FIFA WORLD CUP IN BRAZIL....UP DATE

 A group of about three dozen journalists from Iran are on their own World Cup road trip - following the team around the country on a bus organized by the Iranian football federation. After the team's final training session in Sao Paulo, the traveling media circus loaded onto the bus to pick up their gear at the hotel before the 400-kilometer journey south to Curitiba.

It's clear that the shared adventure - they all also flew in from Teheran together - had bonded the gang. Some immediately took off their shoes, placing their feet atop the seats ahead. Others leaned back in their chairs, laughing. Every few minutes someone broke into song in Farsi.

"We are a big family," said Shervin Gilani, who freelances for the Teheran Times and the Mehr News Agency. "We all hope that Iran will advance. But also all know that will be a big surprise."

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