...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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Gameday #USAvGHA

About to head to Gameday pregame party. Couple of accomplishments the 4 of us made today. 1. Went to grocery and loaded up on beer and essentials. Thanks to Cousin Drew and his nifty bag that I borrowed, I stuffed that sucker with beer and carried it back to the crib safely. 2. Leah organized the kitchen. 3. I brought my old college roommate with me...not exactly...I brought the koozie he gave me a long time ago, and I take it to various spots on the globe (miss ya Nix...wish you were). 4. Brazilian beer isn't that bad. Seems that wherever I go, I always say that to myself. "Hmm...this ain't so bad...I think I'll have another." But frankly, it's pretty terrible. Very PBR-like. But the scenery makes up for the bad taste.

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Pics to share

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Ridiculous in Natal

We arrived in Natal and it's fantastic. Hope the pic do justice. We had some crazy weird but delicious food on the beach, plenty of beers and with Tucker's help...we were able to prevent Leah from wandering off. As I post, I am with 1000 American fans at a giant outdoor party watching the Argentina vs Bosnia-Herzogova game. It's amazing to see the growth of American soccer support...being 5000 mile away. (By the way, Leah and I were interviewed for a ussoccer.com blog...the kids said it would be online in a few days).

What does the D stand for in IAH Terminal D?

Pretty sure the D stands for "Deodorant Required" and 75% were breaking the law in Terminal D. The scene is tough to describe via the blog. But for starters, every American Outlaw fan converged on one check in counter. Felt like a polite but disorganized rush to the front.  Took us an hour to acquire a "not so official" boarding pass, snake through security and ultimately land at a bar with 150 other soccer fans. Of course, Leah and all of her travel privileges allowed her to leave me behind...she sped through the VIP line with a smile on her face. 

I would like to thank Drew Peternell for letting us borrow his and Jaime's "matchy match" luggage bags.  They allowed Leah to constantly remind others "he's with me" and show proof via the Patagonia bags. I will say...they are damn fuunctional and we packed a ton-o-stuff in them as well. 

Next post will be from Brazil...

In Houston with Friends: pre-Brazil

We left Denver on Thursday and our flight to Brazil was not scheduled to depart until Saturday night.  The American Outlaws arranged for 2 flights to carry 550+ fans Brazil…one plane left Friday night and the other on Saturday night.  We chose plane #2 and spent a few days in Houston with friends Thanos, Christine and their two girls, Sofia and Nina.  Thanos and I watched several games together, and ventured out to the World of Beer to catch Spain vs. Netherlands with other World Cup fans in Houston area.  The scene was relatively mellow, and I kept thinking to myself that the environment will likely be much different once we reach Natal.  Spending time in Houston was a wonderful way to begin the trip, and helped ensure that we’d arrive at the airport in plenty of time for our flight to Brazil.  Really appreciate Thanos and Christine opening up their home, spending time poolside in their backyard, and sharing in good food/laughs before we scoot down South to Brazil. 

U-Haul abuse

Driving to Denver Airport and see this fool rig up a contraption to carry furniture that just wouldn't quite fit. Should have reserved a 40 footer. 

New shirt to wear at USA games

...and share with others

While I will send an email to friends and family, feel free to forward BriceinBrazil.blogspot.com to others

Leah and Brice in Brazil - setting up a blog

We'd like to share our adventures while in Natal, Brazil.  I plan to post stories and pictures during our 2 weeks watching the World Cup 2014.