Day 10 - Ashley Melone
Dear RedHawk Fans,
What a great day we experienced. This morning began with a trip to the monument of Christ the Redeemer. We took a scenic-filled train ride up 710 meters to the top of a beautiful mountain. At the top of the mountain stood the gigantic statue of Cristo Redentor. It was an amazing sight to behold and many photos captured the experience. The mountain overlooked the entire city of Rio de Janeiro, which was an added bonus to the tour.
On the way down the mountainside, we were serenaded by a quintet of musicians. Many of us joined in the fun when the musicians pulled us into the aisle way to show off our great dancing skills. We ended the tour with souvenir shopping and once again practiced our bartering skills with the local vendors. We discovered a new game similar to badminton but instead of a racket you hit the "birdie" with your hand.
By this time we were all famished. In fact, Jeanna was so hungry she ate a chocolate corn flake off the bus floor! This meant it was time for food at a Brazilian buffet. After lunch we walked across the street from our hotel to the beach. Here we were immediately bombarded with vendors. And as usual, we made more purchases. After satisfying our shopping needs, we joined in a pick-up game of sand volleyball where we became friends with people from Sweden and Canada.
In the evening, we traveled down to another beach for a volleyball clinic with young kids. Upon arrival we were greeted with loud cheering, signs, and smiling faces from the children. The children were all so excited to meet us. They treated us like celebrities. We played some volleyball games with the children followed by lots of hugs and signing of shirts and notebooks. The kids gave us letters they wrote as well as posters. A camera crew from a local news station was there to capture the event.
I think all of us agreed that this was one of the most amazing experiences of the trip. The experience was too overwhelming to truly capture in words. It showed us how much people can touch others with their kindness. To wind down after the awesome time at the "Viva Volei" we opted for a little taste of home - Domino's. Tonight will be an early night, as we all need to be rested for the exciting day that lies ahead for tomorrow.
Ashley Melone #11
