Day 12; January 13th
Our flight from Curitiba to Sao Paolo ended up being delayed for an hour, but we still made it on time for our layover flight to Iguacu. Once we arrived in Iguacu, I immediately felt the difference in the temperature from all the other places we had been so far; it was significantly hotter, and I could not tell if it was humid or not, but I did not stop sweating from the moment I got to the city to the moment I left after three days. It was a short ride to our hostel in Manga Rosa, and once we got there, I knew this would become one of my favorite places that we stayed on the trip. They had THREE dogs, multiple hammocks, multiple activities in the backyard, and an outdoor common area and kitchen. I was not sure how I would survive with no air conditioning for three days, but our actual room did have a cooling unit, so even though we only felt the cold air while we slept, it was all we needed. One of the best parts about this hostel was that it had an actual backyard, whereas all the other places we have stayed were city hotels. I missed being able to just hangout outside in the confines of my living area. This also meant that in our free time, we could just lay on the grass and tan, soaking in the last bit of sun before going back to winter in New Jersey. One of the activities in the backyard that seemed to occupy our time for hours was the slack line between two trees. There was a support rope to hold onto above it, but it was still a challenge to walk across without falling the first few times. Eventually, we started walking backwards and finding ways to walk around each other on it without falling off. The hammocks were also a nice touch, since they were hung up in the shade for anyone that wanted to relax, but still be outside with the rest of the crowd. Not to mention, they were super comfortable, and I think I fell asleep in them a couple of times.
The dogs, of course, were the best part about this place. One of the most people-friendly dogs was Einstein, who was always out and about with the crowd. The other two dogs were held in a gated-in area at first, but were eventually let out so that we could meet them. We eventually got a game of soccer going where I captured Tait falling (twice!) on video. One of the students joined in on a Krov Maga class that was being held in the common area by an instructor. We were to have a BBQ that night, but while we waited for the main course (which didn't end up being done until midnight), a few students and I ended up trying various new fruits that Tait had bought from the market. The passion fruit was the most sour fruit I had ever tasted, but we figured out that if you mix in some bits of mango, it neutralizes the sour taste and makes it taste WONDERFUL. For the next few hours, we had Latin music playing while all of us did our own thing around the yard. Eventually, someone started playing salsa music and we all got a lesson from Tait on how to dance. Surprisingly, this went on for a couple of hours. It was nearing midnight, and the BBQ was just about ready. There were different types of meat and various sides that we could choose from. Everything was delicious, and it was difficult for us to stop from eating the entire tray that had just come out of the oven. I also got to try a new type of food called manioc; it had the appearance of pineapple, but tasted like a baked potato. With more meat being made in the oven, our dance session turned into a game of limbo. We found a long stick somewhere in the backyard and all took turns making our way underneath of the stick. After feeling like we were trapped in Curitiba for almost an entire week, this place was like a dream come true. My feet hurt from all the dancing we did and although I started sweating immediately after every shower I took here, I was so happy to be with everyone in such an amazing place. I couldn't wait to do it all over again tomorrow. |
Einstein, the dog.
Sitting around in the backyard at Manga Rosa.
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Day 14; January 15th
On our last day in Brazil, we visited Itaipu Dam, the most energy-producing hydroelectric dam in the world. We had a small dilemma at the beginning because apparently we were all supposed to wear pants and sneakers as a "safety precaution" for the tour, but almost all of the girls were wearing shorts. The workers were able to scrounge up some extra pants for us to wear, but two students ended up having to buy pants from the gift shop. Even though I got pants, they were probably three or four sizes too big for me, but I somehow made it work; in the picture featured to the right, they actually look like my size! After everything was situated, we were finally able to board the bus that would take us to the actual dam. As soon as we got there, I knew immediately this was what I wanted to write my term paper on. To get to the dam, we had to cross into the country of Paraguay (another one added to the list!). An interesting fact about this dam is that every aspect of it is split evenly between Brazil and Paraguay; the two sides of it on the river, the cost, and even the number of employees is the same. We were able to walk with a guide throughout the plant and see how the turbines worked, and the overall internal structure of it - it was HUGE! We were also able to see the main control room of the plant from a story above it. Half of the room was the Brazilian side, and the other half was the Paraguayan side. They even had a line on the floor we were on where you could place one foot on either side and be in two countries at once!
