Day 13 - January 14th, 2017 We have arrived in Iguaçu! Here we stayed in a Hostel. I was very excited to experience the temporary living situation. I have always wanted to stay in a hostel, I can now check that off my bucket list! When we arrived at the airport we were greeted by the owner of the hostel, Joelton. He was a laid back guy who seemed to have no worries. The weather is Iquaçu was absolutely beautiful, much hotter than our pervious destinations. I LOVED IT! The hostel was like a playground for us. The backyard was screaming with fun activities for us to partake in, including a balancing rope, multiple hammocks, three very playful dogs, a weight bar, an outdoor kitchen as well as a lounge area. The hostel was a breath of fresh air compared to Curitiba. We relaxed for a few hours, sunning, played soccer (Tait fell a few times), ate tons of fruit. While waiting on our dinner to BBQ, which included a variety of different meats, Tait tried to teach us how to salsa dance! After our delicious BBQ was devoured were then decided to play limbo. What an active and fun evening! Once everyone was drained from feasting and dancing, we finally called it a night. I couldn’t have been any happier to be in Iguaçu.
WELCOME TO ONE OF THE SEVEN WONDERS IN THE WORLD! At least to Brazil that is. Although the Falls were absolutely stunning, Parque Nacional do Iguaçu is misinforming their cliental. Our venture towards the falls was taken in an animal painted double decker bus. On our way to the Falls we passed a beautiful hotel, Hotel das Cataratas. This hotel looked like barbies Malibu Mansion, pink with palm trees surrounding the hotels outskirts. The bus dropped us off at a stunning view of the many outstanding Falls. There was a trail that led us towards more spectacular views. They just kept getting better and better! The trail was at a downwards inclined, not so bad until you have to walk back up. Along the trail we spotted a few reptile species (small lizards), numerous butterflies and insects, as well as serval coatis! They were adorable and surprisingly friendly.
We finally made it! To the view we have been waiting for, the famous Iguaçu Falls! The view was breathtaking, like every other view in Brazil. Be careful to not wear makeup ladies, it will run down your face, if you even try to get close to the giant falls. I knew we were going to get wet but I didn’t think we would get soaked. Tait was prepared with a rain jacket, lucky! However, I didn’t mind getting drenched. It was so humid on January 15th, i’m sure we all needed that nice cool down. The platform that extended out into the falls was packed with people from all over the world. It was quite admiring how nature can bring individuals together.
Day 15 — January 16th, 2017
The day we have all been dreading has arrived. It’s time to say goodbye to the beauty country of Brazil, but before we do that, we have one more advantage to partake in. A visit to the Itaipu Binacional Dam, was our last stop. Unaware of their strict clothing attire, some of us girls were caught by surprise when we were told we were not able to take a tour of the Dam without proper clothing, meaning no shorts. The employees thankfully provided us with extra pants. Unfortunately there was not enough for everyone. Jaclyn and Kimberly needed to go to the gift shop to purchase proper attire, all expenses paid. We were now able to take the tour of the Dam, inside and out. The area was far bigger than I expected it to be. The Dam is located on the Brazil-Paraguay border. Not only were we able to “visit” Argentina but we were now able to say we’ve step foot in Paraguay as well. The Itaipu Binacional Dam is one of the world’s largest hydroelectric projects. It includes 18 turbine generators, that are capable of generating 12,600 megawatts of electricity.
After our tour we wandered into the gift shop, once again to do some more shopping! Here I found wooden Maraca rattle shakers. I figured they would be a perfect gift for my niece and nephew. We enjoyed a quick grab and go lunch at the food stop located outside of the gift shop.
When we arrived back to the hostel, we were not excited to leave. My classmates and I packed the last of our things and embraced the time we had left in Brazil. Erika, Jaclyn, Anna T and I enjoyed the heat sun for a bit. The sun was out that day! After about 15 minutes of laying out, each of us had an intense tan line. Just what we needed to bring back with us, a nice tan. After a few hours of relaxing on the hammocks and playing with the dogs, we went out to our last lunch as a group. The restaurant was located just a few blocks down from the hostel. It was buffet styled and not like any buffet I have ever been to before. The food was delicious and there was so much of it! While on the line waiting for the buffet, I noticed a jar of olives beside me. Hungry to say the least, I immediately began to eat them. Turns out they were infused with alcohol. I spit it out with such disappoint. After seeing olives I now wanted them, preferably without alcohol.
I enjoyed every bite of my three course meal. Who knows when we’ll return to Brazil, but until then I needed all the delicious Brazilian food I could get. We returned back to the hostel one last time to gather our belongings and to say goodbye to the precious dogs. The time has come, we arrived at the airport. We thanked Joelton for his generosity as our host and proceeded to our journey back to the States. Our flight from Sao Paulo to JFK was delayed about 30 minutes due to a heavy storm in our area. We were hoping we’d get lucky enough to spend another night Brazil. I sat next to Georgie on our flight back to JFK airport. We were squished between two big males. Good thing we were comfortable enough with either to get that close to one another. I can say I don’t miss the constant flying every few days but I can also say I wouldn’t trade any of the difficult, strenuous, drama filled days for anything else. The Brazil Experience 2017 for me, was filled with excitement, high spirits, lifelong friends, and happiness that simply could not be broken. It was a trip I will be thankful for, for the rest of my life. Thank you Tait for allowing for to participate in this experience.