Day 12: Curitiba to Iguacu
This was our last time leaving from a city where were going to still be in Brazil. We left Curitiba early in the morning and arrived at the airport in Sao Paolo, where we just so happened to see Tayke on his way to Rio. We talked with him for a little bit until we had to part ways. Tayke was a great group member, though he didn’t speak much English. He was able to make us laugh without saying much at all, and he took some great pictures of the group. When we left, we wished him luck and he did the same for us. We got onto the plane with Foz do Iguacu as our destination. Flying into the airport, you could see the large Iguacu river, and then you could see the falls. From up in the plane, the river looked massive, and then the falls seemed even bigger, though up close was when you fully understood how much water was rushing through the rocks. We arrived in the state of Parana at Foz do Iguacu, and took a nice bus to our hostel where we stayed the remainder of the trip. We arrived and quickly realized that this was the best place to end our trip. The layout of the hostel grounds was very cool, and there was enough room for us all to fit for a couple of days and have fun for the rest of our time in Brazil. I enjoyed how it was so easy for us to walk to get food at the store across the street. Also, we had access to a kitchen, so if we were hungry we could just make food or go buy it, instead of being busy all day and eating at restaurants when we had the chance. Joel, the owner of the hostel, was a very cool guy and was able to provide us with entertainment for the few days that we were there. We hung out and talked and then had a barbeque that night. I learned about the Brazilian cherry, which was growing on a tree in the hostel grounds, and found out that they are really good. We ate chicken that was so salty and tasty that night as well as beef and vegetables. We also ate all of the different fresh fruits you could think of, saw a cuckoo, and had a great time relaxing and playing soccer. At the end of the night, the group discussed the trip and what we felt we learned most. We discussed which activities we liked the most and which ones we thought were unnecessary. This was great discussion and ended with me telling a joke that really only made a little bit of sense, per usual.
Day 13: Falls of Iguacu
Our last full day in Brazil, we went to see the falls. We got there and immediately were astonished as to how wide the waterfalls were. For a stretch of the bank that seemed like at least a quarter of a mile, you could see white water flowing over and dropping hundreds of not thousands of feet before connecting with the river below. We saw these animals called Cuatis, which were accustomed to eating food given to them by humans. A lot of animals here have adapted to know that humans usually mean food. Either we attract food or we give them food. We walked out onto the bridge that led out into the middle section of the falls. This was cool and would have been a great place for a group picture, but our group was too large and there were too many other tourists. We left the falls and went on a hike. This hike was located just behind a hotel and led to a small waterfall where we could stand underneath and get a picture. We also went further down the path and made our way to the bank of the Iguacu river. This section of river is located just past the falls and is the border between Argentina and Brazil. When we got the bank, we all suited up and got onto either a paddle board or a kayak. I chose the paddle board at first, which was not very easy to do upstream and in such heavy water. We made it to a water fall and hung out while other people started showing up. We swam in the questionable water and went under the water fall before heading back downstream. Before we made it back to where we returned kayaks, me and a few other group members decided that we wanted to say that we went to Argentina. We made our way across the river to the other bank and touched down in Argentina. There were a lot of cool rocks here, containing quartz crystals, and many students found one to bring home. When we left, the group took a bus back to the hostel while me Andy and Ana drove back with Joel and John, another hostel goer. The drive back was very interesting as we were driving around in a car in the middle of a foreign country with a local and another tourist. I knew that that would be the defining moment of the trip where I said “well this is a once in a lifetime experience, and I hope I get to come back to Brazil sometime in the future”. That night we all ate at around 9 oclock and headed to bed after a long day of sight-seeing and hiking.
Day 14: Last hours in Brazil
We woke up in the morning and headed to the Itaipu Dam. This dam is a hydro-electric dam located on the Parana River. It generates electricity for much of Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro. The power generated is so vital, that in the 1990’s, when a malfunction caused one of the circuits to shut off, these two cities were left virtually powerless on a week-day morning. Many transport services were shut off and building across the two cities shut down entirely, showing just how much power is generated by this dam. The dam was chosen to be located on the Parana river because the bedrock foundation was very sturdy, as well as the fact that there is more water flowing through this river year round than most rivers in the country. The dam hold 13 large cylinders which have a turbine in them. Water from the river flows through the dam and onto these turbines, causing them to spin and generate electricity. The dam is very powerful and helps a lot of citizens in Brazil, providing them energy, while keeping fossil fuels from being used to power major cities. However, this dam also damages the wildlife that live upriver from the dam. The dam blocks off water so it basically submerges a large portion of land and causes it to become part of the river. For this reason, citizens living 100 m or less of elevation above the normal river level needed to be evacuated. They were provided with a means of getting their stuff out and just about everyone was successfully and happily moved to a different region. This does not stop the flooding from killing thousands of species of animal that rely on the ground for transportation. Crews spent countless hours trying to rescue species that were dying in a tree or on a solitary patch of land. These animals would die otherwise as they most likely cannot swim far distances. This proves that implementation of these dams can be beneficial, but there is still a price to pay when it comes to biodiversity. Generating free electricity is something that sounds too good to be true, and it just may be for these species of animal that get caught in the slow wake of water that follows.
After leaving the dam we headed back to the hostel to pack our things. I learned a lot about the country and the natural resources that make it so famous. Water here is flowing year round, and especially in the rainy season. Fishing is therefore vital. The wood provided by the forests are expensive and can be sold if cut down. Living off of the land has always been a cultural practice in Brazil. This does not mean, however, that we are not damaging these natural resources. With poor management practices, as well as lack of implementation of facilities, which is mainly due to the state in which the government is and has been, these resources are suffering. This Brazil experience has been amazing. I learned why the country is known for its cultural practice of living with the nature, and I now understand why the country is receiving such backlash for their inability to keep these natural processes healthy.
After leaving the dam we headed back to the hostel to pack our things. I learned a lot about the country and the natural resources that make it so famous. Water here is flowing year round, and especially in the rainy season. Fishing is therefore vital. The wood provided by the forests are expensive and can be sold if cut down. Living off of the land has always been a cultural practice in Brazil. This does not mean, however, that we are not damaging these natural resources. With poor management practices, as well as lack of implementation of facilities, which is mainly due to the state in which the government is and has been, these resources are suffering. This Brazil experience has been amazing. I learned why the country is known for its cultural practice of living with the nature, and I now understand why the country is receiving such backlash for their inability to keep these natural processes healthy.