Monday, February 09, 2004

In the Eye of a Hurricane
Yesterday, I went to a soccer game between the University of Chile and Colo-Colo (professional teams). My host brother Diego told me that it was going to be crazy and that I shouldn´t wear any colors of either team in order to stary safe. He advised Adriana some things that I really wasn´t paying attention to and then we left.

Before the game, we met up with some other gringos in a restaurant and we all went to the game together. Upon arrival, we were told that once we entered the game, we could not leave. Furthermore, the security guards wouldn´t let us into the first gate that we entered. We had to walk around the entire stadium in order to get in, which didn´t help the fact that we were already very late for the game.

While walking around the stadium, I noticed that there were police in full riot gear- and not only a few...there were a lot. And I also realized that there was a whole lot of screaming and chanting from inside the stadium. One of the other students asked a guard which gate we should enter and they told us between 14-16. So we did, not really knowing what to expect.

Upon entrance, I realized very quickly that about 94% of the crowd were Chilean guys without their shirts, screaming and chanting for la U (Univer. of Chile). This is called a "barra", or a group of fans that are in the same area of the stadium, who chant and go wild for their team.

We all walked down together and of course everyone took notice since we were a big group of gringos walking into the game very late. Let me tell you- I have never been in such a state. These people were so crazy- jumping up and down, chanting the same song, etc. And they did not stop until halftime.

Once it was halftime, myself, Adriana, and one of the guys we were with, decided to go to the bathroom. In order to get there, we had to go up the stairs. Since nothing was happening on the field, everyone noticed us leaving and starting shouting "piropos" (come-ons) at Adriana and I, whistling, and making obscene gestures. And I am talking about all fifteen hundred of them that were in the immediate area. ALL of them. I felt like Britney Spears. Yes, this is the Latin culture.

But back to them game- after a goal, the crowd went even more wild. We were down towards the front and when la U scored, half of the people came rushing down the stadium to right where we were. I nearly ended up in the mosh pit that started right in front of me (and on the benches, too!). Yeah, it was a little scary.

La U won, 4-0, which we found out was to our advantage because apparently, when a team loses, their barra goes nuts. The barra for Colo-Colo was all the way on the other side of the stadium, yet from our seats we could see the fires that were started in the middle of the crowd, as well as people using flares. The riot police had to use a hose to calm down the people.

At this time, some of the people around us advised us that we might want to go because it could get ugly. We tried, but the riot police wouldn´t let us out. Apparently, they have to let the losing team out half an hour early so that riots won´t ensue. So we had to wait, with the rest of the barra of la U, in order to go.

Once we got home (after getting lost yet again), our brother told us that where we sat was right where he told us not to sit. And today in class, my teacher told me that she wouldn´t go to a soccer game between la U and Colo-Colo (who I now know are HUGE rivals) even if someone paid her. And another person told us that going to that game and sitting where we sat was quite possibly the most dangerous thing we could do in Santiago.

But I am alive, because I am writing this, right?

posted by Rebecca @ 2/09/2004 08:13:00 PM