It is Sunday today, and upon my arrival in the bus, I search out Guido, a good friend from the mission. He is down at the church, where the service has just finished, and I find him farewelling his parishoners. After greeting and catching up a little on where life has taken us since we last met, we both head off down the road chatting. I did not know where we were going, but after a couple of blocks we reach the main town field where everybody is gathering.
My friend Guido just before the match starts.
Guido tells me that there is about to be an official match here. A competition between his team, the Taxistas (taxi drivers) and the Constructores (builders). All locals to the town and although friends off the field I am soon to find out that they are the greatest of rivals during the game.
The guy known only as “Baldy.”
It takes longer for the game to start than expected. The Constructores understood that the game started several hours later and had to be searched out from their houses where they were enjoying lunch. So from the start there was disputes. Once this issue was settled, the game began, and over half of the town was there to watch it.
All present watched the game intently, giving their ideas of how it should have been done.
Mostly it was men that watched the game, sitting or standing along the sidelines of the field watching intently. Although the women were generally occupied in other work, some of the women selling their wares in the Sunday market would crane their necks to see the game through the spectators blocking their view.
Guaranies watching the game. Their hair is never cut so it is curled up under their hat and the material around their head stops the sweat from running down.
