Go CU!

Around the corner from our hostel in Denver was a nice little hipster cafe, the name of which I have completely forgotten.  Nevertheless, we ate there every morning we were in Denver.

Not the biggest table I've ever used.

After breakfast the Talk, the Skeptic and I made the journey to Boulder.  We had tickets to the football; the Colorado University Buffaloes were playing the Baylor Bears. The CU campus is set in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, and it was a stunning day; the Skeptic and I both left a little sun-burned, much to our surprise.

Scenic CU.

 A group of tailgaters invited us to join them for a couple of drinks before the game, and we watched the marching band warm up and rehearse.  This was a completely alien experience for three Australian lads; not only would we never see activity like this on our University campus, we would never see it at all.

The CU marching band, doing their thang.

The band go through their paces before every home game; if the Buffs are playing in the afternoon, they have to begin rehearsal at dawn.  This makes them unpopular with the nearby dorms.

Baker Hall, right opposite the band

We were told that we had to head towards the stadium before the game started so we could meet the team's mascot, Ralphie.  Ralphie is a full-sized adult bison.  She is also a lady bison.  She leads the team onto the field at every home game, and before the game poses for photographs.  This is the fifth Ralphie.

Ralphie.

During half-time we returned to the tailgaters to have a couple of beers.  Their tailgater of choice was an ambulance.  They walked us through why an ambulance is the best vehicle to convert for this purpose; it's large, has a good engine and is already wired for electricity.  This particular fanbulance was kitted out with a grill, satellite television and a roll-out tent at the rear.

The Tailgater was a converted ambulance.

Unfortunately the Buffs lost, but the experience of our first college football game was unforgettable.  We stood on the bleachers in the student section, shouting our trachea dry and shaking our keys to make as much noise as possible.  Fight, fight, fight fight fight!

The Buffs about to kick a field goal.