The World Cup Final started at 2pm here in Cusco. We planned to get to the Pub around 12:30 in hopes that we'd get seats. We didn't. Standing room only over an hour before it started, and during the next hour it only got more and more packed.
Right away it was obvious that the German's in attendance were determined to make their voices known. Those of us who were cheering for Argentina, or simply had no opinion whatsoever looked around at each other with a sort of hopeless bewilderment. "What have we gotten ourselves into?" It got louder and fuller and louder and fuller, and finally it started.
People ate, drank, cheered, hugged, cried, sighed, ate some more, drank some more, cheered some more, jeered, a couple people fainted, people drank some more, everyone cheered. It was an emotional experience. Especially for those who'd been drinking.
In the end the quiet ones were the one cheering for Argentina. What could we say? Not only had Germany won fair and square, most of us had German friends, and regardless - who says anything against the winning team when the pub is full of drunk, ecstatic, winners?
As we all trickled slowly out into the street it was a bit shocking how quiet everything was. In fact, the only people who cared about the World Cup were either inside celebrating or outside mourning. Mostly the second with Peruvians. The only sounds heard the rest of the evening were excited, and for the most part drunk, Germans... Walking the streets. Crashing the clubs. Renting tourist buses and riding all around Cusco. It was quite the spectacle. My friend Nina got congratulated for hours, by people who cared, people who didn't care, and people who just wanted to talk to the pretty German girl.
All in all it was quite a first World Cup experience. Here's to the next one? Who knows where I'll be for that one!
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| (You can actually see a bit better just how packed it was if you look in the mirror...) |
Right away it was obvious that the German's in attendance were determined to make their voices known. Those of us who were cheering for Argentina, or simply had no opinion whatsoever looked around at each other with a sort of hopeless bewilderment. "What have we gotten ourselves into?" It got louder and fuller and louder and fuller, and finally it started.
People ate, drank, cheered, hugged, cried, sighed, ate some more, drank some more, cheered some more, jeered, a couple people fainted, people drank some more, everyone cheered. It was an emotional experience. Especially for those who'd been drinking.
In the end the quiet ones were the one cheering for Argentina. What could we say? Not only had Germany won fair and square, most of us had German friends, and regardless - who says anything against the winning team when the pub is full of drunk, ecstatic, winners?
As we all trickled slowly out into the street it was a bit shocking how quiet everything was. In fact, the only people who cared about the World Cup were either inside celebrating or outside mourning. Mostly the second with Peruvians. The only sounds heard the rest of the evening were excited, and for the most part drunk, Germans... Walking the streets. Crashing the clubs. Renting tourist buses and riding all around Cusco. It was quite the spectacle. My friend Nina got congratulated for hours, by people who cared, people who didn't care, and people who just wanted to talk to the pretty German girl.
All in all it was quite a first World Cup experience. Here's to the next one? Who knows where I'll be for that one!
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