Ute Trip Rewind: Finally to the Beach and Back to Argentina

Well, after the game and barbecue hosted by the Uruguayan team yesterday. We headed to the beach. The players were very excited to finally get to work on their tans. They had been talking about it since we left Salt Lake City. A few of them played a pick up game of soccer in the sand with some local guys. Our tour guide, Dario Stawski, joined in and helped the girls kick some behind.

Dario has done a fantastic job of working to make this a once in a lifetime experience. Dario is from Argentina. However, he played college soccer in New York at Adelphi University. And he lived in Miami for five years after that. Thanks, Dario!

After the beach, we took the boat back to Buenos Aires. The weather turned ugly and the boat ride was very bumpy. We didn't get back to the hotel until 1:30 in the morning.

Ute Trip Rewind: Uruguay, Soccer History and the Beach

It was a tough travel day as we had to get up at 6:30 in the morning to catch the ferry across the La Plata river. We got to Montevideo at about 11:00 A.M. and immediately got going on a city tour. The city is beautiful with great historical landmarks, government buildings, parks, friendly people and the coast line. We had a new tour guide, Monica, who was very patient with a hungry, tired group!

We saw some great monuments and sites. Here are several of the girls in front of the old Presidential House that is now just used for inaugurations and other ceremonies...From left to right: Danielle Sample, Jen Christoffers, Chelsea Card, Leslie Weeks, Paola Marsenaro, Laurel Roderick, Amanda Sanchez.

Then we headed to one of the most famous soccer stadiums in all of the world, El Centenario. The stadium was built in 1930 for the first-ever World Cup. Uruguay had won the Olympic soccer tournaments in both 1924 and 1928, so they were selected to host the first World Cup. The stadium used to hold 80,000 people...it was rebuilt and the capacity was reduced in 2001 for safety reasons. Uruguay won the first world cup, beating Argentina in the final, 4-2. We toured the World Cup museum there and saw some great artifacts. And the stadium is majestic, for sure.

After another quick bus ride, we drove to the coast, to Punto Gordo. Montevideo is very flat, and this area is the second highest point and gives a great view of the city. The players were excited to get to see the coast in person. And, after the game tomorrow, we will be heading back for some relaxation. Tomorrow's kickoff is at 10:30 A.M. as we will fact the national team from Uruguay. After the game, the Uruguayan team will host a lunch for us and we will again hang out in the city until catching the ferry back to Buenos Aires at night.

Ute Trip Rewind: Family Reunon in Montevideo (Tuesday, March 18)

Wow! What a great day. We got up VERY early and hit the 3-hour boat tour across the river to Montevideo, Uruguay. What a beautiful city! But the best part was watching the family reunion for our very own Paola Marsenaro. P was born in Uruguay, but has not been back since she was little. Today, she had her "abuela" (grandmother) and some cousins waiting at the hotel to meet her. Very emotional and heart-warming to see. P had seen her grandma once or twice in the U.S....but not back in Uruguay. We'll have more on this tomorrow as she lines up to play against her native country.




We have several parents, family members and friends traveling with us this week and it's great to share our adventures with some fantastic people. Scott and Kim Hair are with us...parents of Lauren and Addie. To the left we have the girls posing in front of the Congressional Building in Montevideo.

We also have Sharon Dalley with us. Here are Sharon and Erin in front of the old hotel in the main plaza in the city. For a long time, this was the tallest building in all of South America.














We also have Cara Toomey and her sister Shelly. Cara and Alyssa pose here in front of the ENORMOUS statue of the liberator, Artigas, on his horse.










Also, accompanying the group are Kathleen Quinn and her sister-in-law, Jennifer. We need to get a photo of Christine with her mom and aunt! And we have some parents who have joined us along the way...Frank and Debra Sanchez are here...as well as Lawrence Reineke and his wife, Luanne. Katy's sister, Anna, is also here along with a few of their close friends.

They have added much to our trip!