Patricia's family rented a chácara for the weekend for a big family Christmas party. It was a nice ranch with an adult pool, a great kids pool, foosball tables, pool tables, huge projection TV screens for music and karaoke, a huge common area, kitchen, bar, soccer field, and river. I was impressed and we only spent the equivalent of $30 for us and the kids.The food was great and endless with everything from whole roasted baby pigs to a fantastic bitter palm salad. The beer flowed freely and was served in the typical Brazilian style, so cold you can feel the ice crystal are just starting to form. I stuck to wine mostly, but you cannot argue with beer that is that cold when you are hot and sweaty from playing soccer. There really is nothing like relaxing in the pool with a coooold beer and eating pizza.
I played soccer for the first time in my life with people that think soccer is a religion. You cannot imagine how fanatical Brazilians are about the game. When your team loses, it is perfectly normal, and half-expected, for you to tear off your teams jersey, fall on the floor and cry your eyes out. It is a good thing this was a family game. The guy you see falling in the picture had his arm in a sling and he still played hard.I quickly discovered that I am a terrible attacker because I lack all the fancy footwork skills for controlling the ball and faking out opponents. Seeing how well these guys can control a ball is humbling. However shameful my attacker performance was, I held my own as a blocker. I blocked 11 shots at our goal, stopping the painfully fast moving balls with everything from my feet, legs, stomach, chest, head, and unfortunately, my nose. The last one stunned me for a few seconds, but since it was not gushing blood, I kept playing. My team lost the first game on Saturday and crushed them on Sunday! There was a sudden torrential rain storm while we playing that didn't faze anyone. We just slid around, falling and laughing our butts off at each other. Notice we are all barefoot.
It has been raining a lot and the river was as brown with mud. Although that did not stop her crazy cousin from diving in. We saw some medium sized monkeys, toucans, and giant scary looking ants that bite. I am wearing the required shorty-short swimming trunks that are the fashion here. It was the uniform for the weekend.We even had Santa Claus (crazy cousin) come to give out presents to the little kids. He had a terrible beard that would not stay in place so none but the littlest of the kids bought it.
And now I am home, sunburned, I hurt all over from abusing my underused soccer muscles, I have big bruises, my ankle is swollen from being kicked, my mosquito bites itch like crazy, I am sleep deprived, a little hung over, feeling fat, and would do it again anytime.
Merry Christmas!
