PBH / colombia (travelguide, pictures) / post

Watching the game

Thought Id share my experience of the game against Peru yesterday.

Headed to the one bar in town with a big screen projector setup. very popular place for karoake but today it was all about the football.

I wondered in at the 2 minute mark and got a cheer from the boys in the front row.
They love seeing the gringo wearing his Colombian football top.

"Colombiano o Australiano" they shout and I kiss the badge on my chest which gets a bigger cheer and they hand my some Guardo. My mates find it hysterical that I get this response and I get free Guardo everywhere I go.

We settle into the crowd to watch the game. Colombia win the penalty and the crowd jump to there feet, everyone is dancing and we get a round of Aguadiente in. Everyone sits down to watch, they jump to celebrate the penalty but Yepes misses. "Marica, Huevon" and other words that I can't use on this site are yelled out. Everyone sits down looking miserable and we have another round of Guardo.

Everyone is in good spirits pretty quickly as the Colombians have a few more good chances. Then as Colombia bring the ball down the field in around the 22 minute mark... The power goes off. The bar is completely black. the cries of "Marica, huevon!" again fill the bar. We head outside to check and the whole town is out of power. We drink a Guardo and then someone yells out "To the Car" so we pile out on to the street cervezas and Guardo in hand and crowd around the car stereo.

"GGOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL"

Dance a little in the street, 32nd minute we get the power back and we run into the bar to see the reply. Everyone acts as if the goal just happened so we celebrate again.

Anyway to cut along story short every goal was met by cheers, dancing and drink.

The second goal was fantastic, I got drunk and everyone had a good time.

Anyway here is my question "Where are the best supporters of the national team in Colombia?"

Ive watched games in Bogota where the crowd has been very quiet (but I was probably in the wrong bars), In Cali everyone had there Colors on, faces were painted and people danced in the street before and after the game and then there is my San Gil experience above. Obviously the experience and the celebration depends on the performance of the team. Ive watched many games in San Gil and the environment is definatly not worth writing about.

By carter on Jun 5, 2005, 10:39 in Friendly Talkzone.

spigrimace says on Jun 5, 2005, 11:22:

I´ll boast my place in Medellin is the best! Ok im straying from your request on the national team but we have 2 gigantic screen TVs and 16 others so we had the Euro matches, baseball games, repeat of Roland Garros and other events that were televised simultaneously during the game as well.

Many goofs around with plenty of colors on and as you said when the team played like they did yesterday, everyone´s loud and crazy vs. the games when they can´t score.

They love the gringo owner here as well and usually buy me a shot or a beer to show their apreciation of what I built. They all are fascinated why a gringo wants to live here.

We had a decent number of fans in the last few weeks for other games like the great UEFA final and the BOCA & River Copa Lib. night last week. I figure we´ll get some people wednesday but at 3PM is difficult to get the folks that are working over to the bar. We had many borrachos who gutted out 7 hours of football in the great programmed night 2 weeks ago of Boca/Junior, River/Liga, Nacional/Tolima, Once Caldas/Tigres

Sunday the 12´s Nacional-Tolima match will bring about 120+ people to my place as will the classico between the verdes and rojos on the 15th.

A fan liked the place so much, he donated his court jester national team hat to the bar yesterday.

And I´ve been reading posts about what a shame to be "Americanizing" Colombia and I´m guilty as well because Buffalo Wings & Chicken Fingers sell like mad and Quesadillas, Mozzerella stix and Chicken Parm heros are all selling good amounts as well but we offer Bandeja Paisa, Vaquero, and churrasco as well for those who want to keep it more traditional.

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Dan says on Jun 5, 2005, 14:02:

I don't know about the best supporters of the game or anything but the wildest I've seen people were in Melgar. You're right about being quiet in Bogota. I'll here some cheers here and there but in Melgar, They are wild. I've seen what you were talking about with the cheering, dancing and drinking while in Melgar and then the after game parties in the street with fireworks and cars honking and everyone having a great time.

God Bless America!

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