Foz do Iguacu was beautiful and hot. Manga Rosa was the name of the hostel we called home for a few days. It had a big layout, with doors open to outside, since it had no air conditioning. The yard and tile patio allowed for the group to spend off time together, more so than any other time during the trip. It was a nice bonding experience. We all spent lots of time with the dogs, on the slack line, and hanging on the hammocks. Eventually, Tait brought back lots of food in preparation for a barbecue, although most of it was fruit. I must have spent about an hour trying new fruits and creating all sorts of combinations with them. It was a beautiful thing. The day was hot, but I got to wind down with Erika hosting a backyard yoga class. As the sun went down, everyone gathered at the patio. We played music, learned salsa from the apparent professional, Tait, and played limbo. Eventually, late in the night, dinner was served. Although just meat, it is the Brazilian way, and it was delicious. That night I slept under the stars for a while. However, I woke up in the middle of the night uncomfortable, so I moved to my bed. It was a great day of relaxation and fun.
14 January, 2017
Waking up, being able to walk outside and prepare my own breakfast, was relieving and refreshing. That morning we also met a fellow hostel resident named John. He has an accent I couldn’t put my finger on, but it was awesome. He had many stories about his travels and how he ended up here, all with his motor bike. He was an inspiring traveler, especially since he hadn’t done it his whole life. It was something he realized and found the courage to do. Today was the day we were to see the water falls of Iguacu. After arriving at the ticketing facility, we were driven to the falls by a bus in which we sat atop. The air and trees were refreshing after being in cities for so long. We took sort of a hike as we viewed all the falls. I hadn’t ever seen waterfalls before. We walked out above the flow of the falls, getting closer to the rumble and power. The water sprayed us, which was kind of gross considering it was polluted with sewage. Oh well. As the walk got increasingly crowded, we were ready to leave. I believe this was the hottest day we encountered while in Brazil: the sweat was perpetual.
After returning to Manga Rosa, we took a short walk to a hotel which rented out kayaks and paddle boards. This experience was made better due to the hike we took in order to reach the river where we took off. The trail led us to a waterfall in which I played under with Heather, Christain, and Tyler to cool down. Plus, it was too much of a beautiful scene not to be a part of. Although my clothes got wet, I knew we were about to get soaked kayaking/paddle boarding. Once we got to the site, a few workers geared us with helmets and life jackets. The water was not as deceiving as that in Rio, but the weather was much more hot here, making it more tempting to jump in. I started with a kayak, enjoying the view of Brazil on my left and Argentina on my right. We arrived at a small waterfall into the river which we messed around under. Everyone hung around the area for a while, playing in the water. I managed to be on a paddle board at this point, on which I attempted some yoga. It was challenging, and led me to my submergence in the sewer water. I kept telling myself it was filtered enough by the many miles it had travels since its pollution source. However, after researching so much about water pollution it has become my biggest fear.
15 January, 2017 Today featured a tour of the Itaipu Dam, but only after all the ladies got pants. We were unable to take the tour without pants, and of course, we all had shorts on. As we approached the dam, the size was unfathomable. I realized this when we were on top of it. Seeing the reservoir was a bit eerie knowing all its force was being placed on the, essentially, hollow cement of the massive structure which we were all standing on. This eerie feeling only lessened a bit after entering the hollow of the cement, which is where all of the dam’s functional parts and staff were. Although eerie, I was in awe as I learned more about how the dam functions. We got to view one of the turbines, which was loud. After researching so much about the dam, seeing it made all of its history come to life. it was especially interesting seeing the control room, which was split directly in half by the border between Brazil and Paraguay. The work and innovation put into this was expansive. When we left the internals of the dam, our tour bus took us to stop by the floodgates, which were not in use at the time. However, they were impressive. When we returned to Manga Rosa, I soaked up the sun with a few of the ladies before the buffet. We walked down the street to our last dinner in Brazil. We all sat around a huge picnic table enjoying each other’s company. I got a bit of everything from the massive table full of food, savoring every last bite. Full from dinner, most of us enjoyed the remainder of the night relaxing and packing. I, on the other hand, spent hours debating on missing the plane tomorrow.
16 January, 2017 For a long time, I had been ignoring the reality of this day, but it arrived regardless. I took that morning slow, since I was already packed up. I sat outside, enjoying the heat. This trip was a success. Learning about some of Brazil’s sustainable qualities, particularly of those in Curitiba, was empowering. I also learned so much about the culture and the environmental issues, and the struggles Brazilians face at this interaction. The trip was enlightening, allowing me to further understand the difficulties people face when living among the most biodiverse place on Earth and, at the same time, trying to build their own foundations. Brazil is an incredible country, and the Amazon Rainforest is like nothing else. To be able to experience it while meeting all of the awesome people I traveled with was a great pleasure. I thank all of you.
My last picture on Brazilian soil..... Goodbye beautiful country!