Day 1 of Foz do Iguacu: January 13th
After an hour delay in our flight from Curitiba to Sao Paulo, I finally learned the truth about the "shark bite" that one of our students had in Ipanema. It turns out she had just scraped her legs on the barnacled rocks. Everyone had kept up the act for the students in the group that didn't know. It was really funny, as only a few of us ended up not knowing about the truth. We finally got onto the plane, and were able to just catch our flight to Iguacu! When we arrived, I immediately felt better about this city than I had ever in Curitiba, which was the city I was most excited for before my trip.
We piled into a van, and rode to our hostel for the last few days of the trip. The hostel was called Manga Rosa, and was run by the coolest guy named Joelton, but we called him Joe. He and his family ran the hostel, and had all different people from different walks of life staying there. When we arrived at the hostel, we picked the rooms we were going to stay in (boys and girls room with bunk beds) and hung out. The hostel was very spacious, since there was air conditioning, with a nice patio and fireplace on the side. There was a big backyard, as well as a guest house where Tait and Lester stayed. Also found at the hostel were their three dogs! While two were mainly used as guard dogs, one was a pet named Einstein.
We piled into a van, and rode to our hostel for the last few days of the trip. The hostel was called Manga Rosa, and was run by the coolest guy named Joelton, but we called him Joe. He and his family ran the hostel, and had all different people from different walks of life staying there. When we arrived at the hostel, we picked the rooms we were going to stay in (boys and girls room with bunk beds) and hung out. The hostel was very spacious, since there was air conditioning, with a nice patio and fireplace on the side. There was a big backyard, as well as a guest house where Tait and Lester stayed. Also found at the hostel were their three dogs! While two were mainly used as guard dogs, one was a pet named Einstein.
In order to occupy our time before dinner, we all played around the hostel as if it were a jungle gym. They had a slack line set up that many of us played on, as well as multiple hammocks for us to chill on after all of our flights over the past two weeks. We also played with Einstein and the other dogs, as well as visited the convenience store across the street for water and snacks. A few of us began to practice yoga and sunbathe on the lawn out back. A martial arts group was staying with us, and one of the students joined them for a two hour intense workout. When Tait and Joe returned, they had brought back tons of fruits that I had never before seen. Soon enough, I was eating dragon fruit, bowls of this extremely sour snot-like fruit, and super fresh mangoes and watermelon.
After the sun had gone down, we were all dancing, playing soccer and limbo on the patio. We had chicken and steak for dinner, which seems pretty plain, but with the Brazilian seasoning, it was unlike any other food I had ever eaten. It was only day one here, but I knew this would be my favorite city in my time spent here.
After the sun had gone down, we were all dancing, playing soccer and limbo on the patio. We had chicken and steak for dinner, which seems pretty plain, but with the Brazilian seasoning, it was unlike any other food I had ever eaten. It was only day one here, but I knew this would be my favorite city in my time spent here.
Day 2 of Foz do Iguacu: January 14th
When we woke up the next morning, it was up to us to make our own breakfast. I remember two students had woken up before everyone else, and began preparing eggs and toast for everyone in the group, but I ate the toast, a cup of yogurt, and some fruit. It felt great to have some home cooked food, rather than all of the buffets we had been eating throughout our two weeks. Today, we were going to visit Iguacu Falls, one of the wonders of the world. When we got to the falls, we waited for a bit in the ticketing booth, and then got on a bus toward the falls. It was a very nice, hot day, so the area was extremely crowded. We went on a nature walk through the area with amazing views of the falls. Everyone was stopping and taking pictures around us, so it was a little hard to see the views unless I got a good spot. When we got to the falls, we went on a bridge over-top, where we were sprayed with the water crashing down. By the time I got off the bridge, I was covered with sweat and dirty water from the falls.
We returned to the hostel after Iguacu Falls, where we ate lunch and walked over to a hotel. This hotel had a service that rented out kayaks and paddle boards, and so we all signed waivers to be able to participate. In order get to the water, we went on a little hike. The hike was a little slippery, and I almost fell a few times. We ended up in a waterfall, which a few of us went under and got soaked. We then hiked to the other side, which had the paddle boards and kayaks. Almost all of us went in the water, but those who stayed behind hung out in the forest.
