Day 6: Footvolley and Soccer- Sports (2)

An aerial view of Copacabana Beach including the mountains behind it. 

     We started off the morning with a late breakfast in our hotel.  After we finished eating, all of us went back up to our rooms to pack sunscreen and other necessities needed for our day in the sun. We came back out and found a cab to take us to Copacabana Beach (the driver charged around $17.00 for an hour-long drive). Copacabana is one of the most famous beaches in all of Brazil. This is the beach whose picture dominates many of the brochures. It is a two-and-a-half mile stretch of coast that has been highly commercialized with buildings surrounding it. Previously, the lobby attendant had advised us to leave our personal belongings in our room due to large burglary rates, so we only came with a bit of  money for food and cab fare.

A look at Copacabana Beach from a tourist's perspective.

      Copacabana is extremely crowded because it is one of the most popular tourist destinations. Families come to lounge in the sun or swim in the clear water.  Since we went during the week of Carnival, the beach was filled with people. There was so much shrieking and crying that we had to yell over the noise to be heard. The air was filled with shimmering waves of heat, so after we took a dip in the water, all of us drank coconut water from the fresh coconuts that you can buy from beach vendors. They cut off the top part and give you a straw to sip out of. It was a wonderful way for us to get replenished before watching and later participating in a beach footvolley match. Footvolley is a popular sport in Brazil in which impromptu games commonly take place on the sandy beaches (because it is a free location and has nice cushioning).

The coconut is served with a straw      

A professional game of footvolley on the beach

     Footvolley originated in Brazil and combines the rules of beach volleyball with football (soccer). Players are not allowed to touch the ball with their hands and use their heads, chest, thighs, or shoulders to bump the ball on their side. They can bump the ball up to three times before kicking it over, but cannot touch the ball consecutively. After the referee blows his whistle, the player has five seconds to serve the ball. If two players touch the ball at the same time, it is still considered one hit. When we were watching, the men hit the ball over the net primarily using their heads which sounded painful (you could hear the impact). The players allowed us to participate and while initially it was hard to keep the ball in the air, we were able to manage a fairly successful game. Usually it is played in teams of two, but they let us join in. We played three sets of games and the other side won by two games. Each of our games went up to twenty points but we were told it varied by the game. It was a fun way to help gain control in our legs. 

A man trying to get the ball from the net before it falls down.

        After a very late lunch at Stalos, we went back to our hotel to rest and get ready for the soccer match at 10:00. We ate some food before leaving and then took a cab to Mercana Stadium which was around fifty minutes (and cost around $15.00). We went to the football museum in the stadium before the game and learned a little about the culture involved in the games. The game we were watching was Flemengo against Cabofriense, two local teams in Rio de Janeiro. Flamengo had a crushing victory (five to one). The stadium was not even halfway filled with people due to the time and day of the week. Whatever crowd was there was extremely enthusiastic, yelling and cheering for every goal and attempted goal. People in the audience were waving signs and banners that supported their team. The players themselves celebrated after each goal and played hard. They were constantly moving to support their teammates. It was a fun immersion into Brazilian culture.

Team Flamengo

The Cabofriense Team

Day 5: Historical Tour - Historical

Breakfast Buffet

   Today was the day that we would be going on the Historical walking tour. We woke up at nine and decided to go to the breakfast buffet that they provide everyday at our hotel. Everyone was done stuffing themselves with pancakes, waffles, and coffee, when we decided to go up and get ready.

Inside Sao Bento Monastery

    The tour we had booked online had a set time for our pick-up, being at one. All of us carried our fanny packs with smiles on our faces waiting for the amazing day ahead of us. We got off ten minutes after the bus picked us up and strolled into a small little strip, where we stopped in front off an old-style church. The guide told us it was called Sao Bento Monastery . We learned that it was a monastery created in 1643 in dedication to St.Benedict. The building which stands today was built in 1922.  It looked ordinary, so none of us were too thrilled to go through this church until we actually walked in. It was a blast to the past, as we went to the front of the church, looking at the walls that were dripping with carvings and paintings. It was another world, as we peered at the intricate architecture in front of us. Shades of red and gold created a warm atmosphere for the onlooker and detail on the sides of the wall helped to transform the church into a work of art. The sculptures looked like they could leap off the wall. The roof was adorned with paintings from the Bible. We walked around taking pictures and selfies (of course) until the tour guide told us it was time to go.

Nossa Senhora de Candelaria.

