The Chocolate Box

- warming up for the match with beer and pizza (Carol & Sergio, Me, Jeff, Mark2) and making our way to La Bombonera stadium aka "The Chocolate Box".

This place is no joke. Be careful ("pleeease be careful") who you cheer for. It is home to Argentina's most renowned local team - CABJ (Club Atletico Boca Juniors). It only took me 29 years to finally watch my first LIVE futbol match. Let the drama begin....


"Boca, mi buen amigo
esta campaña volveremo a estar contigo
te alentaremos de corazón
esta es tu hinchada que te quiere ver campeón.
No me importa lo que digan, lo que digan los demas
yo te sigo a todas partes
CADA VEZ TE QUIERO MÁS!"

They got the Seattle Seahawks "12th man" steez in the box. They're known as la numero 12 which includes a percussion team that bangs the drums all game long to fire up the chants of doom. I couldn't remember all the words to the twenty differnt chants the fans were yelling, but I definitley mastered the art of the "loose arm" motion that goes along with them.



- getting as close to the action as possible.


- At half-time (not sure if that's what they call it) two sets of these Energizer guys walk around the stadium waving to the crowd. They must have rounded the field like twenty-two times. Adverstisement at its finest. That's strange.


True story (AT). As soon as we get to our seating/standing area, the football match is just beginning. The fans are slowly making their way in sporting the blue & gold boca jerseys, bucket hats, and flags for capes. It is very casual. No drums. No chants. I hella want to experience the chants already. Next thing you know, the first half is over. Opposing teammates are hugging each other and taking team pictures at center field. What is this steez? I guess the fans don't get that hype until the second half.
And then BOOM! OHHHHHHHHHHHHH. As soon as the players come out of the Energizer tunnel for the 2nd half, the fans go freakin' BANANAS (Re-watch the video). YEAAAAAAAAAH. CRAZY HYPE for the 2nd half. Non-stop jumping and chanting, & confetti flying all over the field. This is what I came for. I LOVE IT!
The second half officially starts and I look up at the scoreboard. Hmmmm, it seems that they have reset the score to 0-0. Uh oh. Apparently, no-one informed us that the first match that we were watching was actually a 'Junior's Match' between the two teams. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOF!!!!!!! It doesn't help when the Junior's Team uniforms are exactly the same as the Official Teams. Major Confusion! C'mon guys. BOCAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!


EARLIER that day......

On Sundays, they close down Defensa St. in San Telmo and hold the Feria de San Pedro Telmo. This is where I picked up my sic CABJ Fan Scarf for the game.





Where else can you find white cotton candy?