I had only kayaked one other time in my life, and so this would be the second time I had ever kayaked. I was very nervous, and ended up being one of the slowest of the group. But, it was still an amazing experience. We paddled to a waterfall found on the side of the river, where we all jumped in and swam towards, having its current pull us back. A big boat came to this area as well, and began talking to the guides with us about their travels. The river itself separated Brazil and Argentina. At one point, I "traveled" to Argentina by going to the other side. I had also tried paddle boarding, which I had never experienced in my life, and it felt like I was surfing on calm water.
I had only kayaked one other time in my life, and so this would be the second time I had ever kayaked. I was very nervous, and ended up being one of the slowest of the group. But, it was still an amazing experience. We paddled to a waterfall found on the side of the river, where we all jumped in and swam towards, having its current pull us back. A big boat came to this area as well, and began talking to the guides with us about their travels. The river itself separated Brazil and Argentina. At one point, I "traveled" to Argentina by going to the other side. I had also tried paddle boarding, which I had never experienced in my life, and it felt like I was surfing on calm water.
Day 3 of Foz do Iguacu: January 15th
Today was the final day of our trip, and it was bittersweet to wake up this morning. Although I really began to miss my friends and family, I really wished I had had just one more day in Iguacu. When getting ready this morning, we were informed that the location we were headed to was slightly conservative, so I dressed in my nicest t-shirt and shorts, along with my hiking shoes. We arrived at the Itaipu Dam, and most of the girls were not permitted access. Instead, we were told that we needed to "cover up". So, we were all put in cargo pants that were over or under-sized, that we had to return at the end of our tour! It was really funny to see everyone in these silly pants, but also kind of sexist that only the girls on this trip were forced to change. It reminded all of us about the societal views that Brazil still has in 2017.
Itaipu Dam is the most powerful hydroelectric dam in the world. In order to enter the dam, we traveled by bus to the location, and were supplied with hard hats and hairnets for protection. Since it powers three separate countries, we had passed through the country of Paraguay in order to enter the dam. Before going inside, we looked at the impressive reservoir that the dam uses. While in the dam, we learned about how the dam was powered by visiting a turbine room and the control room that is separated by the Brazilian and Paraguay sides. Since it was the weekend, only 18 of the 20 turbines were in use, but all 20 are used on the weekdays, when more electricity is needed. We then got to see the floodgates, which haven't been used in awhile, and took pictures of and with the Itaipu Binacional sign.
Itaipu Dam is the most powerful hydroelectric dam in the world. In order to enter the dam, we traveled by bus to the location, and were supplied with hard hats and hairnets for protection. Since it powers three separate countries, we had passed through the country of Paraguay in order to enter the dam. Before going inside, we looked at the impressive reservoir that the dam uses. While in the dam, we learned about how the dam was powered by visiting a turbine room and the control room that is separated by the Brazilian and Paraguay sides. Since it was the weekend, only 18 of the 20 turbines were in use, but all 20 are used on the weekdays, when more electricity is needed. We then got to see the floodgates, which haven't been used in awhile, and took pictures of and with the Itaipu Binacional sign.
For lunch/dinner, the whole group went out to a Churrascaria, which is a Brazilian steakhouse. It was really great to bond with everyone during our last night in this beautiful country, over a picnic table and eating amazing food. I knew I may never be able to eat this type of food again, however my appetite changed due to all the hiking and travelling we had been doing, so I didn't end up eating much. Walking back to the hostel, I certainly did not want my time here to end, and was not prepared for the long flights we had to take tomorrow.
Day 4 of Foz do Iguacu: January 16th
I definitely relaxed this morning, and woke up later than I had thought I would. Since I was basically already packed, I didn't need to do much today, so I relaxed and napped throughout the day, since it was pretty hot. I couldn't do anything else but sleep, and I was very upset that it was time to come home. This trip was life-changing, and I learned so much about the culture of the country. I had also learned a ton about the environmental issues from immense deforestation of the Amazon and the Atlantic Forest, to the sustainability issues in Curitiba. In Iguacu, I had learned about clean energy sources, as well as the natural beauties in this country. When we had returned, we were greeted with snow, and I knew that it was time for this trip to close. I will never forget the experiences I had on this trip, and I look forward to coming back to this unique country.