A dirt field, concrete bleachers, and five teams of adolescent athletes gathered on a milky afternoon in Chaco to celebrate Ecuador’s passion, “futbol.”  The province of Napo had organized the games as part of an inter-canton tournament.  (“Cantons” are member states roughly equivalent to counties in the U.S.  Trivia: Switzerland divides itself into cantons, too.)  Other competitions included basketball, wrestling, soccer, chess, and even Tae Kwon Do!

Kevin’s oldest son, Ezra, plays for the Archidona team.  They had succumbed in their first game to Napo’s capital, Tena, but rallied to win the next two.  Now Archidona hoped to claim second-place in the tournament by triumphing in this fourth and final game.

Mountainous areas like Chaco typically suffer colder weather than elsewhere in Ecuador, but that day the sun shone just enough to toast our faces.  Slightly sunburnt, we escorted the silver medalists back to their hotel, then departed once more for home at last.