Category:

Being chased by a demon

6/8/2011

Just before setting off for Argentina, my lovely nan, who just turned 90 a couple of days ago, was convinced I wouldn't come back from this trip. She has never said anything like that before. It put the fear of God into me, to be honest. And after getting stung by a scorpion last summer in Africa and held at gunpoint in Kyrgyzstan a couple of years earlier, you start to think that your card might be marked. I have, consequently, been fearing the worst.

Mishaps to date, comical and problem causing, include:
- missing my connecting flight to Argentina in Brasil on my way here,
- having a bus accident on the first day of Copa America with a tree branch smashing in through the window and almost decapitating my friend Nurnberg Charles, sat next to me, and spraying us with glass,
- having 150 euros stolen,
- missing a bus by ten minutes and it costing me another 100 euros,
- getting knocked to the street by a dog,
- accidentally taking 400 pounds instead of 40 pounds out of a cash machine and consequently not being able to buy flights online,
- having my bank account closed by my bank because they thought someone was using my card and getting stuck somewhere with no cash as a result,
- leaving my guide book and 20% of my clothes on a bus, never to see them again,
- giving a bloke a 100 Peso tip (20 euro) - instead of 10 (2 euro), because he reminded me of my grandad, and I felt too ashamed to ask for my cash back afterwards (and leaving me cashless),
- staying at the world's worst hostel, getting sick, and waking up in the middle of the night to find water pouring onto my bed through the roof,
- leaving my towel and all my cosmetics in a hostel, never to see them again,
- getting to a hostel and finding my reservation cancelled the night before the Copa final, with Buenos Aires full and nowhere to stay,
- getting dizzy and apparently fainting,
- experiencing a small earthquake in Chile that gave me the fear,

Then, the other night, I was in Chile, trying to deal with some awful personal news by downing a 1-litre carton of red wine, sat on a park bench, by the local fjord. A dog came along and tried to steal my food. I gave him a bit, but that just encouraged him. So, I got stuck with him. I am not good with dogs but we made our peace - sort off - and he had half of my cheese rolls and chocolate and I got to keep the wine. But when it was time for me to stroll back to my hostel, the fella started following me. I tried to get rid of him, but he wasn't having any of it. It happens all the time in Argentina and Chile; dogs just start following you, they will go 20 blocks and still be there snapping at your heals. "Look just **** off! I tell him. I don't mean it, but I find myself attached and worried about the lad and just want him to go home; he has a dog tag and is well taken care of.
And, suddenly, three dogs come piling out of a house we pass and chase him into a corner across the road. I watch as he gets bitten on the leg and limps away. I feel terrible, like I am responsible for having given him the bread and cheese, and him being here...and then, the most terrible thing happens: as he limps away across the road, he gets hit by a car. And I am so shocked and upset that I just run and run...

And I don't know why this is all happening to me but, what I do know is that, I had some of the worst news of my life 2 weeks ago, and I have gone to pieces ever since. I feel like a demon is chasing me.

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Copa America 2011 Argentina

Being chased by a demon

What an atmosphere!

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Batista stays in charge

Maradona attempts to sneak in stadium dressed as an ice cream seller

Copa America 2011

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More Than a Game:

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Copa America 2011 Argentina

Being chased by a demon

What an atmosphere!

Aguero set to sign for Manchester City

Batista stays in charge

Maradona attempts to sneak in stadium dressed as an ice cream seller

Copa America 2011

Contact ​More Than a Game:

Archives:

Categories:

Fixtures - Results - Goal Scorers - Teams - Squads - Host Cities - Stadiums

Contact
More Than a Game: