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Three of the students in front of a gigantic jungle tree near Manaus. Our guide figured the tree's age at about 200 years.
Three of our students with a three-toed sloth on the jungle tour near Manaus.
Some of the girls from the trip on the floating restaurant swimming platform, on the opposite side of the Rio Negro from Manaus.
The students were overjoyed when I took them to McDonalds for lunch the first day in Iguassu (yuck). They thought it was so great to eat at an American establishment.
The weather was beautiful, but very hot, during our time on the Argentine side of Iguassu Falls.
We used ice cream and periodic splashes in the river to cool off.
We also held class in the swimming pool at the hotel to cool off too. This was one of our most effective class periods actually.
We dared one of our two vegetarian students to pose for this picture at one of the churrascarias we ate at.
While in Argentina, we stopped at the "Three Frontiers" marker, where you can see Paraguay on your left, Brazil on your right, and Argentina under your feet.
This is Rose, one of my students, in front of a mural at the Soccer Hall of Fame in Rio. I thought she struck a pretty funny pose.
Students on the beach at Leblon in Rio, one block from our hotel.
More students on the beach. These two were so funny. They just had to go out and buy these brazil flag speedos when we got to Rio.
This is me at the soccer game at Maracana in Rio. Oh yeah, did I mention I didn't shave for the entire trip?
At a brazilian bakery (paderia) in Rocinha Favela, Rio. The baker is the guy in front, he wanted to pose like the Christ statue on Corcovado.
What happened this week...?
On Monday, January 21st I took the students on a small boat on a short jungle tour. It had to be brief because we were heading immediately that afternoon to Iguassu Falls. I wasn't sure the students would want to get back on a boat after five days up the Amazon, but they really wanted to hold the jungle animals. They also had fun jumping off a floating restaurant platform to swim in the Amazon river.
We made our flight to Iguassu, through Sao Paulo, which made it a long day. The place we stayed in Iguassu was a lot of fun, as you can see from the pictures. The water level at the falls was very high, which prevented us from taking a boat to the island in the middle of the falls. I've never had a chance to do that, so I was a bit disappointed. The students loved the Argentine side of the falls and the hiking it afforded, and enjoyed the powerboat ride underneath the falls. They also had a lot of fun the day we went to Paraguay and toured several electronics and technology import/export sites. I think mostly they enjoyed the shopping.
Rio was a great experience for everyone. I hired two guides, who took us to Rocinha, a slum near the upscale neighborhood of Leblon. The poverty, drug trade, and crime in the area were all readily apparent, and I think it had a lasting impression on the students. We were able to tour much of the city, including time in the financial district, and we even had a day to go to the beach and attend a soccer game at Maracana stadium. Finally, on the 27th, it was time to fly to Sao Paulo and then return home to the United States. As much fun as we had, it was good to be home, and to see our families again. I was completely exhausted from the trip, and have decided not to do it next year. Maybe in another year or two.
Best wishes to all,
Matt, Joanne, Jessica, Emily & Madeline