This morning we visited the
Cascavel Rural Show. It was like a giant fair on a hot summer day focusing
completely on agriculture! We met with the president of Copavel, the coop which
puts on the show, and I was so impressed by his people-skills even when he was
speaking a different language from us. That’s how you become president of a
large farming coop!
When we were released to
explore on our own for a couple hours, I felt like a little kid turned loose at
a candy shop or campground. We have been so scheduled and enclosed lately in
hotels and buses – the freedom was delightful.
#nofilter
I was sold on the toy anhydrous ammonia tank.
We played a game called "make up a use for that crazy farm equipment." I joked that this octopus is used to plant seeds in little rows between the wheels. Someone heard me and said, "Exactly!" Who knew?
The giant katydid tractor.
No one told me my WV was backwards!
Hydroponic lettuce starts.
Tomatoes on tomatoes on tomatoes.
Our friend the milk fountain.
I got you a Christmas cactus, mom!
Our friend the cow table.
This strange-growing corn caused a commotion until we realized it had been pruned for display.
Two capital Cs!
We got free hats!
We missed lunch because so many vendors wanted a photo of the Americans.
Itaipu Dam! This was WAY
cooler than I expected. This dam is one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern
World. It produces electricity for Brazil and Paraguay. It used to be the
largest hydroelectric dam in the world until China built the Three Gorges Dam,
but the Itaipu Dam still has higher electricity production due to more
favorable conditions. I loved our tours, but I have one regret: I wish I had
asked my dad for a list of questions to ask about the dam since that helped me
learn so much about the wind turbines in the Galapagos.
The dry spillways at Itaipu Dam.
I go to Ohio State! Really I do!
Dam we're fine!
Entrance to the concrete giant.
One of the turbines seen from the outside.
That's a looooooong way down.
This is what the spillways look like when there isn't a drought.
Some engineering stuff for Dad.
The Central Control Room, where a team of Paraguayan and Brazilian workers run the dam. The old analog control machines are around the outside of the room for back-up, but nowadays the dam in controlled digitally from the computers in the center.
One foot in Brazil, one foot in Paraguay.
Descent to the dungeons.
A turbine from the inside.
The long hallway of giant red dots (above the turbines).
The reservoir behind the dam.
Power lines running away from this enormous hydroelectric generator.
Looking down at that same entrance from on top of the dam.
We lunched at the mall (more
salmon sushi and a frozen acai bowl with bananas and strawberries, plus half of
an ovaltine chocolate malt which I shared with Logan.)
After dark, we drove all the
way back to the dam to watch the famous light show. We waited for twenty
minutes for the show to start, then watched the same informational video as
this morning. A dramatic symphony struck up through the speakers, and we
watched for five minutes as the white lights slowly dimmed on. When the music
creshendoed and died, the dam was lit up. Most anticlimactic light show ever.
They turned on the lights.
I’m being partly facetious –
even without bright colors or explosives, gazing at that magnificent concrete
structure under the stars was inspiring. I imagined myself as another person
looking for a direction in life, and I could imagine myself deciding to make
energy my life passion. What a noble goal, to produce electricity for the
world. It helps humans, and producing more efficient energy helps the environment.
To capture energy from the world requires such simple, elegant physics. When
the light show ended, I realized I probably won’t be switching to a major in
physics or engineering, but I am inspired to gain a better understanding of
electricity.
Day 34: Saturday, February 8th
Today we went to Iguazu
Falls, or Foz do Iguaçu. I was really excited for today because the falls are
one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World. Plus, my sister went here when
she lived in Argentina and said they were awesome
We started out with a talk from a National Park ranger. I found some neat bugs on the front porch.
Little bug.
Big bug.
Oh hey there.
Then, we scrambled down a muddy embankment in our flip flops and skirts. (Once again, wardrobe fail!) When we got to the bottom, we could see Argentina across the river. We only stayed a second before biting ants scared us back up the hill, which we climbed up faster than we had climbed down.
That's Argentina over there!
The falls were just as
magnificent as I had heard they would be. The “first view” outlook was
stunning.
