Trip planning

Me and Francis wanted to go to World Cup for a while, it would be the first time for me, Francis already went to previous editions.

Then the group draw revealed that Ecuador would play Germany. Since Francis is from Ecuador, this became the game we wanted to see.

We applied several times but never received tickets trough the official Fifa sale rounds. Resale prices were around $2,000 per ticket. Still, we started planning the trip before we had any tickets.

Francis cousin lives in Calgary and recently had a baby. We decided to combine both plans. We would first visit them in Calgary and then fly to New York for the World Cup game.

The full trip lasted only 10 days, from June 21 to July 1. Luckily we found a recently added direct flight from Zurich to Calgary, which took around ten hours.

About a month before the game, I finally got tickets on the official FIFA resale marketplace. They were still expensive at around $1,000 each, but I decided it was worth it.

Calgary, Canada

Francis cousin and her husband picked us up at the airport. We stayed at their home for three nights, which we greatly appreciated. They gave us a room in the basement with our own bathroom. It was more than enough. Their baby was just four months old and smiled most of the time. At one point, they put the baby in my arms. I think it was the first time I had ever held a baby!

The weather was a bit fresh at first. It was around 15 degrees Celsius with a lot of wind. Coming from a hot Swiss summer, it was quite the change.

Calgary Downtown

On our first full day, we explored downtown Calgary. I learned that many downtown buildings are connected by enclosed walkways. They are especially useful during the cold winters, which can get to -30 degrees Celsius. You can park underground and move between buildings without going outside.

We walked through a few malls and had a nice lunch and watched a World Cup game at a sports bar.

That evening, we went to a Texas-style barbecue restaurant. We ordered a huge plate with several kinds of smoked meats. Everything was delicious, and I ate a lot of it.

After dinner, we drove through the Calgary suburbs. We passed through an upscale neighborhood with a view across downtown.

It was around 9:30 p.m., but the sun was still up. We caught a beautiful golden-hour sunset and took the picture below.

Lake Louise

On our third and final day, we drove into the Canadian Rockies. The drive from Calgary took around two hours.

Our first stop was Lake Louise, one of the area’s most famous lakes. The parking near the lake was full, so we parked farther away and walked there, around 30 minutes walk.

The lake has turquoise water and is surrounded by mountains and glaciers. I had seen many pictures of it before. I just had not realized we would be visting it on this trip. I was very happy that we made the trip and could see it ourselves.

Banff

After Lake Louise, we drove toward Banff. Along the way, we stopped at Morant’s Curve, a famous spot to take pictures with the railway, river, and mountains.

While we stood there, Francis spotted a bear crossing the river in the distance. She shouted, “A bear! Un oso!” I saw it too. I could not tell whether it was a brown bear or a grizzly, but seeing one in the wild was very cool.

We also came across an elk beside the road. It was large and beautiful. We drove past slowly and took a few pictures.

In Banff, we had lunch and walked around town. It was very touristy. We found a store full of stuffed animals, and Francis was fascinated. We spent almost an hour inside. She eventually bought winter gloves, which I think was a good purchase.

Flight to New York

On Wednesday morning, after three days in Calgary, we flew to New York.

We completed U.S. immigration at the Calgary airport. Security took around one hour, followed by another 30 minutes at immigration. This allowed us to arrive in New York like a domestic flight.

I was selected for extra screening, so they inspected all my devices.

Switzerland was playing Canada during our flight. Luckily, the person next to us had Wi-Fi and a streaming service. We watched the game live in the air. Switzerland won 2:1, which earned us a few comments from the Canadians on the plane, as we were wearing Switzerland shirts. They were very friendly and congratulated us on the win :)

New York

We arrived in New York at around 5 p.m. Since we had already completed immigration in Canada, we could leave the airport immediately.

Public transport was the fastest and cheapest way to reach our hotel. On the first train, we met a kind older Spanish-speaking woman. She showed us our next connection, rode with us, and told us where to get off.

We stayed at the Kimpton Theta on 49th Street and Eighth Avenue. The location was very central, close to Times Square and the subway.

