...3 hilarious posts that I forgot to share...

From our difficult travel from Natal to Manaus and back to Natal. 

1 Brice sleeping and drooling on Natal airport floor. 

2 Friends Tucker and Dave (this pic was not posed...an actual true shot)...probably 9 hours or so after bein in Manaus airport (we were there for total if 15 or 16 hours)

3 Brice using Leah's shoulder as pillow while she multi tasks on her iPhone

Last day in Brazil

On our way home to the States after a wonderful adventure in Brazil. We had dinner this week at a legit Brazilian steak house, hit the beach a few times, and of course...made the trek to Recife to see USA play Germany. See pics below. The rain in Recife was outrageous. It was one of those Southern raining sideways thunderstorms...only we were in Brazil where they obviously have an inferior gutter system. Because the weather forecast was iffy and there were some concerns over security, our bus departed at friggin 1:30 am. We met up with 11 other buses to transport the 550 American Outlaw fans, and had a police escort from start to finish.  We arrived in Recife early in the morning, and after watching 12 buses attempt to park in a tight area, the pre game party began. Felt like one of those "early morning college parties"...the scene was just silly. I wish I could post videos on the blog...and will see what I can do when I get back to the States. The USA fans were dressed up as Abe Lincoln, Gen Patton, Statue of Liberty, big bald eagles...so many great costumes. And every now and then, a fan from Germany would walk by and get absolutely pummeled with obnoxious chants and "words of encouragement."  Plus it was still raining sideways, but we were all gathered under a giant tent.  A DJ played some tunes...all good American Music...Springstein's "Born in The USA", Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline", Tom Petty, etc. 

Made it to the game vs Germany, and were delighted that our seats were in the lower bowl, but covered and protected from the rain. Really great seats considering the circumstances. And even though the USA lost, they played pretty well....ultimately advancing to the next stage with some help from Portugal. Advancing is a big deal. England, Spain, Italy didn't advance. We did and it's a big accomplishment for USA soccer program. 

Today was a chill day. Had breakfast, packed, took a walk on the beach with Leah and now at the airport. We fly to Houston, and then to Denver tomorrow. Looking forward to sharing more stories with everyone when we return. 

1 Pregame at Recife

2 Leah and I doing our best to hang with the crowd 

3 Brice and Patton

4 morning beach walk...last day

5 Leah making friends at Natal airport

Manaus...hope to never see that airport again

Been a while since I made a post. Today's update will cover (1) the gut punch game vs Portugal and (2) a travel nightmare story that you will believe is completely made up. But all is well...we are back in Natal, recuperating, and have our sights set on an upcoming snorkel trip and the game vs Germany. 

The trip to Manaus started with a change of plans from the organizers.  Instead of being in the hotel lobby at 3:30 am, they wanted us there by 2:30. So we set our alarms and arrived on time. But the bus to pick us up didn't arrive til 4:00 am. What was the point in waking up early?  Oh well...not a super big deal. The 500+ American Outlaws arrive at Natal airport and we have already been divided into groups Plane 1 and Plane 2.  Plane 1 group has had no problems...they check in first, their plane arrives/departs on time, all of the glorious things you'd expect from modern day travel. Plane 2 group constantly gets the shaft. Our plane departed so late on Thursday that the "meal" served on the plane was "dried crumbled egg breakfast" and we missed the pre game party. But at this point, I'm still ok. At least we made it to the stadium well in advance of kickoff. 

We go to the game, and it was a wonderful experience. Plenty of USA fans, and the drama of the game kept everyone on the edge of their seats. Portugal scores first, but you could "feel" the USA team was much better than Portugal. We score twice in second half and received a beer shower from above that didn't bother us one bit. And then, Portugal scores in the last friggin seconds of the game. What a gut punch!  So frustrated...but hey...USA is still in pretty good shape to advance to next round. 

The masses exit the stadium, and trek back to Manaus airport. We all knew it was going to be a long night, but holy moly were we surprised by the new itinerary. Instead of leaving at midnight, which would put us back in Natal by 5:00 am, we spent the night on concrete airport floors and uncomfortable chairs. I know I sound like I'm whining, but this blew. And the delays drug out to the point that the excuses being give. To us just felt like lies. We finally departed at 1:00 pm (16 hours in Manaus airport) and made it back to our hotel by 6:00. Brutal travel day...might be my all time nastiest travel experience. 

