49er News Articles
Beach Rugby Argentina & Rio Tour 2007 Information
By Dr. Emyr Wiliams
CSULB Rugby Head Coach
December 14, 2006
Players- Twin/Triple $ 2885
Non Players Sharing a Room - $ 3230
* Does not include VISA fee for Brazil which must be paid for well in advance of trip.
Buenos Aires - La Plata - Posadas- Iguazu Falls
& Rio de Janeiro
27th July - 12th August, 2007
15 nights / 16 days
July 27th DEPART LAX on FRIDAY JULY 27th 12:15pm Flight to Atlanta for 8:40pm Connection to Buenos Aires. Arriving at 7:45am (Saturday morning)
July 28th - the touring party arrives to Buenos Aires in the early morning of Saturday, July 28th after an overnight flight from Los Angeles.
The group will be met & transfered in the team touring coach with an English speaking co-ordinator to the 3.5 star Aspen Suites Hotel in central downtown Bs Aires. Players accommodation will be reserved here four (4) nights on a B&B basis in twin or triple shared rooms.
The Alumni will then be taken to the 4 star Aspen Towers Hotel located 60m from the players hotel where they will stay four (4) nights on a B&B basis in twin shared or double rooms.
July 29th - after breakfast depart on a 4 hour historic Buenos Aires city sightseeing excursion in the team touring coach, with an English speaking guide. Highlights will include the historic buildings & plaza´s, La Boca district, the Boca Juniors Soccer Stadium museum, San Telmo, then on out to the San Isidro Rugby Museum befroe returning to the city at approx 1300hrs.
The afternoon is free of commitments.
Then this evening at approx 1945hrs, the entire touring party will be picked up & transfered to Señor Tango for a three course dinner inclusive of bottled waters, soft drinks & fine Argentine red & white wines, & an evening of professional cultural dance & musical entertainment. The team will be transferred back to the Aspen Suite Hotel at the conclusion of the Tango show which will be at approx midnight.
July 30th - after breakfast the touring party will be picked up to depart on a full day excursion into the rural hinerlands to the small township of San Antonio del Areco where at the renowned Estancia La Cinacina, they will partake in a Fiesta Gaucha - a folkloric expose with song, dance, traditional costume & topped off with an enrmous ´Asado´ ( BBQ luncheon inclusive of beverages, soft drinks, bottled water , beer & Argentine wines.
July 31st - the morning is free of any official arrangements. This afternoon, the touring party will assemble & be transferred to a local rugby Club grounds for TOUR MATCH ONE, after which a hosted after-match function will follow. The touring party will be returned to the hotel following the match & festivities.
August 01st - this morning after breakfast the touring party & Alumni groups both have an entirely free day in the city of Buenos Aires.
August 02nd - this morning after breakfast the Alumni & Touring players groups will depart by coach some 85km to the southeast of Buenos Aires, to the Provincial capital of Buenos Aires - historical La Plata city. Upon arrival a short city highlights tour & a visit to the National Museum of Natural Sciences will take place. An English speaking professional guide will accompany the group today to provide commentary & answer questions.
Lunch today will be on the individual touring party members own account.
This afternoon the touring party will be be transferred to a local La Plata rugby club grounds where TOUR MATCH TWO is set to kick-off. The match will be followed by a hosted after-match function. The team will be returned at the conclusion of the after-match festivities with the Alumni to their respective Buenos Aires city hotels.
August 03rd - Today is a day for optional activities, free from any official engagements.
- Ideally as this will be the final opportunity for shopping in Buenos Aires, those who wish to make purchases may well use this time.
- the second optional excursion available is a day heading north to the rural river settlement of Tigre. Here a vibrant fruit & vege market along with a range of artisan products is a strong draw card. The day would include a river cruise for an hour in & amongst the inlet & delta islands, then onto the city of Lujan where a massive gothic styled cathedral is home to the virgin of Lujan & the Lujan wild animal park has lions, Bengal tigers. Argentine Puma & a wide array of other species. On the occasions where the lioness has cubs, visitors are allowed to handle them & photos with one´s head on the shoulder of the Bengal Tiger are much prized as a source of dinner conversation guaranteed for years to come.
- Alternatively, a third option is to take an optional day excursion across the Rio de La Plata to the historical Spanish settled river township in Uruguay of Colonia is a possibility.
For anybody wishing to take this excursion, we would require to know numbers & individuals passport details in advance to purchase the Buque Bus River ferry tickets. Colonia was settled by the Spanish in 1531 & is a gloriously preserved cobbled street village with a substantial Fortress equipped with the original cannons & balistrades.
It is also a well know visitor haven for artisan products including wonderfully hand-woven alpacha blankets.
The day includes round-trip transfers from the hotel to Ferry Terminus here in Buenos Aires; round-trip cross river ferry tickets on Buque Bus; an English speaking guided sightseeing excursion of historic Colonia; a very good lunch at a local Colonia restaurant & approx 3 hours in Colonia for self indulgent browsing.