Times Square

After checking in, we grabbed a sandwich and went straight to Times Square. An Ecuadorian banderazo was taking place there. Thousands of football fans had gathered to celebrate together.

The atmosphere was exciting. People played instruments, sang, and shouted. We searched for our friends in the crowd and eventually found them. We had a few beers and joined the celebration.

Later, I met a close friend from Switzerland who now lives in New York. I had not seen him in a long time. We had drinks on a rooftop, followed by some late-night New York pizza.

The pizza was good. Not as good as in Switzerland, but still very tasty.

Ecuador vs. Germany

The next day was match day. After a small breakfast, we walked to the shuttle buses around midday. The buses were arranged for World Cup ticket holders, but we still had to buy separate shuttle tickets.

The ride to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey took around 45 minutes with traffic. We arrived at 1 p.m., three hours before kickoff.

The organization around the stadium was good. We entered without much delay. There were many places to buy food and drinks, and fans were gathering everywhere.

Francis painted the Ecuadorian flag colors on both our faces :)

The atmosphere was amazing. The Ecuadorian fans had so much energy. They kept shouting, “Sí se puede,” which means, “Yes, we can.”

I shouted and cheered with them. For one day, I felt 99% Ecuadorian. I was very happy to be part of their crowd.

The stadium was impressive, and we had a great view of the field. Around 80,000 people, and around 50,000 from Ecuador, and 30,000 from Germany, were in the stadium.

Germany scored within the first five minutes. Ecuador equalized around 20 minutes afterward.

Early in the second half, Germany received a penalty. After a VAR review, the referee overturned it because of an earlier foul.

The game was very tense. Later in the second half, I filmed a corner kick that led to Ecuador’s second goal.

Ecuador won 2:1! Germany pushed hard during the final part of the game, but Ecuador held on. It was an exciting match, and I was very happy to join the celebration.

We stayed at the stadium for at least two more hours. We celebrated, met other friends and their relatives, and enjoyed the feeling after the win.

There were no lines when we finally took the shuttle back. The ride to Manhattan took another 45 minutes. On the way, we had a beautiful view of the Manhattan skyline.

Afterward, we went straight to a restaurant for a steak dinner. It was the perfect way to end the day.

The $1,000 tickets were absolutely worth it. I am very glad I experienced my first World Cup game.

Friday after the match

The next morning was relaxed. We said goodbye to the friends who had traveled in for the game. Some went home, while others continued their trips.

Francis found an Ecuadorian restaurant called Moreno across the Hudson River in New Jersey. We took a bus to get there. Finding the bus terminal was not easy, but we eventually managed after looking around and asking for help.

The terminal looked like a train station, except the vehicles were buses. Our bus drove through a tunnel beneath the river and into New Jersey. From there, we walked to the restaurant.

The restaurant was packed, but we did not have to wait long for a table. The menu looked great, and all the food sounded delicious. I have never eaten much Ecuadorian food before meeting Francis. By now, I had tried several restaurants and really enjoyed the rich flavors and spices.

I almost ordered Cazuela, one of my favorite dishes. Since I had eaten it a few months earlier, I chose the Encocado instead. It is a fish dish made with coconut milk.

We also shared a Corviche, shown on the left below. It is made with fish and peanut sauce and was also delicious.

El Gran Combo concert

Months earlier, Francis had randomly noticed that one of our favorite salsa orchestras would play in New York. By coincidence, the concert was one day after the World Cup match. We bought tickets immediately and had been looking forward to it ever since.

The concert took place at the Beacon Theatre. A seated theater felt like an unusual setting for salsa music.

We wanted to dance, but everyone had assigned seats. At least ours were in the fourth row. We could see the orchestra up close, which was amazing.

El Gran Combo has been performing since 1962. The group is from Puerto Rico and is one of the world’s most famous salsa orchestras.

I knew most of their songs. Francis and I sang along and had a great time. Seeing them live in New York felt special because the city has such a rich salsa history.

At times, everyone stood up and danced!

Of course, their final song was one of their most famous: “Un verano en Nueva York”. Below is a video of the song.

