Juego al Futbol

April 11th 2008 - Quito, Ecuador

What a day! I woke up late with nothing planned and just started walking. I sort of followed the crowds along the busy streets trying to sniff out the buzz but had a thought that maybe there are just a lot of people in this run-down city.

Nonetheless, I checked out a few cool markets and passed by a neat store or two. The cutest young girls dressed in the matching pink and purple frozen-treat garments were my favorite, but I wasn't up for frozen Ecuadorian yoghurt that time of the day.

Quito is nestled between mountains so I decided to march towards a look out point to snap a shot or two of the city.

I shortly bumped into la Universidad de Ecuador and feeling safe, I decided to hike through the campus in search of that perfect spot. I found a clearing, snapped a couple of shots but for some reason was determined to keep heading up the dodgy 'calles' to get a better vantage point.

As I was nearing the end of the line I spotted a beaten up school yard with some volley ball and football (soccer) being played. I loitered for a few minutes, marched across the cement pitch and sat to watch the passionate locals kick around what looked like a flat basket ball. I quickly assessed the talent, picked out the best players (quite a good standard), and wished that I was playing with them.

The game ended and the losing team slowly pulled out ruffled dollar bills and change handing them over to the winners with smiles (they bet what little money they have on these games). Luckily they started a new game and I asked to join.

They underestimated the Canadian and stacked the wrong team; we were up 5-0 but I then became a handicap as the elevation (8500 feet) left me severely winded and plugging up a bleeding nose with whatever type of paper I could find in my bag. I think I am invincible but the elevation was telling my lungs and my nasal passage another story. The pressure was a foreign phenomenon but I was reluctant to pay attention and stampeded on. We ended up losing 10-8.

After the match, another friend of the group showed up with a milk crate full of 700ml Pilsners (the local Ecuadorian beer). It started to rain shortly and the 6 remaining troopers moved underneath a tree to finish the pints. We spent the next few hours getting to know each other and sharing translations. I was lucky enough to get some ripe Ecuadorian bird shit to fall through the trees and land on my head and eyebrow. The next lesson was how to say bad words in each others language.

We soon moved to Paolo's apartment 3 blocks away. On the way we stopped at the store; as a new friend, I was forbidden to pay for anything. We drank more and more, scribble down lengthy translations of songs for each other, practiced singing the new lyrics together, and I really got a good idea of what it is like to be a native of Ecuador.

Each member of the group pays about $80 per YEAR to go to university, locals make about $200 per month (all in USD), the 12 x 700ml of beer cost about $9, the country is very passionate about football, the famous Ecuadorian singers touch your heart with their romantic melodies, and although these people may look scruffy on the outside, they are really nice warm people when it is all said and done. For me, their intimate drinking style epitomizes their social acceptance for each other. One person acts as the bar man and pours from the same cup drink (beer or mixed liquor) for each person in turn.

I have to go to bed; I am waking up and meeting 'mis panas nuevos' for a tour of Quito, native Ecuadorian style. It wouldn't be so if it wasn't for the universal language of football!