After seeing the control room, we split the group up in half so that we could fit into the elevator. My group went downstairs first, where we could see the extremely long hallway running through the plant. We then went back up to see one of the 20 turbines that run the plant. It was not as large as I expected it to be, but it sure was spinning fast. We visited on a Sunday, so they only had 18 turbines running at that time, but our guide said that on any other day they would usually have all 20 running simultaneously. Our entire group eventually met back up to continue the rest of the tour. We left the plant and loaded the bus to go and see the dam from the outside. On the way there, we stopped at a large sign that said "Itaipu Binational" and took pictures next to it. From this location, you could see the floodgates on the sides of the dam. At that time, they were closed. They did not open them much, but our guide said the last time they were open, they were open for five months straight. Continuing on, we loaded back onto the buses and headed over to another lookout onto another side of the dam. This was the most picturesque spot yet, and we all got great pictures. We were also able to finally take off our pants, which I was thankful for because this was by far the hottest day and place we had been on the entire trip. I was awash in sweat the entire day, and eventually got so used to it that I forgot what being dry felt like. We made our way back to the main center where we had first loaded the buses. I knew that I wanted to write a paper about this dam, so I made sure to get the contact info of our tour guide, in case I had any specific questions during writing. We explored the gift shop for a while, and grabbed some lunch in the little restaurant nearby. It was still relatively early in the day when we got back to the hostel, so we had some time to kill before we went out to the churrascaria for a late lunch. During this time, a few of the girls and I laid out on the grass and attempted to get our last little bit of tanning in on the trip. After about an hour, we all showered and started getting ready for what Tait described as "more food than you could imagine". And surely, it was. The churrascaria was essentially a giant buffet with a large variety of meat. Everything, of course, tasted amazing as usual, so I went back for seconds, as did most everyone else. This would be the last big meal we had in Brazil so we had to make sure to savor every last moment of it. Once we felt like oompa-loompas, we waddled back to our hostel down the street, and made the best of the last night we were going to spend in this amazing country. |
Outside view of the Itaipu Dam.
Me, standing inside the hydroelectric plant in my humongous pants and safety gear.
Tanning with Einstein.
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Sunrise seen from the airplane, just one hour before landing at the JFK airport.
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Departure; January 16th
Waking up this morning made me feel slightly somber, but I had started preparing myself for departure day a few days ago so that it wasn't hitting me all at once. I woke up early to make myself breakfast once again, making sure I got my last taste of any kind of fresh fruit that I could find. We didn't have to be at the airport until about 1 pm, so we at least got to spend a little more time packing and getting our things ready for the long airplane ride. I packed all of my belongings early so that I could just relax until we had to leave. I had grown especially attached to little Einstein and was sad to leave him. Unfortunately, 1 pm came sooner rather than later, and we all began to board the bus that would take us to the airport. At least we had a layover that would allow us to be in Brazil for a little bit longer. At the Sao Paolo airport, I got my usual frango empanada, which surprisingly, was the best empanada I had eaten on the entire trip (who said airport food was gross?), and an acai bowl for dessert. None of these things would be anywhere near me back home, and even if they were, they certainly wouldn't taste this good or fresh. I also bought my last few souvenirs in the duty-free shop, and was officially debt free from the long list of people I had to buy gifts for. The flight back was not as bad as the flight there, but I also attempted to sleep more this time, and did not watch a single movie.
Guess what we were greeted with once we landed at JFK? SNOW. Where were the palm trees and coconuts with straws? It was like living in a horror movie. We also arrived an hour later than expected because of the delay we had due to heavy rain in Sao Paolo, but at least we landed safely and with minimal turbulence. My parents were already waiting at the airport, so the only thing left to do was retrieve my luggage and get through customs. Of course, my luggage bag was the only one that was not with the rest of the group's, so everyone ended up leaving, whereas I was left waiting for half an hour until the baggage claim wheel was fixed. Luckily, my baggage was not lost, just delayed in the process. I grabbed it and made my way over to the line for customs. I was worried about my Argentinian rock being taken away, but the man checking customs forms waived me through before I even had a chance to take out my claims form that I filled out on the plane. I didn't question it and just kept on walking. Walking out into the waiting area, I was SO ecstatic to see my parents and got the biggest smile on my face once I finally found them. As horrible as the weather was outside, I was glad to be back with my family and in a country where I can read the street signs and fully understand nearby conversations. This was one of the most amazing trips I had ever been on, and it was definitely worth every penny. I also got lucky to be a part of such a large group full of great people with fantastic personalities. It was a once in a lifetime kind of experience, and I am so glad that I will have these memories to last me the rest of my life. All I have is these words and a few hundred pictures to tell about our adventures in Brazil, but there will never be any way to truly describe the experience we had over the course of these two weeks. |