Day 4 - Soccer Fever

Morning in Rio was bright and sunny, the longest night of the year in Brazil was the shortest for us as we rose at 5:45 am and boarded our busses to Paraty. The path took us up and down the mountains with winding roads. We stopped for lunch at a scenic overlook and munched on chicken sandwiches and apples, fruit was mandatory per Mr. Ross.

Paraty is a coastal town with 300 islands in the harbor. It was a major center of exporting for gold and diamonds until a new road (Caminho Novo) to Rio allowed goods to be transferred to Rio due to the larger harbor. It has now seen a resurgence largely due to tourism. This sleepy village is everything Rio is not. There are only 4-5 streets made of cobblestone, near the ocean these are low set so the ocean can wash them during high tide. Our accomodations are in a Pousada (inn) with different colonial style buildings/villas with several rooms in each. Some are quite luxurious and others quite spartan. The hustle and bustle of Rio is replaced with bicycles and foot traffic. When you are here you seem transported back in time to the colonial era.

We had a free afternoon, so many of the boys took advantage of the small, but pretty outdoor pool. Several of the boys saw a soccer pitch next door and went to play. There they had a spirited game with some local boys. Though the brazilian locals were half the size of our boys, they were clearly more skilled at the game. Soccer is a game of continuity, however some of the boys were standing still and trying to converse with the young men of Paraty. Our boys seemed to make a connection even with the language barrier. Many others went into town, shopped and loaded up on supplies. While in town, we saw the preparations for the soccer game. As we walked through the streets, they saw our jerseys and shouted, “BRAZIL” and cheered wildly. I thought our country was hyped up for the super bowl, but when game time comes, this country literally shuts down. Large throngs of yellow and green supporters with drums and horns sang and danced in local eateries and in the streets while local businesses closed their doors. I think with each goal the whole town shouted as one and then the drums and chants would start. They set up a large screen stretched across two trucks in the town square so all the people could stand and watch. Rich, poor, sheltered and homeless, they all stood in rapt attention together filled with national pride as their team won 3-1, and then celebrated into the night.

The seniors gathered for their senior dinner in shirts and ties. We listened as some of the parents related stories of previous tours and concerts from the past. As pictures were taken with Mr. Ross and Mrs. Knight, it was hard to remember the shy boys who may have started with the prep choirs, but who gradually gained confidence and grew, not only as singers, but now are the well-rounded leaders of Kantorei. Watching the interaction, its clear to see the boys love for each other, as well as for the directors and the rest of the Kantorei family. After dinner, the seniors sat around a large circular table and reminisced about the past, yet talked fervently about the future.

Larry Prabhakar