The end

To say the least that after 9 days away from home we were all glad to be coming home. I think we all came back with an appreciation of where we live and the opportunities we have here. We were ready to come back to the sun and all the hot weather Florida has to offer.
There were highs and lows with the trip. There were some disappointments but then there were some surprises.
All in all this was an experience that the boys will never forget. Most saw a side of life that they would not see here in America. Some boys developed deeper friendships. Some stepped out of their comfort zone and attempted conversations with new people. They saw how soccer can be played at an entirely different level than what they are used to.
I attempted to take pictures of everyone at the airport as we wanted for our flight back to Miami but I missed a few: Cheryl & Garrett, Charlie & Jan, Lucia & Carlos.
A special thank you goes to Frank Weaver - nephew of Luciano - you really should go into psychology. Your understanding nature & practical approach to things helped save our sanity!
I hope this blog gave those back home a sense of peace knowing that your boys were fine and gave you an opportunity to share in their exploits.
It was a pleasure meeting all of you. I hope our paths cross again. Good luck to all.

Iguazu Falls

This was the highlight of the trip. The Iguazu Falls can be viewed from Argentina, Brasil & Paraguay. There are over 279 Falls. They are 269 feet tall.
The Falls are located in Iguazu National Park. We rode a bus to the base of the falls and climbed up via a trail. We were told that the park holds such animals as pumas, jaguars, coati.
The boys and some parents were able to walk out on the platform and look down the Devil's throat - those brave souls got drenched.
You could have spent days in this park looking at all the park had to offer. This was definitely a come back & see it again place!

Paraguay Vs. Brazil

The morning started with a game with the team from Luciano's old professional club. Both groups of boys played against them and both lost. They truly got to see what a "Soccer Club" was all about! These boys are professionally trained and groomed to be sold to soccer clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid etc. It is their means of getting out of their enviromnt with the hopes of bigger & better things. From their warm ups to their play there was a major difference in what the US does & what this team does. Both teams lost big - 11-0 & 9-0.

We then went to the game. All I can say is wow! The stadium was packed just like Raymond James is packed for football. Sodas & bagels were sold in the stadiun as well as empanadas & steaks shish ke bobs.

The pictures tell the story.

We're close to the end of the trip. Tomorrow we leave at 6:00 AM for a plane ride to the Falls, 7 then the boys play that night. Some boys are coming down with scratching throats, the sniffles &
achy body. My son was down for the count today & spent the entire day in bed. I think almost everyone is ready to go home.

I probably will not post anything else until after our return. I hope you enjoyed a brief synopsis of our trip and knew that your boys were well.

See you in 2 days....

Fran

Soccer, Soccer & Soccer

The boys played soccer games during the past two days. Saturday the boys played in a soccer tournament on the Yacht club soccer grounds. The younger boys did not fare as well as the older boys. Interesting things happened with the younger team....one of the boys from the paraguay teams managed to get 3 yellow cards in 1 game - how? he switched jerseys until he was finally caught. I don't know how many balls David Sweeney stopped with his stomache but he kept playing through it... Way to go David. Joey C decided to give back as good as he was getting & he also manged to push through.
The older boys fared better coming in 2nd in their tournament. In the championship game they lost 2-1. Just ask Cameron & Derek about the cross bars - back to back misses. The boys saw how passionate the Paraguayans are about their soccer. There was a celebration after the tournament where drinks & food were provided. Empanadas, sandwiches, cakes & soda.

What was interesting to watch - not just the games - was the way the soccer fields grew from 1 field to 3. We watched the grounds crew take apart football posts and make 2 sets of soccer goals

Chaco Soccer Stadium

We had an opportunity to go into the stadium where the Paraguay Vs. Brasil game will take place. The boys had a chance to stand on the sidelines of the field. They toured the 'Hall of Fame'
that is in the stadium that showed the history of Paraguayan soccer

Paraguay yacht Club & Tour Of Asuncion

The rooms are huge, the beds were great, the food has been wonderful!!! The boys are actually eating and sleeping now.
Today we toured the city of Asuncion which was established in 1811. We toured the House of Honor which included the tomb of the unknown soldier. The House of Honor is protected by a military guard. We then went to the Independence Museum where we learned the history of Paraguay - it was 1 of 8 vice kingdoms that was established by Spain. Asuncion was the center of the so called revolution and it established itself as the 1st Republic.
We then walked the streets of Asuncion and were told that the people of Paraguay were known as mestizos. They are made up of either Hispanic or Indians.
We spent time in the city and did a little shopping. Had lunch in the city in a mall.
We then drove to an American School that follows the concept provided IMG Academy. The kids attend school & play soccer there. The U15s played and won 1-0. The u14ws lost 3-2 in the last 10 seconds.
The boys were tired and were glad to get back to the hotel to rest.
Tomorrow we play in a tournament.

See you later.

Paraguay Here We Are

We are now in Paraguay staying at the Paraguayan Yacht Club. To say the least we feel like we have died & gone to heaven. The boys are back to what they are accustomed to. We had a great dinner - no hotdogs, rice & beans ! We were served all types of grilled meat - sausage, pork chop, steak, lamb, filet mignon with a beatiful side table of desserts (flan, fruit, mini trats, creme brulee) and salads.... The boys ate vegetables & fruts tonight! We had live guitar & harp music at dinner. They boys clapped along to the music and it was obvious that they were enjoying themselves. Later this morning we have a tour of Asuncion and the boys will then go to an American School and possibly play against a team there.

Hope this helps keep you assured that the boys are well. I will try & post more pictures of the younger boys. Here's a photo of 2 happy guys!

Talk to you later