Saturday, June 27

On Saturday, we started with lunch at Katz’s Delicatessen on the Lower East Side. The restaurant is known for its pastrami sandwiches. It is also New York’s oldest deli and has been open since 1888.

We waited in line for around 30 minutes. Once seated, we ordered one pastrami sandwich and one brisket sandwich.

The sandwiches were huge. The pastrami was tender, juicy, and delicious.

DUMBO

With full bellies, we continued south to DUMBO in Brooklyn. We walked around the neighborhood and had some coffee. It was a little rainy outside.

We took pictures at the famous spot beneath the Manhattan Bridge. You can even see the Empire State Building in the distance.

That evening, we returned to the hotel and rested.

Sunday, June 28

On Sunday, we decided to take it slow.

Central Park

We picked up a bagel and went to Central Park. We had a small picnic, layed on the grass, and just relaxed.

I still had one big plan in the back of my mind. I wanted to propose to my girlfriend, Francis.

Sunset Cruise

My original plan was to propose while we danced Salsa in a Brooklyn park at sunset. The Manhattan skyline would be behind us. However, the weather forecast looked uncertain. I also could not find a convincing reason to take us there just to dance, especially since we were tired.

Instead, I booked a sunset cruise.

After a nap in the hotel, we felt refreshed. We went to the Midtown pier, where the boat left at 7 p.m. The cruise would last two hours and pass through New York Harbor during sunset.

I had secretly hired a photographer to join us. I bought him a ticket and sent it to him so he could board the same boat. We stayed in contact through WhatsApp.

Luckily, the weather turned out almost perfect. A few clouds crossed a mostly blue sky. It was a little windy on the boat, but we were fortunate. The gods were with me.

The cruise was not private. At least 50 other tourists were on board. A guide talked throughout the trip and shared facts about the buildings and the city’s history.

Meanwhile, I kept thinking about where I could propose.

Most people were on the upper deck. The lower deck had a covered indoor area, with stairs leading to a quieter open space. I went downstairs once under the excuse of looking around. I decided that this would be the spot.

About one hour into the cruise, the sun started to set. I asked Francis to come downstairs because I wanted to show her something. Then I proposed.

The moment felt surreal and stressful. I do not remember every detail, but I am pretty sure she said yes. Yes, she did!

I was very relieved. The setting was beautiful, and the photographer captured the moment. We took more pictures afterward, and Francis looked very happy.

The sun reflected from the buildings as the sky turned red. Even the moon was shining brightly. It was a perfect New York summer night and one I will never forget.

The pictures below were taken by the photographer:

After the cruise, we celebrated with a Ramen dinner and later sat down at Times Square, and just enjoyed the lights and the atmosphere, we were both super happy :)

Monday, June 29

On our last day as a newly engaged couple in New York, we had only one reservation left.

Brunch

We went to Clinton St. Baking, a popular breakfast restaurant known for its pancakes and milkshakes. Luckily, we had a reservation and could order as soon as we arrived.

We shared the pancakes, and Francis finally got the chocolate milkshake she had wanted for a long time.

Brooklyn Bridge

After brunch, we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to digest the food. It was hot, and the walk took around 20 minutes.

At the end, we took a nice picture with the Manhattan skyline behind us.

JFK

Our flight back to Switzerland left that evening. At around 4 p.m., we picked up our luggage from the hotel. We also bought Chipotle to take away, one of my favorite fast foods. Then we took public transport to JFK Airport.

We had almost three hours to spare, so we went to the Lufthansa lounge. It had a special World Cup viewing area!

We watched the full Germany vs. Paraguay game, including extra time and penalties.

The flight home was smooth. We ate dinner on the plane at around 10 p.m. and slept for a while. Breakfast woke us a few hours later, and we landed in Zurich early in the morning.

Conclusion

This short trip brought together many different experiences. We visited family in Calgary, explored the Canadian mountains, attended a World Cup game, and saw El Gran Combo live in New York.

Most importantly, Francis and I got engaged. That made an already awesome trip unforgettable. I am very happy and grateful for this experience.

Love you, Francis! ❤️