A rainbow too!
Friends and falls.
But the views just kept
getting better and better. By the end of the boardwalk, I was standing in the
middle of a 360 degree, panoramic view. To my left, I could feel the vibration
of raw power as a massive wall of water roared over a cliff. The fall itself
was obscured by a boiling veil of mist. In front of me, I saw calmer waterfalls
streaming over slick granite. Between the tounges of water, cushiony green
plants carpteted the rock. Below me, a rainbow formed a nearly complete circle.
Right below my feet, I saw the smooth curve of water as it moved from the calm
lake to the tearing rapids of another waterfall. It gave me the willies to see
that water going over the edge, switching so suddenly from a calm shallows to a
flailing nosedive.
The wildlife at the park was
incredible. I let a gentle, brown praying mantis crawl onto
my hand and work its way up to the top of my head. (So cute!) Raccoon-like
mammals called coatis used their long, inquisitive noses to search through our
backpacks. We saw a couple meter-long, black and white lizards basking in the
sun.
Just baskin'.
Pet the wild animals!
And the monkeys! This baby swung by its tail and stripped moss off twigs right above our heads.
For lunch, we returned to the mall and I once again ate a salmon sushi cone and
an acai cup, but I added in half a pastel,
a fried bread pocket filled with beef and mozzarella.
In the afternoon, we went to
the confluence of the Parana and Iguacu Rivers, where the countries of Paraguay,
Argentina, and Brazil all meet.
Three countries at once.
Erin and I found some entertaining public art at the river park.
We stopped at several souvenir shops, and
entered a giant duty free shop in Argentina so we could officially say we have
been in three countries. It was such a relief to speak Spanish instead of
Portuguese! I’m excited to go back to Ecuador next week. I bought a pair of
green Brazil flag flip flops. Erin, AJ and I made a last minute friendship
bracelet purchase – so we are now linked by the Straw and Bead Jewelry of Sarcasm
and Ironic Friendship.
I bought a couple of these little agates to bring home in my pocket. (Hi John.)
During the bus ride, someone
asked John, “Do you still want to be a vet?” That’s the Question Bomb for
sophomore animal sciences students. It’s like asking a high school senior,
“Where have you applied for college?” It’s overasked, and it usually elicits
anxiety because the answer is either, “Yes, if I can get in!” or “No, I failed
chemistry,” or “I don’t know, I am having a continuous existential crisis,
thanks for asking.” But today that question actually initiated a long, friendly
conversation about what we want to do with our lives. Everyone has so many big
ideas and reasonable concerns and interesting priorities. It was a great bus
ride.
Soon we will be heading to an
all-you-can-eat dinner. Good thing I’m hungry!
Day 35: Sunday, February 9th
Today we got a minor sleep-in
which was heavenly. Then, we rode the bus all day, which allowed for a lot of
extra napping. We pulled up to a grand buffet for lunch, but I was still full
from dinner last night, so I just got a healthy (yeah right) snack: a chicken
dumpling and a patty of dried coconut and condensed milk. Then more bus naps! I
have found I really enjoy curling up in my seat with the curtain pulled and my
headphones in. I put my iPod on total shuffle and turn the volume semi-loud,
and I can disappear into my own dreamy thoughts. Eventually I end up falling
asleep. When I get tired of that, I can gaze at gorgeous rolling farm
landscapes. I have seen so many shades of green out the bus window!
We stopped at another mall
for dinner, where Sejal and I went to a fazenda
(farm-style) buffet. I got some delicious shredded greens (collards? kale?)
and filled more than half my plate with produce. For dessert I got a small
frozen acai cup with strawberries. Yum!
We got back to the hotel in
time for about thirty minutes of frisbee in the pool. It felt so good to leap
and swim – I can’t wait to be more physically active when this trip is over. I
miss playing ultimate so much!
When we got kicked out of the
pool, a whole group retired to my room where we played cards and talked. I
always learn something new about my friends around 1:30 in the morning. I also
caught up on some blogging. It feels great to go through my photos, post
captions, and reflect on my experiences so far in Brazil.