      The narrow streets surrounded us as we continued walking, until we got to a clearing and saw a magnificent church standing in the middle. The building stood rather egotistically, proud and tall, just waiting to be adored. Two pillars stood next to a dome, that was purposefully put farther back, with a little roof before it, which held a cross. Many doors ushered guests in at the bottom, while just above there were large, glass windows set which allowed those that went up,  to have a view of the town square. We all walked closer, awe struck, as the Tour guide chuckled at our reaction and told us that this here beauty is the Nossa Senhora de Candelaria.

Angel with Latin Script

    The Church was lively, but had a balance of tranquility for those who needed peace. Sculptures of  angels stared at us, holding scrolls with words of Latin, telling us to "listen and only then you [we] will understand." Beautiful arches and pillars held the roof high, as the dome was in the center, decorated with divine pictures, as if it was opening up to the heavens. A throne sat in the front adorning a small sculpture of the King and Son (God and Jesus), with all mortals at their feet, at the top of the throne and a cross put in the middle of the throne. At one time, this church was the wealthiest church in Brazil (when it was occupied by the Portuguese). They continually repair it due to its age.We were not able to go any further to see, but we all were amazed with the craftsmanship shown and were very well impressed with "Rio's most impressive church".

Praca XV de Novembro

        This time we walked a longer distance than before, stopping every now and then to take pictures of the old buildings that surrounded us. As we went along, the streets started to widen and the buildings rose above our heads, reaching up to the ever blue sky.  That is when we came to the Praca XV de Novembro. This is the square where huge events in Rio's history took place, like the coronations of the Brazil emperors. Also, the abolition of slavery took place in this very square. We mainly stood and listened here, as there was not much to see, but a little memorial , in the very middle, that stated the location and listed some sculptures and buildings.

Imperial Palace

    The Imperial Palace was up next, being the manor house that was built for Brazil rulers. This place, even though it is only three stories (barely),was so long, that we couldn't see the end of it! The house reminded most of us of a gated community, as the inside seemed to consist of many rooms, each with a separate window that had a little balcony accompanying it, making the illusion that there are separate "houses" in there. By far, this was the least luxurious thing that we saw and we all felt kind of spoiled for saying this, but whoever lived in there must of had a terrible time. We all walked with heavy hearts as we knew that we were coming to a close, but it had been a good day and we were very thankful for that.

Top of the Metropolitan Cathedral

   We walked down Uruguaiana Street to Carioca Square and finally to our last destination. We had no idea what we were going to see and so when we came to the "finishing line", we all couldn't help, but think that maybe the universe was telling us to 'go to church', as the last stop was a Cathedral. The Metropolitan Cathedral was by far the weirdest, but coolest thing we had seen. Usually Cathedrals are thought to be old, intricate buildings with paintings and statues, but this Cathedral was like a Las Vegas attraction. Shaped in the form of a pyramid, inside the very top was a cross, with streams of amazing mosaics streaming from it to the bottom. In between two mosaics and on top of the altar, was this extremely detailed statue of Jesus on the cross, with a little slab put underneath for two other figures to stand. It was so realistic that we were all moved to tears and we soon could not be in there any more, seeing such depravity. We all got on the bus afterwards and were taken back to the hotel. This was such an amazing experience that none of us could forget, but we still were not ready to retire for the day.  

Kitchen of Mirante da Prainha

   As a relaxing ending for the day we decided to go to Prainha Beach to hangout and to watch the fantastic sunset. It was a one and a half hour drive there, but it was worth it to see a beautiful beach that was virtually to ourselves. We all were starving and decided to eat at this petite restaurant, named Mirante da Prainha,  that had an amazing view of the beach. The kitchen was a small little shack, while the seating was in the open, having trees as the covering. We all couldn't help but smile at feeling like most tourists, while eating from "Brazil's version" of a food truck.

Sunset at Prainha Beach

   We walked around after eating, drinking in the rural side of this magnificent country. The sun started to set around 7:30, setting the sky aglow with a peculiar pinkish color. It was absolutely breathtaking as the sun dipped down below the horizon, falling away from our sight. The waves started to pick up as the moon entered the sky. Far away all we could see was darkness and our hearts cried, as we knew that our departure would be soon. With that we walked to the street above and called for a cab, all of us envying those that had a chance to see this everyday.
    We arrived at the hotel, walking to our rooms like zombies. With all that we saw today, we all can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store for us.