Gary belongs to an international group of four professors who take turns teaching at each others' universities. In March 2011, Gary and Rhonda flew to France where Gary spent one week teaching at Catholic University in Lille. Plans were made at that time to do the same at the agricultural campus of Sao Paulo Univerisity in Piracicaba, Brazil from August 13-17, 2012, then attend meetings of an international group of agricultural economists in Foz Do Iguacu, Brazil from August 19-24, 2012. This same group will visit College Station in April 2013 to address agricultural economic students at Texas A&M.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL: August 9-12, 2012
Gary and Rhonda leave for Brazil on Wednesday, August 8, 2012, arriving in Sao Paulo early the next morning. They hop a one-hour flight to Rio de Janeiro for several amazing days of sightseeing, staying at the beautiful JW Marriott on Copacabana Beach.
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| Evening at Copacabana Beach upon Arrival in Rio |
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| Looking the Opposite Direction along Copacabana Beach |
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| View of Copacabana Beach from JW Marriott's Roof Pool |
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| Marriott's Gold Executive Privileges Include Meals! |
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| Lobby of Copacabana's JW Marriott |
DAY TOUR OF RIO: August 10, 2012
Gary and Rhonda tour downtown Rio, then take the cable car to the top of Sugar Loaf mountain for panoramic views of the city, the beaches of Niteroi, Guanabara Bay and Corcovado Mountain. After lunch, travel is via cog train to the top of Corcovado and the very inspiring, 125-foot Christ the Redeemer statue.
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| First Tram Goes to the Top of Smaller Mountain |
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| Second Tram Goes to the Top of Sugar Loaf Mountain |
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| Amazing View from Sugar Loaf, including Copacabana Beach and Corcovado |
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| View of Marina from First Sugar Loaf Tram |
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| Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado Mountain |
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| Amazing Views from Corcovado Mountain |
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| View of Sugar Loaf from Corcovado Mountain |
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| Evening Walk down Corcovado Mountain |
GUANABARA BAY CRUISE: August 11, 2012
Gary and Rhonda spend a beautiful morning sailing on Guanabara Bay, with gorgeous views of Rio, Sugar Loaf, Corcovado, Fort Sao Joao, Flagstone Island, Santa Cruz Fortress and Rio-Niteroi Bridge.
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| Cruising Guanabara Bay |
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| Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado Mountain |
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| Sugar Loaf Mountain |
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| Gary Crosses His Fingers, Hoping to Avoid Seasickness |
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| Many Boats Make Waves in Guanabara Bay |
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| Rio-Niteroi Bridge |
PIRACICABA, BRAZIL: August 12-18, 2012
Gary spends mornings teaching at the university in Piracicaba. Afternoons are spent touring various agricultural sites -- farms, the second largest dairy in Brazil and the second largest livestock producer in Brazil, beef supplier to Outback Steakhouse.
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| Hotel Beira Rio -- Our Pad in Piracicaba, Brazil |
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| Beira Rio Pool -- Rhonda's Morning Hangout |
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| City Center -- Piracicaba, Brazil |
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| Piracicaba River |
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| Dinner of Amazonian Fish |
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| Afternoon Tour of Second Largest Dairy in Brazil |
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| Thousands of Cows Are Milked Three Times a Day |
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| Gary Surveys a Field |
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| Rhonda Chooses a Perfect, Juicy Orange |
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| Dairy Tour Group |
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| Afternoon Tour of Second Largest Feedlot in Brazil |
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| Cattle Destined for Outback Steakhouse |
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| Feedlot Tour Group |
FOZ DO IGUACU: August 18-25, 2012
We fly from Sao Paulo to Foz Do Iguacu the afternoon of August 18. We are pleasantly surprised with our hotel, the Recanto Park, booked through Expedia. When our room's air conditioning freezes up during our first night, we are upgraded to a deluxe jacuzzi room overlooking the beautiful pool.
IGUACU FALLS, THE BRAZILIAN SIDE: August 20, 2012
The city of Foz Do Iguacu is the jumping-off point for our three scheduled tours. On Monday, we drive to the Brazilian side of Iguacu Falls, designated by the United Nations as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. We have high expectations for the falls (which we explored online), but are overwhelmed by their grandeur. By the end of this great day, we are even more eager to experience the Argentinian side of Iguazu (Argentinian spelling) on Thursday.
ITAIPU DAM: August 21, 2012
On Tuesday, we tour Itaipu Dam, the largest operational hydroelectric power plant in the world. This engineering marvel generates a power of 12,600 megawatts, approximately 25% of the electricity consumed by Brazil and 95% of the energy consumed by Paraguay.
IGUAZU FALLS, THE ARGENTINIAN SIDE: August 23, 2012
On Thursday, we cross the border into Argentina to tour the other side of Iguazu Falls. We hike three trails -- the lower trail, the upper trail and the trail to Devil's Throat. Each is a unique experience. The lower trail allows us to look upward at a long line of powerful falls -- the largest collection of waterfalls in the world. From the upper trail, we look down at an increasingly gorgeous panorama. But without knowing it, we save the best for last -- Devil's Throat! We walk over a long footbridge into the center of the Iguazu River to the largest, most powerful series of waterfalls in the park, where large clouds of rising mist block out views of the bottom of the falls. Tourists along the viewing platform at Devil's Throat have three choices -- don a poncho, run back along the trail for twenty yards or get drenched!
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| Inspired by Julie's Fence Climbing at Niagara Falls! |
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| Devil's Throat Viewing Platform |
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| The Mouth of Devil's Throat in the Iguazu River |
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| Looking Down the Throat! |
