Hugs and kisses (on the cheek)

Our last day at Itaipu was special. We spent the morning working with deer and tapirs along with exploring the area with Zalmir. He let us get up close and personal with more jaguars and ocelots, clearly I was in heaven yet again. That afternoon we went with Domingo, a doctor of fish husbandry. He showed us the spawning channels associated with dam and the benefits of them. It was incredible to see and hear how much work and intelligence must go into such an important concept. It was especially lovely because we were able to do a hike while observing the canals. The jungle is a incredible home to so many amazing animals and plants. Honestly, it is one of the most beautiful places I have been. That afternoon we spent with Marcos and learning about falconry and proper bird husbandry. It was amazing! We were able to hold owls, hawks, falcons and even go into the harpy eagle cages. Even though they were 5 months old, I am pretty sure they could kill me if they wanted to; after a while, they definitely were thinking about it! We started to get a tad bit creeped out so left them quietly (without turning our backs of course). 

 (Zalmir and I with the day old baby tapir. We named her "Watermelon" because of her adorable stripes.)

(She was my favorite, "Princesa")

Before we left, we had a goodbye party. Took several photos, ate great food and hugged and kissed over and over. Zalmir told us that while "2 weeks may not have been enough time to learn a lot, but it is long enough to form a friendship." I will miss them all dearly. Marcos said that next time I will stay there for a whole summer; there is nothing I would love more. 

This was a Wednesday, we were in Foz for 2 more days but no more work because it was a holiday in Brazil. The next two days flew by, but were some for the books. We spent Thursday morning at the Brazilian side of the falls. It was amazing to view it from a far, an entirely new look. The Argentinian side you literally walk through the falls, but the Brazilian side you see it all. The photos all turned out gorgeous with more rainbows and waterfalls. It was much quicker than the other side, we were back at the hostel by early afternoon. It was gorgeous day so we walked to the mall to get Brazilian açaí bowls (one of my favorite things). Can I just say, Brazilian malls are interesting. The style is very different and the stores can be quite odd but it was another great cultural reality check. Needless to say, I probably won't be coming back with new clothes. Well, the trip ended up falling short; they were out of açaí! As a result, I seized the opportunity and finally tried a Brazilian McFlurry. They make them with very strange chocolate candies and I had been wanting to get a taste. Now that I had, I can happily say I will never need to try it again. This is one thing that I prefer in the States.