Spring Practice in South Africa or Brazil next year
they are deciding whether to rob the food king or torch some furniture next year.
I like your style.
Do I want a venti caramel machiatto or a java chip frappucino?
Yes.
but the cardio conditioning, running from the po-po, is tough to beat. really replicates that game day intensity.
April 29th, 2017 at 10:39 AM ^
Damn, son - you on a roll
April 29th, 2017 at 11:12 AM ^
April 29th, 2017 at 11:20 AM ^
He's a blind squirrel. He's just going by what he's been told.
Like Clayton Bigsby.
Brazil is a place I've always wanted to visit. I've never had any interest in South Africa.
April 29th, 2017 at 10:37 AM ^
I'm jealous they got to go to Italy...seeing the history of the world is so facisnating. Especially when it hits you up close how old the world is and how young the US is.
I had the opportunity to go to Rio for the World Cup, best time of my life...no close second.
Rio's probably the only place I'd go in Brazil, but it was amazing. I'd like to do Argentina/Chile next and then bucket list travel another continent.
I think I'll try and save Europe for last, I could be wrong...but just because it feels the most like America. I feel like you have to get the adventures out of the way first. Would love to go down unda and hit the outback as well. And not that declining one up the street with the buttery food that doesn't compare to anything made locally.
April 29th, 2017 at 10:41 AM ^
According to my Brazilian friends, Sao Paolo is supposedly better....
April 29th, 2017 at 10:47 AM ^
A buddy of mine spent substantial time in Brazil for business, and he said Sao Paolo blew the doors off of Rio. He also said that Buenos Aires was amazing too. (Buenos Aires is in Argentina, for you RCMB trolls.)
April 29th, 2017 at 11:12 AM ^
I've heard the same...however, Sau Paulo doesn't have the history of Rio.
So it's got much better nightlife, beaches are similar, shopping and infrastructure is WAY better.
That said, if I'm going to do Brazil, I've got to see the history...even if Sau Paulo may be a "cooler" city. I'm not fortunate enough to do it all, so I've got to pick and choose, lol. But I could totally see if you were Brazilian why you'd think Sau Paulo is better.
I think it's just a matter of perception. If you're Brazilian and you've done Rio a couple of times, there's no real reason to continue doing it when you've seen it. Meanwhile you can go to a city that offers you more fun and a better experience.
I've done the Times Square New Year's thing...I mean it's cool once, but there is absolutely no reason to ever do it twice. Honestly, I think the monuments in DC are the only man made touristy thing in America I'd do more than once. Those same cities are a lot more fun if you don't do the tourist stuff. 2 summers ago I did NYC for the first time without the tourist experience...I had an effing BLAST. Did Boston on the same trip and it was a great time as well.
In Baltimore, Fells Point is better than the Inner Harbor, Downtown Orlando is better than Disney, South Beach isn't really the best part of Miami, I've never been to LA but I'd assume it holds true there too. Once you've done the experience and overpriced tourist stuff, at least for me, that's plenty...just take me to the local stuff, the fun, etc.
April 29th, 2017 at 12:20 PM ^
is inland so it doesn't have beaches (there are some not TOO far away but you're not on the beach like in Rio). From my experience, it's like Milan compared to Rome. Northern Italians will tell you Milan is far superior because it's more hard-working, industrious, has better shopping, better infrastructure, etc. Like Sao Paolo, they'll say it is the better place to LIVE, because when you live in a place you care more about those things and less about monuments and history and culture and things that you don't appreciate as much when you actually have to live real life.
But you're absolutely right that Rio (and Rome) has the better history and culture and "fun" for visitors so easily the better places for travelers are Rome and Rio, compared to Milan and Sao Paulo if you're going to pick one place to go once (although the latter two are good in their own right, especially if you want to see the economic powerhouses of each respective country).
April 29th, 2017 at 10:48 AM ^
April 29th, 2017 at 12:14 PM ^
Was in Rio for the Olympics, and you basically need to be on alert at all times and even then its probably not enough. They have some very, VERY good pickpockets there. Had a few colleagues that had phones taken out of their pockets just after they put them in there, and one had a watch taken right off his arm walking through a restaurant.
Outside of that though normal common sense applies. Like dont go to bad or semi-bad areas at night and you're fine.
And maybe skip the sightseeing trip to the favelas.
April 29th, 2017 at 12:00 PM ^
a singular place, in terms of travel. There is SO much to do and see that you couldn't do the continent justice even if you went there two weeks a year for the rest of your life, especially if you're interested in history. That's what's unique about Europe that can't be found anywhere outside of maybe Japan (and the scale of Japan is nowhere near Europe): the density of amazing things is startling. You can take an hour long train ride and be in a place that looks and sounds and tastes (if it still feels somewhat western) completely different. If you're a regular traveler, highly recommend you get at least a taste of Europe before too long because if you like it, you're going to be glad you didn't wait for last.
It's only the most like America in the sense that it is developed and there are mostly white people there (so it definitely is less exotic than Asia, S. America, Africa, etc). But Australia is far more like a America than Europe, IMO. Former British colony, English speaking, relatively newly developed country without a long history. The urban centers feel like Canada with Californian climate, which is great, but not at all exotic. The only thing really different is the nature and if you're interested in outback adventures or the great barrier reef or things that are unique to the continent.
