Swanson School of Engineering

Our first stay was in São Leopoldo, about 30 minutes from Porto Alegre. The trip started off with an amazing dinner consisting of sushi, all different kinds of pizza, and dessert pizza! From ice cream pizza to chocolate m&m pizza, there were so many interesting desserts. The next morning we went on a city tour around Porto Alegre where we got to see the government buildings, local market, and even some Brazilian cowboys! The city was very unique as in there weren’t many tall buildings, but it also didn’t feel European. There were many palm trees and being right by the water made the city walkable and have amazing views.

I got to try some food that I have never had before such as a beets and radish salad and for dinner one night we went to Zimbabwe, an Afro-Brazilian restaurant. I really enjoyed the concept of a Brazilian buffet because it allows me to create my own plate with different meats, vegetables, and desserts. One of our last nights in Sao Leopoldo, we had a BBQ with all different kinds of meats including some chicken hearts. I got to try one and it was very good even though eating a chicken heart sounds very weird to me.

We also had many company visits to explore how companies use natural resources to create and distribute energy. We visited places like Certaja Energia, an electrical distribution company, HT Micron, a semiconductor company, and Hira, a water technology company. We also had the opportunity to learn from the professor at the local University, Unisinos. Exploring the labs and meeting other students was a cool way to see the research being done and learning from students like us!

Besides food and company visits, we got the chance to explore the Brazilian culture. One of my favorite experiences was the Capoeira class. Capoeira is a mix of martial arts and dance, and was harder than I expected. We also got to visit the German towns Gramado and Canela. They were beautiful and the chocolate was amazing. On Sunday we went to the local market and I got handmade crafts like bracelets and rings. The street was filled with local vendors and unique crafts. The most unexpected cultural visit was to a soccer match. Gremio was playing and the stadium was filled. It was a cool experience sitting so close to the field.

Overall, Sao Leopoldo was a great way to get to know Brazil from the locals since people rarely spoke english. I learned a lot and can’t wait to continue on to Foz do Iguacu!