BRASIL SENSATIONAL NEWS: Captain of U.S. Volleyball Team Has Fond Memories of Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, July 25 /PRNewswire/ -- When she thinks about the years she spent competing in Brazil, the first thing U.S. volleyball player Danielle Scott-Arruda remembers is "mousse de maracuja", or passionfruit mousse, a Brazilian dessert made from the fruit, which is rich in vitamin C, calcium and phosphorus, as well as being a natural sedative. When passionfruit mousse is on the menu, the captain of the U.S. team does not think twice about abandoning her diet.

Winner of a bronze medal at the Rio de Janeiro Pan American Games, Scott- Arruda currently plays for the Pallavolo Chieri team in Italy. During the period she spent playing volleyball in Brazil, she represented Macae, a team from Rio de Janeiro state, and Leites Nestle and Osasco, both from Sao Paulo state.

"Sao Paulo is a cosmopolitan city, like New York, with many things for tourists to see and do," says the athlete, who is also a big fan of Rio de Janeiro's beaches and the natural beauty of the cities of Fortaleza and Natal, in the Brazilian Northeast.

Scott-Arruda was chosen by team USA athletes to carry the country's flag at the Rio Pan Am Games' opening ceremony. "It was a unique experience to represent the United States at the opening of the Games," says the captain of the volleyball team, who is married to former Brazilian volleyball player Eduardo Arruda. Scott-Arruda's bronze medal from Rio is her third at Pan American Games. The first two were won at Mar del Plata in 1995 (bronze) and Winnipeg in 1999 (silver).

Did you know?

To mark its 75th anniversary, on October 12, 2006, the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro was designated a Catholic sanctuary.

Itacare is paradise, according to canoeist

Founded in the 17th century by Jesuit priests, the town of Itacare in southern Bahia state, in northeastern Brazil, has unique geological characteristics. The coastal strip has extremely fertile soil and rocky cliffs, which means that the Atlantic Forest reaches right to the sea. In 1993, the Brazilian government established an environmental protection area in Itacare to encourage the planned development of the municipality, and this transformed it into one of the most sought-after ecotourism destinations in the country.

The combination of tropical forest, rivers, waterfalls, mangroves and beaches gives tourists many different leisure options to choose from, particularly where adventure sports are concerned. Itacare offers rafting, rappelling, mountain biking and paragliding, not to mention hiking and off- road trails.

Click on the link below to see a view of the Jeribucacu beach: http://www.prnewswire.com.br/news/img070700000153.htm

"Whenever there is a gap between competitions I come to Itacare to recharge my batteries. One of my favorite places is the Cachoeira do Cleandro, a waterfall which can only be reached by canoe via the Rio de Contas. I can train and catch up with my family at the same time," says Vilson da Conceicao, 20, who represents Brazil in canoeing at the Rio de Janeiro Pan American Games.

The Itacare coastline offers 15 beaches, and Itacarezinho is a particular favorite with tourists. As well as good surfing conditions, there is a freshwater waterfall which comes down through the Atlantic Forest right onto the beach. According to Vilson, another beach which is popular with tourists is the Praia da Engenhoca, only reachable on foot via a trail.

"Itacarezinho beach is fringed with palm trees and really gorgeous. But for people who like to surf in a more tranquil place, the best option is Engenhoca beach, which is practically deserted," says the canoeist.

Click on the link below to see a view of the Resende beach: http://www.prnewswire.com.br/news/img070700000154.htm

A road linking Itacare to the neighboring city of Ilheus was built in 1998 and drove the growth of the town, which today has three luxury resorts to the south: Txai Resort, on Itacarezinho beach; and Itacare Eco Resort and Itacare Village, both on Sao Jose beach. "The resorts have been really good for the town, because they have brought jobs for local people and attracted even more tourists," says Vilson.

For more information: Itacare Town Hall, +55 (73) 3251-2134 or itacare@itacare.com.br

Brazilian people are winning factor for Rio's 2016 Olympics bid

Fourteen days after the start of the Rio de Janeiro Pan American Games, the thing that has most impressed foreign tourists and journalists is the Brazilian fans' enthusiastic participation during the sporting competitions. By last Sunday, July 22, more than 900,000 people had passed through the gates of the various venues. Tickets for sports such as artistic gymnastics and volleyball sold out even before the Games began.

In research carried out by Embratur last year with 2,400 foreign tourists, 52% of those interviewed said that the best thing about Brazil is its people. According to the tourists, Brazilians are friendly, cheerful and welcoming -- trump cards which the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) intends to make the most of in Rio de Janeiro's bid to host the 2016 Olympics.

The Pan American Games have been responsible for an increase of 40% in tourism in Rio de Janeiro. While July traditionally sees an average of 450,000 visitors, this year 625,000 people visited the city during the same period. Around 80% of the additional tourists came from neighboring Brazilian states to watch the competitions.

Download the BRASIL SENSATIONAL NEWS at: http://www.prnewswire.com.br/arq/Embratur-Pan-boletim16.pdf

CONTACT: Alexandra Josias, FSB Comunicacoes for Embratur, pan@fsb.com.br or + 55 (61) 8133-2727