How was your March? Mine was great! I went on a YEP (Youth Exchange Program) trip to Foz do Iguaçu or “Big Water” in the language of the Caigangues Indians. I went with 12 other exchange students from Denmark, Germany, Mexico, Colombia and the United States.
Foz do Iguaçu is a delta of the Paraná River that connects the three countries of Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. What makes this place so famous are the giant waterfalls named “Garganta do Diabo,” which means “the Devil’s Throat.” These waterfalls are three times larger than Niagara Falls! This place has been named one of the 7 Wonders of the Natural World.
While I was there, I visited some of the tourist attractions such as the Macuco Safari and the Rafrain Churrascuria. The Macuco Safari was walking a trail and taking a boat ride through rapids and into the falls. For safety, we didn’t go directly into the falls of Garganta do Diabo, but the smaller falls that are nearby. It gave me a whole new perspective of this gorgeous place because we were at the bottom looking up and the falls looked massive from that angle. To get to the boat, the other exchange students and I had to take a Jeep ride through the forest and then walk a trail. The tour guide cautioned us about the many varieties of venomous snakes, spiders and other creatures that were in the woods. We also had to worry about the big wild cats, such as pumas and panthers, while we were walking. All in all, the safari was a great experience and I am grateful I was able to participate in it.
The Rafrain Churrascuria also was amazing. It is a huge restaurant that had a show while we ate. First, let me tell you the food was delicious. Usually when one goes out to eat, the menu consists of the typical foods you would eat at home such as rice, beans, and beef and/or chicken. This eatery was a lot out of the ordinary because it was full of foods from all over the world. From the hummus to the lasagna, everything was great. The show was remarkable and kept me on my feet. Because Foz connects three countries, the name of the show was “The 3 Fronteiras” or “The 3 Frontiers” and it was full of cultural dances like the Tango, Samba, fire-dancing, etc. It was the best restaurant I have ever been to and I hope sometime in the future I can come back.
We also went to the Itaipu Hydroelectric plant while we were there. The Itaipu is the largest hydro-electric power generating plant in the world. It produced 87.9 billion kilowatt hours of power in 2005. Each of its generators can produce up to 700 mega (million) watts (mW) and this plant has 18, so it is able to produce up to 12,600 mW in total. The plant had a museum we were able to explore. We also were able to go up on the top of the dam, which also is a bridge between Brazil and Paraguay, and view the scenery from that point. What I thought was interesting was the name of the bridge is “Amizade.” This translates to “friendship” and the fact the three countries could come up with an agreement on how to share the power and the money is really fascinating to me. It says to me not every company is money-hungry because they aren’t fighting over who gets more or less. This structure is on the list of the “7 Wonders of the Modern World.”
I have to say what I enjoyed the most about this trip was seeing my exchange student friends again. It had been months since I had seen them last and when we all reunited, it was a really great moment. I love this youth exchange program because it shows me the world is not as big as I thought it was. Also, people all over the world aren’t that different. Being a part of this program has really changed my view of the world and I’m sure the same also applies to the other exchange students. Até Mais! Until later!
Adriana Alexander’s next column will appear the last Friday in June.
Editor’s Note: Bremerton Rotary exchange student Grant Clarridge will next appear in the Bremerton Patriot the last two Fridays in April and May.
