Argentina’s biggest rivalry
Added on Monday, March 29th, 2010 by Carole Nash Editor
Argentina’s biggest rivalry
By evening most of the riders had enjoyed a few beers and even though there is a certain amount of frustration at not being able to get on their bikes as quickly as promised, a sense of humour had been retained. Nevertheless, there were some tensions. Rob and John had words which John admitted were inspired by the beer. Extreme projects like this are a conduit for extreme people who habitually are defensive about equally strong views. Fingers were pointed and voices raised but everything was forgotten by the morning.
Later the next day, Caroline, Erik, Silvana and I took tables in La Poesie down the road to plan the final stages of the route down to Ushuaia. Highway 3 was the obvious choice, a slim track of tarmac that skirted the Welsh valley that stretched from Trelew to the Andes as well as the vast expanses of Patagonia. Years ago I read Bruce Chatwin’s book ‘In Patagonia’ and I marvelled at the way he wove narrative with history.
The next day Joe took me to see the famous football team La Boca Juniors play their feared opponents River Plate. It was a home match and the local derby, something akin to Manchester United playing City at Old Trafford but with considerably less money.
The Boca-River Superclásico rivalry is one of the most thrilling derbies in the world. Out of their 327 previous meetings, Boca have won 121, River Plate 105 and there have been 101 draws. After each match (except draws), street signs cover Buenos Aires at fans’ own expense, “ribbing” the losing side with humorous posters. This has become part of Buenos Aires culture ever since a Boca winning streak in the 1990s.
Many rival fans in Argentina refer to the Boca Juniors’ fans as Los Bosteros (the manure handlers), originating from the horse manure used in the brick factory which occupied the ground where La Bombonera stands. Originally an insult used by rivals, Boca fans are now proud of it.
I am in a cab out to the port along Avenida Colon, Avenida de Mayo, past the new construction for the subway, the skyscrapers at Catalinas Plaza. Only in a cab am I in a quiet space. Looking through the window I see a hot and breezy day. We are all frustrated by the wait and want to be free to ride south. The riders’ expectations are high about a project that promises so much.
Turning left onto the broad Antartida Argentina, the red cranes of the docks came into view where on past the Judical de la Nacion we reached the port, Terminals Rio de la Plata. Erik pays and we get out. End of the quiet time. It takes minutes for each rider to sign the paperwork which Diego then presented to customs. Erik’s idea of giving 100 croissantes to all of the officials in the shipping department was a lovely idea but not strictly necessary. It is an ongoing process. We leave for customs directly.
