VARSITY ATHLETICS

May 19, 2008

Last Match, A Brazilian Barby And Some Fishing...

By Senior Forward RJ French (Zionsville, IN)

We finished our last soccer match of the trip and after the exchanging of shirts and the attempts at conversation, we grabbed our bags and broke free from the crowd…or so we thought. When we began to board the bus, a mob of crazed female fans decided to follow us all the way on to the bus. Their enthusiasm was welcomed, so we took them along for the ride. The opposing team was kind enough to invite us to a barbeque afterwards, so we were off. Showering at the barbeque location was quite an adventure due to having the hot water and the lights cut out simultaneously in the middle of our showers. With shampoo and soap covered bodies, we opened the windows and yelled for help. The local’s confusion must have stirred enough commotion because our tour guide came to the rescue. The food was delicious at the barbeque, and the opposing team taught us a few very unique dances. Between the dancing, the food, and the company, is was a perfect ending to a great night.

The next morning we were fortunate enough to see the sunrise. Unfortunately this also meant that we needed to be up and packed by six o’clock in the morning. We grabbed breakfast and were able to catch up on some sleep with the five hour bus ride ahead of us. After what seemed like an eternity, we finally arrived at Llha Grande. The weather was beautiful, and the hour ferry ride to our island resort was a perfect time to finally grab some real sun.

The resort was surreal. The staff was tremendously helpful in grabbing our bags while we ate a filling lunch of rice, beans, chicken and fish. We then changed into our bathing suits and headed to the boat. It took us out to the middle of ocean where we began to fish with a mere wooden board and string. We were all skeptical that anyone would catch anything, but an hour later several fish were caught and skinned. We were able to catch several different types of fish along with sharks and eels. After translation through our tour guide, we found out that some of the eels we caught were the most poisonous eels in the water, and that they should be handled with great care. Apparently they had tails that could burn through human skin by merely contact with it. They demonstrated how they dealt with them through a cutting board and the blunt end of a knife. The sharks we caught apparently had several rows of teeth and were to be let back into the ocean by someone experienced with sharks. All and all, it was quite an adventure that will never be forgotten.

After coming back to the resort from a full day of fishing, we were allowed time to take the kayaks and canoes out and explore. We were also given snorkel equipment to see what kind of creatures roamed these waters. Little did we know what creatures or deserted wrecks we would find…

Posted by: Creg Jantz May 19, 2008 09:33 AM | Category: Men's Soccer

Posted by: cnj4 (Creg Jantz) May 19, 2008 09:33 AM | Comments (0) | Trackback