Day 9: January 10, 2014
This was our first night in Foz do Iguacu. Walking off the plane onto the tarmac was like walking into a jungle, and a bit reminiscent of the Jurassic Park movies. We arrived late at night, so we did nothing else but settle in and get acclimated to our new surroundings. The girls room was located upstairs and lead out to a balcony, with views of the front yard, street, and wrapped around giving us the ability to see towards the back of the compound. The notion of staying in a hostel was something to get used to but the owners Gisele and Joe were quite welcoming, two of which were their dogs, Thor and Einstein. A sense of community was quickly built as we helped prepare dinner, a welcoming Brazilian BBQ. Our group’s contribution was salad, which come to find out was not customary for the event. Different cuts of pork and beef were served with soft rolls, so simple and indeed one of my favorite meals of the trip. As we began to mingle with other guests, we were introduced to a journalist named Steve from Conneticut. He had been travelling for a few years and was actually on an assignment to tour Itaipu dam as well as later meeting with Jaime Lerner, the man who made Curitiba possible. We were excited to meet another American and asked questions to get to know him. It was funny to be made aware of how American we sounded and was told that our questions were worded in a very invasive manner. For instance, we are accustomed to asking someone age as, “How old are you”? However, Steve told us the way in which Brazilian’s asked was, “How far along in life are you”? Im not quite sure why it made me sad to hear this but it definitely open my eyes to the many cultural differences I still wants aware of.
Day 10: January 11, 2014
Iguacu Falls felt like another commercialized place where no free places existed in which nothing felt owned by the people of Brazil. We waited in lines to grab a bus that would take us within the park, and stop at desired stations. We walked the main path along the falls and viewed it from different vantage points. Quatis have become accustomed to the crowds of people and associate them as a food source. In some ways they were equivalent to squirrels or raccoons in the United States. The group went on a boat tour that first explained briefly about the area and the proceeded to a walk to a beautiful waterfall, as our guide pointed out different plants and told us stories about his encounters with jaguars. We went on a boat tour that allowed us to go underneath the falls and experience a bit of an adrenaline rush. Iguacu lies across from the border of Argentina. Later in the day two of our fellow classmates presented some information about Foz do Iguacu and energy. Brazil is the largest exporter of sugar cane based ethanol. About 50% of Brazil’s automobiles run on a 98% ethanol and 2% water mixture
Day 11: January 12, 2014
Brazil is the third largest producer of hydroelectric power and its crowning glory is the Itapúa Dam. Construction on the dam began in 1974. An agreement between Brazil and Paraguay was formed to harness the power the Parana River could create. On the day we visited the floodgates were closed because the release of excess water was not necessary. Itapúa Dam actually consists of a series of four dams. It has 18 turbine generators, located in the powerhouse at the base of the dam. The energy is split 50/50, but Brazil buys 40% of Paraguay’s energy. We were able to see Itapúa Lake, which exists because of the need to dam back the river, resulting in an immense lose of land. A fish migration channel connects the Parana River to the Itapúa Lake to assist with the free passage of fish species, however it is not very effective in saving them. We went to a local spot for dinner along the Parana River, a Brazilian woman and her German husband ran it. The fried tilapia and chicken was so good yet so very simple. This place goes to show that the most obscure places ended up coming out to be the ones that are best.
Day 12: January 13, 2014
Our last day in Foz was spent hanging out around the hostel before we left for lunch to a churrascaria. Upon our return, some of us laid in the hammocks hung in the compound or visited Thor and Einstein in their enclosure in the front yard. In some ways we were all trying to bask in what little time we had left in Foz, which lead to our return to Rio and our final stop on the Brazil experience.
This was our first night in Foz do Iguacu. Walking off the plane onto the tarmac was like walking into a jungle, and a bit reminiscent of the Jurassic Park movies. We arrived late at night, so we did nothing else but settle in and get acclimated to our new surroundings. The girls room was located upstairs and lead out to a balcony, with views of the front yard, street, and wrapped around giving us the ability to see towards the back of the compound. The notion of staying in a hostel was something to get used to but the owners Gisele and Joe were quite welcoming, two of which were their dogs, Thor and Einstein. A sense of community was quickly built as we helped prepare dinner, a welcoming Brazilian BBQ. Our group’s contribution was salad, which come to find out was not customary for the event. Different cuts of pork and beef were served with soft rolls, so simple and indeed one of my favorite meals of the trip. As we began to mingle with other guests, we were introduced to a journalist named Steve from Conneticut. He had been travelling for a few years and was actually on an assignment to tour Itaipu dam as well as later meeting with Jaime Lerner, the man who made Curitiba possible. We were excited to meet another American and asked questions to get to know him. It was funny to be made aware of how American we sounded and was told that our questions were worded in a very invasive manner. For instance, we are accustomed to asking someone age as, “How old are you”? However, Steve told us the way in which Brazilian’s asked was, “How far along in life are you”? Im not quite sure why it made me sad to hear this but it definitely open my eyes to the many cultural differences I still wants aware of.
Day 10: January 11, 2014
Iguacu Falls felt like another commercialized place where no free places existed in which nothing felt owned by the people of Brazil. We waited in lines to grab a bus that would take us within the park, and stop at desired stations. We walked the main path along the falls and viewed it from different vantage points. Quatis have become accustomed to the crowds of people and associate them as a food source. In some ways they were equivalent to squirrels or raccoons in the United States. The group went on a boat tour that first explained briefly about the area and the proceeded to a walk to a beautiful waterfall, as our guide pointed out different plants and told us stories about his encounters with jaguars. We went on a boat tour that allowed us to go underneath the falls and experience a bit of an adrenaline rush. Iguacu lies across from the border of Argentina. Later in the day two of our fellow classmates presented some information about Foz do Iguacu and energy. Brazil is the largest exporter of sugar cane based ethanol. About 50% of Brazil’s automobiles run on a 98% ethanol and 2% water mixture
Day 11: January 12, 2014
Brazil is the third largest producer of hydroelectric power and its crowning glory is the Itapúa Dam. Construction on the dam began in 1974. An agreement between Brazil and Paraguay was formed to harness the power the Parana River could create. On the day we visited the floodgates were closed because the release of excess water was not necessary. Itapúa Dam actually consists of a series of four dams. It has 18 turbine generators, located in the powerhouse at the base of the dam. The energy is split 50/50, but Brazil buys 40% of Paraguay’s energy. We were able to see Itapúa Lake, which exists because of the need to dam back the river, resulting in an immense lose of land. A fish migration channel connects the Parana River to the Itapúa Lake to assist with the free passage of fish species, however it is not very effective in saving them. We went to a local spot for dinner along the Parana River, a Brazilian woman and her German husband ran it. The fried tilapia and chicken was so good yet so very simple. This place goes to show that the most obscure places ended up coming out to be the ones that are best.
Day 12: January 13, 2014
Our last day in Foz was spent hanging out around the hostel before we left for lunch to a churrascaria. Upon our return, some of us laid in the hammocks hung in the compound or visited Thor and Einstein in their enclosure in the front yard. In some ways we were all trying to bask in what little time we had left in Foz, which lead to our return to Rio and our final stop on the Brazil experience.