Saõ Paulo is cool, but its an inland city, so no beaches. Chile is awesome, especially if you like outdoor stuff (hiking, skiing, etc.). I spent a week hiking through Chilean Patagonia in one of the most memorable trips of life.
In Argentina I've only been to Buenos Aires, which is pretty cool. Amazing architecture, it reminded me of a European city more than any place else in South America. One of the highlights of the trip was visiting the Recoletta Cemetary where Eva Perón and several other famous people were buried and the architecture was incredible throughout.
April 29th, 2017 at 11:33 AM ^
April 29th, 2017 at 10:07 AM ^
I believe that Harbaugh has already said, when announcing the Italy trip, that the next 3-4 years were already donated and planned. So it sounds like they haven't decided where to go, but the budget is in place for it. Simply awesome!!!
April 29th, 2017 at 12:30 PM ^
April 29th, 2017 at 10:23 AM ^
April 29th, 2017 at 11:28 AM ^
That actually would make a lot of sense. Explains why Harbaugh's family was on the trip.
April 29th, 2017 at 10:05 AM ^
I don't think that metric ton of deet would be very good for future spawn, either...
April 29th, 2017 at 10:50 AM ^
To be fair, at least seasonally, there are a fair number of places right here in Michigan that I wouldn't recommend to anyone unless they had a metric ton of DEET with them either, but then the concern about Zika isn't quite as high here....yet anyway.
April 29th, 2017 at 10:37 AM ^
April 29th, 2017 at 10:55 AM ^
April 29th, 2017 at 11:19 AM ^
April 29th, 2017 at 11:27 AM ^
April 29th, 2017 at 12:08 PM ^
Cape Town with Los Angeles, Johannesburg with New York and Rio with Miami and that's exactly what foreigners and most Americans think (not wrongly) about our cities. Like anywhere in the world, don't wander into dark alleys at night, don't get drunk and cause trouble and don't try to sell drugs in someone else's territory (or really anywhere at all) and your odds of trouble will be reduced to negligible.
April 29th, 2017 at 12:18 PM ^
Just employ some common sense and you're typically fine. Same for visiting any major US city with its mix of nice areas and bad areas.
Like if you listened to all of the news reports about violence and shootings in Chicago, no one would ever go there. But there's plenty of nice places to go, its a giant city, avoid the shitty parts.
The key to traveling abroad is to just know where the shitty parts to avoid are.
April 29th, 2017 at 10:58 AM ^
I went to Rio 3 years ago...I didn't find it dangerous at all. No more than NYC, Detroit, Miami.
Now it is, I know, but Rio (which is not a reflection of all of Brazil) is not this crazy place of violence. It's not Narcos. Is it there? Yes. But if you're smart, you're fine.
If you want to make yourself a target...you'll probably have some trouble in Rio. It's not a place to be a loud American or to be someone nosey walking around like you're in a museum. But if you go because you want to be part of the people and the culture - no issues. Save the wide eyes and excessive picture taking for the tourist attractions.
Mind you this was Rio on steriods for the World Cup, but we stayed after the World Cup when security measures were lowered and there were far less people and it was still fine. Beautiful city/country. We even got off the beaches and hungout in some of the local areas (not the favelas, but definitely not tourist spots)...if you're nice, aware, smart...you're fine.
We had beer in the afternoon with locals and were the only two people who spoke English. Beer (we knew how to pronounce it) is a universal language. It was a residential community. Nothing touristy about it. They let us keep our "chopp" glasses. Just people hanging out, listening to music, playing dominos and enjoying the weather. Not so dangerous.
The night Brazil defeated Columbia we were in this pizza/brew type place that would kind of be like an Ale House in the US (but mainly pizza). We were literally the only two Americans in the entire place. Again, everyone loved us, everyone was so polite and welcoming. That night we went out in Lapa - incredible.
We walked around the city at night, never an issue. Walked from Lelon, through Ipanema, all the way to Copacabana. That's like 4 miles, at night, in Rio.
I found some of the smells to be the hardest thing about Rio (not always, but at times). American sewage and sanitation may not be perfect, but be thankful.
If any of you do go...get off the beach and go to Santa Teresa on a Sunday morning/afternoon - most beautiful place I've ever seen in my life. Oh, and nearby are the steps from that old Snoop Dogg/Pharrell video too, so there's that.
I'll go to bat for Rio any day of the week. It was incredible.
April 29th, 2017 at 10:42 AM ^
April 29th, 2017 at 10:48 AM ^
I hear Novosibirsk is nice in the spring.
April 29th, 2017 at 10:05 AM ^
April 29th, 2017 at 10:18 AM ^
April 29th, 2017 at 10:32 AM ^
There's a Columbus/East Lansing third-world joke here somewhere...
April 29th, 2017 at 10:41 AM ^
This is a thread worthy of Saturday morning reading - good job, lads.
April 29th, 2017 at 10:51 AM ^
I can just see Harbaugh jumping in the meeting of the waters in Manaus in khakis.
I love that we are using some of the money cannon to expand these kids realm of experience. This is absolutely the point of enrichment and giving these young men something that will change their outlook
April 29th, 2017 at 11:06 AM ^
April 29th, 2017 at 11:13 AM ^
April 29th, 2017 at 11:19 AM ^