning to an terrible train wreck and an exam.  I would say that my weekend and holiday was nothing but boring.

Valentine's Day happened during that course of time.  In Argentina they don't really do much for it.  Some people go out, but mostly it is a normal day.  I happened to go to the movies with the other Grace students and two Argentinas.  We saw Hugo.  It was a good movie.  Thought a lot about relationships and expressions of affection, but I didn't end up doing anything.  However, I do have several unsent letters on my desk after that day.  It was a good time of reflection of those that are in my life that I care about, family and close friends.  I am blessed and sincerely looked by many!!!

However despite all the time with friends down here, despite that today I am tired and in pain when I sit down from riding a bike all day in beautiful weather, despite that I saw a great movie, and despite the fact I am now the reigning victor in all games in the house of the Dans, and despite all the late nights, nothing can compare to the soccer game.  Probably its the highlight might of my eleven days and possibly of the trip thus far.

As we entered the stadium there was not a ton of people.  There were groups of people huddled together talking, while the vendors mingled through the crowd shooting the standard, "Cocoa... Coka Cola!"  We found some seats, then changed seats, because I guess they were not good enough, or for some unknown reason.  As we settled into our new seats we began to look around.  Casually we snapped pictures and talked as the stadium began to fill around us.  The field was crisp and sharp.  A wire change wrapped itself around the bright green grass.  Inside the sense stood officers attentive and ready to act.  Fanatics began to climb the wire fence that was topped with barbed wire to hang banners.  The volume in the stadium began to rise as the visiting crowd began to chant.  First only piercing whistles could be heard, then the roar of the chanting River faithful began to rise, "Soy de River, SOY DE RIVER.  You could hardly hear the person next to you, and this is before the game was under way.

As the players took the pitch the volume increased, which I did not know was possible.  The game was underway, everyone was upon their feet, and the volume did not cease.  I have no idea what was said when there was an ejection with in the first ten minutes, but I am sure the entire stadium was swearing at the official.  Now River was down a man, but was still able to score a goal, and the crowd went wild.  I could of swore the ground shook beneath me.  Throughout the game there were two more goals for River and a similar experience occurred.  My friend, who is a River fanatic sat behind me and would occasionally pull my hair if I was not chanting or pumping my fist in unison.  River won the day three to zero against Estudiantes Riveria del Mendoza.

I do not know of an experience in my life that is similar.  When you look to your left and right and see ten's of thousands of hands pumping in unison and hear an echo roll though the stadium.  There is nothing that I have seen that is similar.  Quite a thrilling experience.