Brittany and Angela here!!
Today we had our very first day at Cococabana Beach! The weather was sunny and the water was a lot warmer than what we are used to in Mass!!!! We all went into the ocean and got knocked over by the HUGE waves. It was a lot of fun and we can’t wait to go back again another day! Some of the team actually played beach volleyball on one of the many nets that were set up. After the beach the team ate at Eclipse, which is a Brazilian restaurant a few blocks away from our hotel. The food was great, but ordering without Iggy (our translator and tour guide) was very frustrating for us and the waiter!
After lunch we headed back to our hotel to get ready for Match 2! This was held at Marina Barra Club which was located in a very different setting than our first match. The coaches decided on playing 5 sets total no matter who won. We won 3 out of the 5 matches. After the game, each team exchanged gifts. We received medals from their club while we gave them WSU sweat towels. Both teams appreciated the gifts. Following the game, we ate dinner with them at their club restaurant. We had the opportunity to meet the Brazilian coaches and players. We learned a lot about their lives here in Rio along with their culture. They were all very nice and friendly to us and were willing to teach us as much Portuguese as we were capable of pronouncing. This is a memory we will never forget and we took many pictures with our new friends to remember them. We were surprised to hear that Justin Beiber is as popular in Brazil as he is in the US! They knew a lot of the same songs as us and asked us to sing along with them. Lady Gaga and Justin Beiber were the big hits of the night! It was sad to leave our new friends because of how welcoming they were. We exchanged facebook names so we can keep in touch! We just arrived to our hotel and we will update you tomorrow!! Love and miss you all!
Tchau!!!
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Could it be the Miss America’s swim suit competition being held in Rio?!
BOY!!! I CAN’T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT YOUR WONDERFUL TRIP. fOR MANY THAT IS A LIFE TIME DREAM. YOU GUYS HAVE A REAL TREAT IN BEING THERE . SEEING BRAZIL ON OUR SIDE HERE, LOOKS SO MUCH MORE THAN WHAT WE EXPECTED. IT IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. PLUS WHEN YOU ALL ARE IN THE PICTURES ,IT IS MORE BEAUTIFUL. KEEP WINNING AND BUILDING FRIENDSHIPS AND MEMORIES.LOVE NANAPATTI
Hi Girls,
Love the Blog! Thanks for the udates and the pictures. Looks like you are all having an awesome time there. The footage on You Tube was great! We are so happy that you have been given this opportunity to experience volleyball and the culture in Brazil. Much thanks to your coaches and Westfield State University. Work Hard and Play Hard! Make us proud – GO OWLS!!!!
Luv you Mo! Best Wishes, Tim and Marianne (Mo’s parents)