The silver lining was that the people on Plane 2, that were stuck in the same situation, were really friendly, kept a positive attitude and cracked several jokes (and beers) over the 15 hours. Not sure if it was because we were all USA fans or if we just got lucky being around normal, sane and patient peeps.  But it was good to see that everyone was able to deal in such a shitty situation.  

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One of those places...

Do you have a spot on the planet that you wish you could share with all of your buds? Or is there a spot that you want to keep to yourself because it's so damn nice...and don't want the word to get out to the masses. Wherever you stand, that's cool. Maybe your spot is in Belize, Santa Monica, the Bahamas or Hardy, Arkansas...but we found a tiny location that is worth sharing with all of you. Praia da Pipa...just south of Natal...unbelievable special place. Leah said ..."best beach ever visited". Has a hippie vibe, great seafood, people from all over the globe laughing and partying...just a great place to remind yourself how dy-no-mite is to live. 

We are on our way to Manaus with 500 other American Outlaws fans. Woke up at 2:30 this morning. Made it to airport by 4:00. Currently standing in line waiting to board the plane.  Leah made hot ham sandwiches last night and we are scarfing them down for breakfast. She's a good catch. Thanks Leah. Let's get 3 points and beat Portugal.  

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Friday morning entry...chilaxing continues

I scrambled on Wednesday to make a post with pictures, but wanted to take some extra time to elaborate on our story. We lined up a dune buggy tour which picked us up at the hotel, navigated the city streets for 45 minutes and then made it to the dunes. Going through the city streets in a dune buggy is interesting. First, you are in a dune buggy...no seat belts, no roof. Secondly, to avoid anyone riding by on a bike or running swiftly by the buggy, all personal belongings need to be hidden at your feet or put away (something the driver reminded us of quite often).  But overall the dune buggy experience was pretty darn cool. Because of the World Cup, we are pretty sure the prices are jacked up a bit (about $150 per person), but it was worth and lasted the entire day. We hit some tiny water holes, big beaches, guys selling lobster on a stick (tasty!), beers along the way and beautiful scenery. Not a bad way to spend the day. 

Thursday was a different day. Not awful, just different. First, it was a tad rainy. Second, we went on a wild goose chase to find a rental car and struck out. Third, to Leah's disappointment, it was a national holiday and many of the shops were closed. (Side note...have any of you ever shopped with Leah? You'd understand what I am talking about. While I will give her credit that she can sometimes find a good deal or really cool item, the process is excruciating. Can feel like a meandering walk in the Sahari with no end in sight or expectation for when the torture will evaporate).  Good news was we found a few shops open, beer stands to help make the experience more enjoyable for all, a neat little BBQ buffet with a local guy manning the grill...and plenty of World Cup soccer on TVs everywhere we went. This country loves soccer...(thanks Captain Obvious).  But they have TVs in the Pharmacy, TVs all over the mall, TVs in shops, TVs in nice restaurants. The USA could learn something from Brazil in my opinion. 

But the big news of the day was that my sister Kelsey and brother-in-law, Kevin, welcomed into the world their first born...Kenzie Bourquin at 8.4 lbs. I knew that we would likely be in Brazil when she arrived, but the texts and pics flying in while watching England vs Uruguay made Leah and I pause...raise a glass...and share a few words of welcome from 5000 miles away to Kenzie and the Bourquin family. Pretty cool and so happy for Kelsey and Kevin. 

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Dune Buggy Adventure

While watching soccer games are a ton-o-fun, it was time for us to go on an adventure of a different kind. We reserved a dune buggy tour guide...basically blasting around beaches in Northern Natal with a local named, Hober. I'll share more details later when I have my laptop handy...but here are a few camera shots for enjoyment (while sitting in a cube, on a con call or using your favorite Microsoft application).

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The scene was Cra-Cra

As the kids say, the scene before and after the game was cra-cra (aka crazy)...like no other game of any kind that I have been to. 3000 USA fans in one spot, Brazilians driving up and down the street honking horns, and excessive music + beverages. And then there was the game. Oh boy...what a game.  Not the most beautiful game, but we won (take that Piper!) and have 3 points heading into the final 2 matches. Here are a few pics from yesterday's bafoonery. 

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