The one thing I appreciate after being in the land of green and yellow is the proliferation of the stars and stripes in Washington, D.C. Here Connecticut Avenue expresses its patriotism with its multiple "flagation." (Maybe I'll start a trend with my word creativity.) haha. tchau for good,

Hazen

After going to the Oscar Niemeyer museum (also called the "Eye" museum because that's what it resembles), I got this shot from an adjacent park. A wooded area dedicated to John Paul II is also nearby. Can you spot the UFOish frisbee?

This mural is located near where I work, and on the way to a good vegetarian restaurant. The Governor's Palace is right next door.

See you stateside,

Hazen

I traveled out to the city of Foz do Iguaçu to kick off another round of interviews with sugarcane growers. This time, we talked to farmers who grew sugarcane not for fuel ethanol, but for the potable type of alcohol or as part of some sweet consumable, which includes something that resembles peanut brittle. These land owners also entered into an agreement with the Paraná Biodiversity Project, which is the group with whom I am working in South America, to create biodiversity corridors in exchange for financial and other assistance. How did they differ from the ethanol sugarcane growers in northwest Paraná? How was the cooperation with the Project going? With these questions, we set out. The first day and meeting went well and we got to drink samples of the Brazilian alcoholic beverage, Cachaça, and the aforementioned sugar snack. On the way to our hotel afterward, however, we found ourselves driving in the fog, in the middle of the night. Here is a night-vision-y shot of our back roads journey. Thanks, André for driving. The next day we met with owners from two other operations before heading off for more tourist-related activities.

Here we are at the falls.

Here is another closer, view. With this volume of water, it’s no wonder how the nearby Itaipu (Itaipú) Dam can claim to be the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world. We also got a lot of spray being this close and with the wind propelling the water our way.

With Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil forming a triple border near Foz do Iguaçu, we took advantage of their proximity and visited all three nations. While in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, I took the obligatory shot of some Paraguayan flags shown above. According to some sources, let’s say, Wikipedia, Ciudad del Este accounts for 60% of Paraguay’s GDP, due to its free-for-all shopping zone. Additionally, some intelligence analysts claim, controversially, that the area’s Muslim population might be funding or supporting terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda or Hezbollah.

While in the southwest corner of the state of Paraná, my translator André and I entered into Argentina (we also visited Paraguay-see other entry.) As you can see, the Argentine-U.K. dispute over the Falklands-Las Malvinas still nurses unsettled feelings. We saw this sign in Brazil on the way into Argentina. In fact, for the uninitiated American like me, the whole area has an interesting political history. Just google the War of the Triple Alliance to see what I mean.

I guess I should be writing on how my thesis research is going, how I have been having outstanding meetings with Brazilian sugarcane experts, and how even with serious linguistic barriers, I have managed to have productive, informative, and friendly discussions (from my end at least). Also pleasantly surprising to me, was the fact my interviewees appreciated talking to me even though it seemed like I was asking all the questions. That is true. However, I am also compelled to describe my ongoing culinary experiences. I somehow made friends here, who have allowed or facilitated situations where I am constantly presented with all sorts of flavor for my taste buds. Last night, I went to an all you can eat pizza place, and unexpectedly, the “sweet” pizzas, which for me meant ice cream and chocolate with strawberry were amazing. I must also mention Calda de Cana, which is a drink derived from the fun part of sugarcane. It is ubiquitous down here and it certainly gets MY mouth watering. Pictured here is a more permanent establishment in Joinville, Santa Catarina, which is a neighboring state to Paraná. However, most Caldo de Cana drinks I’ve had are from mobile, sidewalk joints.

Next week, I'm off to brave Brazil's troubled aviation system and another round of field work. I’ll describe more on that later. Meanwhile, munch, MUNCH, munch, MUNCH...

While north of the Tropic of Capricorn and south of the Tropic of Cancer, I took this picture along the banks of the Paranapanema River, which divides the states of Paraná and São Pauo. I was also far enough west that a third state, Mato Grosso do Sul, might be on the horizon, though I'm not 100% sure.

Here I am in one of the sugarcane fields, doing research, and...chewing on a piece of sugarcane and enjoying it. If you never have tried it, the consistency and after-taste of the stuff hints at watermelon, besides being watery and sweet (duh).

Here's what the landscape of the sugarcane growing area of Paraná, a southern state of Brazil, looks like. My guide and I were on our way to getting lost when this picture was taken. Haha.