The departure time is 0745hrs from the Buenos Aires hotel in the morning, returning at 1930hrs to the hotel back in Buenos Aires, well in time to take advantage of any night life one may wish.
The cost per person to Colonia , Uruguay for this optional day excursion as described above is USD85 currently, naturally subject to fare increases between now, & travel dates.
August 04th - checking out of the respective hotels the touring party travels by coach to Buenos Aires domestic Aeroparque Jorge Newbery airport to check-in & fly to Posadas in the far north of Argentina.
Upon arrival the touring party will transfer into the central city where the players check-in to the 3 star Hotel Posadas & the alumni will be taken to check-in to the 4 star Hotel Julio Cesar. Accommodation would be reserved in these two properties for two (2) nights on a B&B basis in twin & triple share rooms for players & twin & double share rooms for the Alumni.
August 05th - the morning is free of any official commitments. This afternoon the touring party will be transferred to a local Posadas rugby club where TOUR MATCH THREE kicks off. The match will be followed by a hosted after-match function. The team will be returned to Hotel Posadas & the Alumni to Hotel Julio Cesar, at the conclusion of the after-match festivities.
August 06th - departing Posadas after breakfast the touring party assembles at their respective hotels to be picked up & by coach, travel north, stopping en-route at the famed historical ruins of the Jesuit Mission at SAN IGNACIO for a guided interpretive walking tour of this sprawling complex.
Then resuming the journey to Iguazu, upon arrival the players in the touring party will check-in to the 3 star Esturion Hotel in Puerto Igauzu while the Alumni will be taken to check-in at the 4 star Hotel Cataratas. Accommodation would be confirmed here in these respective hotels for three (3) nights on a B&B basis in twin & triple shared rooms for players & twin & double shared rooms for the Alumni.
August 07th - After an early breakfast the entire touring party will transfer from their respective hotels into the Iguazu National Park for a full day of guided outdoor adventure activities in around the mighty Iguazu Falls.
With English speaking guides, the outdoor activities include the upper walking trails & the Devil´s Throat (Garganta del Diablo); a relaxing interpretive nature cruise; an interpretive jungle 4x4 adventure & high-speed assault craft ride up the Iguazu river into the San Martin & Tres Mosqueteros valleys almost directly under the main flow of the Iguazu River. If water levels permit you may take the small transfer vessel across to wander the many trails that circumnavigate San Martin Island, then return to the grounds of the Sheraton, via the lower walking trails & massive stell catwalks, via the mid-station rest stop & snackbar, to the Visitors Center.
From here at approx 1800hrs when the National park closes to the public, the touring party will be taken back to the Esturion Hotel & Hotel Cataratas in Puerto Iguazu.
August 08th - after breakfast, respective players & Alumni check-out of their hotels to be picked up & transferred from the Argentine side of the Iguaçu Falls into Brasil to Foz do Iguassu Airport. Please note: a TOURIST VISA for all persons on US passports is mandatory & must be procured BEFORE entering Brazil. We suggest this be done at the Brazil Consulate in Los Angeles well prior to travel.
Check-in for a flight from Foz do Iguassu to Rio de Janeiro.
Upon arrival in Rio, the touring party will be met & transferred by coach first to the 3.5 star Miramar Palace Hotel where players will be accommodated for three (3) nights on a B&B basis in twin & triple shared rooms, while the alumni will be taken to check-in at the 4 star Hotel Luxor Regente, for three (3) nights on a B&B basis in twin & double shared rooms. Both hotels are located within a short walking distance from each other, on the famed ´Copacobana Beach´strip directly across the boulevard from the ocean.
August 09th - after breakfast this morning, the entire touring party will be collected from their respective hotels to depart by coach with the services of an English speaking guide on a full days sightseeing of Rio.
The famed beachside suburbs of Ipanema, Barre de Tujica & Copacabana, then onto the funicular railway that hoists guests to the top of Mt Corcavado where the signature statue of Christ the Redeemer is resplendent & on a good day, the 360 degree panoramic views are amazing. Then it is on to the gondola that whisks guests up another of Rio´s famed landmarks - Sugarloaf. At the completion of the days sightseeing the touring party will be returned to their respective hotels.
This evening after a quick clean-up & change into smart casual clothes the touring party is headed out for an evening of Brazilian culture. Dinner is included, then the pulsing beat of SAMBA takes over with the traditional colorful sparkling costumes associated with Carnaval leaving a lasting impression of the vibrant dancing.
August 10th - a day for Rio at your own pace, whatever that may be. The beaches beckon !
August 11th - Saturday morning heralds time to make any last minute souvenir or gift purchases & then pack-up & make certain to lock the bags, as today is the last day of this South American tour. Depending on the International flight the team is traveling on, today’s services will include transfer from both hotels to Rio airport by coach for check-in to your departing flight.
Depart Rio August 11th @ 10:55pm for Atlanta
Arrive at 7:40am August 12th
Depart Atlanta 12th Aug DL 110 Atlanta-LA 9:20am-
Arrive LAX @ 10:50am
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Argentina Tour 2007 (Word)
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