Video: A Football Match in Santiago, Chile

I will be posting shortly on the beautiful Valparaiso, near Santiago in Chile. Before I do, however, I need to mention one new fact about long term travel: you keep running into the same people, in new places. Having met the lovely Neda when she swung her head down from the top bunk to introduce herself in Bariloche, we (at this point me, Jessica and Neda) all decided to travel together to Valparaiso and onward to Boliva. We found a lovely hostel in Valparaiso, and just as we were getting ready to go to bed, the door opened and in walked 2 guys we had met in Bariloche, several weeks earlier. Not only was it midnight, but we were also perched atop Cerro Allegre and not in the safest area of town. In addition, we never really knew their names; I met them in line at an ATM machine and struck up a conversation because I was bored.

Nonetheless: instant friends, in a matter of seconds. We all decided that we would head to Santiago together and then watch a football came. The Copa Libertadores was on in South America and it was an ideal time to see people go nuts at a game. We all bought tickets to the Colo Colo vs F.C. Atlas (Chile vs Mexico) match, and was it ever worth our while. Ruurd (one of the 2 ATM-encountered guys) was harassed and almost robbed of our money on our walk there, and then the Colo Colo fans (known locally as the Garra Blanca) put on a show like you would not believe.

Here are 2 videos from the game, that only partially capture the insanity:

and:

-Jodi