Destination: Spain

Moors, Mosques and Mendieta

by Michael Yessis | 02.21.02 | 12:05 AM ET

Two writers for the Independent recently attended soccer games in Senegal and Spain. Each returned with a travel story illustrating that local sporting events are excellent ways to immerse yourself in a local culture. “At the foot of each terrace, a posse of drummers with their barrel-shaped djembe covered in goat hide competed with the distorted mbalax rhythms of Youssou N’Dour blaring out over the loud speakers,” writes Ann Noon, who visited Bamako, Senegal for the African Nations’ Cup final between Senegal and Cameroon. “Coins went flying as ambulant vendors threw bags of fresh peanuts up and down the rows of spectators packed tight like peas in a pod.” In the second story, David Angel attended the Spain-Japan friendly in Cordoba, the first time the Spanish city had hosted an International soccer match.

Tags: Asia, Japan, Europe, Spain