Brazil!!!

I don't think I ever dreamed that I would start out 2008 in Brazil! But I'm so glad we went...we had a great time! We left on December 26, flying from Bloomington to Atlanta and then from Atlanta to Sao Paulo, Brazil. We arrived there at 8 something on the morning of the 27th. We had arranged to meet Paulo and Rosalie, our hosts, at the airport at noon so we could catch our final flight (to Foz do Iguassu) together which left at 2:00. We checked into our hotel in Foz do Iguassu and went out to eat at a fish restaurant that evening. The next morning, we got up and headed to the Iguassu Falls. The falls are in a large area of national park that is very well preserved. Before going to the falls, we went to the Parque das Aves (Park of the Birds). All kinds of beautiful plumages to behold! We spent the morning there and ate lunch at the restaurant at the top of the falls. The views were truly breathtaking. We went down to where you could walk out over the falls, taking many pictures as we went. It's impossible to capture the majesty of those waterfalls. Later, everyone except for Mom, Rosalie, and me went on a boat excursion under the falls. It sounded like quite the ride! That night, everyone but me, Greg, and Katy went to a churrasco....we preferred to relax at the hotel. The next day, Saturday the 29th, the men all went whitewater rafting while ladies did...what else....shopping! We went to a mall within walking distance from the hotel and then to some street markets. Unbeknownst to us, not only did the men do the rafting, they also took helicopter rides over the falls! Unfortunately, since they hadn't planned on it, nobody had cameras! Oh, well. They had a good time. That night, we went out for pizza and for Tim's 21st birthday. Yummy! Sunday the 30th we took a bus tour of Itaipu Dam...it was pretty impressive, even for non-engineers like me! Also on Sunday we flew back to Sao Paulo and then had a 4 hour van ride to Paulo and Rosalie's place in Sao Carlos. Monday the 31st we relaxed in the morning and then in the afternoon prepared for the New Year's Eve celebration. And what a celebration it was!!! There were lots and lots of fireworks and plenty of food! We enjoyed meeting Paulo's family that evening. The next day, Jan. 1st, we went to Rosalie's sister's house for the day and met most of her family. Once again, plenty of food! It was a pretty relaxing day, as well. Wednesday, Jan. 2, we (minus Rosalie) went to a 'farm' (really more of a state park) that featured a small pool fed by the world's largest underground aquifer. Getting to it involved a bit of hiking, but it was worth it! The pool was in a picturesque little glade, and the water (though very cold!) felt good in the heat. Afterwards, we hiked further to a river where the more adventurous crew could try some bodysurfing...I think Greg and Nate were the ones who enjoyed it the most! That night, Greg and I packed up our stuff, as the next morning, Jan. 3, everyone but Rosalie and Katy had another 4 hour drive back to Sao Paulo. We spent the afternoon there, visiting the central market and many shops and street vendors, and then Greg, Tim, and I were dropped off at the airport for our 11:00 pm flight. It was a pretty exhausting day for me, so it was a relief to sit in the plane! Overall, our trip was wonderful, but it was also great to get home!

If anyone would like to see our pictures, e-mail Greg or I and we can send you our kodak gallery of them....beware...there are 300 or so!