Monday, November 12, 2007

Play Ball!

Yesterday’s highlight was most definitely our trip to the baseball game. While I was able to use my press pass to gain free admission, Lauren had to buy a $3.50 ticket. We ended up sitting about 15 rows behind home plate. We could have sat in the first row behind the field but the intense Nicaraguan sun chased us into the shade.

Despite poverty’s omnipresence, Nicaragua seems like one big party. The atmosphere at the baseball game was certainly no exception. Even though there were no more than 4,000 people in attendance the crowd was louder than any I’ve been a part of at Camden Yards in quite some time. Missing was the sterile, ordinary, apathetic feeling that one often experiences at Camden Yards. Instead of professionals using their season tickets to entertain clients, Managua’s Dennis Martinez Stadium is home to passionate and lively fans. These fans were even able to start their own cheers without being prompted by stadium graphics or audio effects. Food venders offered a variety of traditional Nicaraguan delicacies. Somehow we passed on fried pig skin, some cheese wrapped in tortillas and doused in heavy cream, and an assortment of fried plantains. We did purchase two oranges for about 15 cents each. Other vendors hawked all sorts of crazy items. Our favorite was definitely the guy who sold whistles and felt the need to prove that his products functioned every 10 seconds.

The game itself was fairly entertaining, although in such a sensory-rich environment it sometimes took on a secondary role. Boer, Managua’s team, lost to San Fernando, Masaya’s representative, 8-5. The quality of baseball was good, but not great. I would say it was equivalent to Single A or AA minor league ball. I quickly pegged Boer’s Clyde Williams, a gringo, as my favorite player since I have seen him twice around town.

I really enjoyed the game and am looking forward to attending more in the future. Baseball gave me a little taste of home, but certainly with a Nicaraguan flavor.

I talked with our friend Keren. She is going to go with me on Wednesday morning to try to set up a way to get the kids into school. Very exciting!

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