Wake Forest Heads for Rio in Brazil Journey
Midfielder Michael Lahoud recounts the team's trip to Corcovado

Brazil Blog: Day 7
Photos from Rio and Sao Paulo
Sam Cronin Reports on Day 6
Coach Lowery's Day 5 Entry
Coach Porter's Day 4 Entry and Photo Gallery
Lyle Adam's Day 3 Entry
Opening Days Blog and Photo Gallery

Boa Noite do Rio de Janeiro!

Today marks the second day of our stay in Rio and there is only one word that can sum it up thus far: breathtaking. Since we've landed in Brazil the weather has been splendid and the same can be said of Rio de Janeiro. Nevertheless, like the previous journeys we have had on this trip, the trip to this coastal city started early yesterday morning from Santa Filomena. After doing our usual 8:30 wake up and subsequent breakfast, we had a light training session. [A competitive, yet fun game] of handball got everybody's spirits high, while some much needed time in the pool gave us time to regenerate our bodies. Following the pool we all finished packing our bags, grabbed a quick lunch at the luxurious Santa Filomena dining room, and boarded the bus for the Sao Paulo International Airport in hopes of catching our flight to Rio. The Sao Paulo traffic was kind to us, so we arrived at the airport in time to board our short flight to the famous coastal city. Although the team was excited for the new experiences that awaited us in the bustling Brazilian city, we were a bit sad to be parting with our charismatic bus driver Jose. Jose was quite a character but we all appreciated his passion for the game and the timeliness he took in getting us to our destination. For that and the priceless entertainment he provided us, we are very grateful for his services.

However, after landing at Rio de Janeiro International airport, and a small delay at the airport with the baggage claim, we were waiting for our new bus. Fortunately for us the bus that we boarded is driven by a kind man named Javier, and the drive from the airport to our hotel was relatively short. On our route to our hotel Ricardo made reservations at a fabulous pizza restaurant in downtown Rio. We enjoyed a range of delicious pizza cuisines from cheese pizza to chocolate and banana pizzas, and even managed to gain a few new fans in the waiters that worked at the restaurant. After everybody was full, it was time to go to our hotel, the Royalty Barra Hotel on the famed Copacabana Beach. Since the day had been another arduous day of travel on our bodies, we were content to get a good nights rest in anticipation for the busy day that followed.

Compared to the first day in Rio, today has been characterized by great tasting food and incredible scenery. Upon waking up and eating our usual 8:30 breakfast, we had a tactical practice on the beach, in preparation for tomorrow's monumental game. Although we had an early start to the day, much of the day was spent wandering the surrounding sections of the city. Following practice, we ate lunch at a nice steak sandwich shop and were then permitted to indulge in a leisure walk around town. Lyle [Adams] and I searched aimlessly for gifts for our loved ones back at home but we were guaranteed that tomorrow would be a more promising day for such an endeavor. Traveling the streets of the city was interesting but the most awe-inspiring moment of the day was yet to come.

This afternoon we were treated to one of Rio de Janeiro's most famous attractions. In the late afternoon the team took the bus to inner city Rio, and then proceeded up various mountains in vans to the national park at Corcovado. Upon driving up the mountains, many of us were enlightened by the image of a statue at the top of the tallest mountain in the city. We made a stop and the halfway point that overlooked the city, and took many photographs of the view. Initially I thought that this was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, however, the view we were going to be treated to next took my breath away. After the short stop at the midway point, the team got on board another set of buses and made the final ascent to the top of the mountain that held the statue. When we arrived at the base of the statue the features of the monument were not distinguishable because of the clouds that hovered around it. Yet when we got to the statue itself, it was then that we realized how enormous and astonishing the structure was. The statue that awaited us the top of the hill is known as Cristo Redentor, or Christ the Redeemer, and is the most extraordinary work of art I have ever seen. It is an image of Jesus Christ with his arms perpendicular to his body that overlooks the whole city from thousands of feet up in the sky. The pandemonium we witnessed among people when it came to taking a picture was uncanny. Nevertheless the coaches and players managed to snap countless photos of not only the statue but also the magnificent view of Rio de Janeiro. Subsequently, the team descended the mountain and headed to a grand dinner of rice, steak, pasta, fish, etc..

Finally, after a few hours of eating and laughter we returned to the Royalty Hotel. With our final game against the U-20 Brazilian National team less than 12 hours away, Coach Jay held a meeting to discuss our preparation for the game. Everybody gave insightful input that promises to help us get a result against the Brazilians in the biggest game of our careers.

Ate Logo,
Mike Lahoud