Played in the Monumental stadium in Lima this World Cup Qualifying game attracted 61,000 plus some others who, despite having tickets never made it into the stadium.
The authorities closed the gates because of an apparently full ground.
Its takes a taxi ride & a longish walk to get near the stadium. Because there is only one way in , the stadium being ringed by mountains, the roads are blocked at various points by the police.
But when the weather is pleasant enough & the surroundings impressive despite the blatant advertising (see pics) it is a very traditional way to approach a game, amongst the fans.
Your correspondent had about 3 days in Lima.
Choosing to be in the centre is not the best option as the hotels are generally old & uninviting & apart from the very impressive main square there is not too much to see.
So i'll opt for nearby Miraflores as a base next time.
But football was the focus.
It was a mediocre Brazil performance , at times languid, but lit up by a sublime finish from star-man Kaka.
Having taken the lead you would assume Brazil would go on to win especially considering the past history (3 wins by Peru from 37 encounters)
But Peru had plenty of play & deserved their equaliser, even though it was from a deflected shot. It certainly got the locals animated & the goal was shown repeatedly on television.
It was my last game on this trip to South America & I finished off the evening with a couple of pisco sours (a very reasonable alternative to a caipirinha) & a steak.
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