After São Leopoldo, we travelled to Foz do Iguaçu in the state of Paraná. We did not have much time in the city of Foz, meaning that our days were action-packed right from the start. We were still able to fit many site visits and tours during our time there.
We started by visiting the Ministry of Tourism and attending a presentation from the secretary of tourism of the city. This helped to build a base for the rest of the visits that we would have during the trip. While at Foz do Iguaçu, we were also able to visit two dams to see how they harness their vast water supply to turn it into electricity. First, we went to the Itaipu Binacional dam, which is, by size, the second-largest in the world but produces the most power of any dam. It is called Binacional because it is jointly run by both Paraguay and Brazil. Next, we went to the Baixo Iguaçu dam, which is another dam higher up than Itapu. This was a much smaller dam; it was very interesting to see the different scales of operations one after another.
The most awaited part of the trip was our visit to the Cataratas do Iguaçu. These waterfalls span the longest stretch of distance out of all of the world’s waterfalls. They are one of the natural wonders of the world and are located between Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. I had been to Niagara Falls before, and there is no comparison between the two. The Cataratas do Iguaçu truly are in a league of their own. I would say that it is easily one of the coolest things that I have ever experienced.
Foz was our last destination on this trip, and even though we were only there for four days, I loved every minute of it. Whether it was visiting the dams, going to the falls, or even stopping by the bird park, there was never a dull moment in Foz do Iguaçu.
Swanson School of Engineering 