Day 8: Recharge
We had finally arrived in the much acclaimed city of Curitiba. This was going to be the longest portion of the trip with much to do and see before we were finished. Once we had landed, I was conversing with Lester, the groups leading ornithologist and botanist on what we expected to see. We were given a pamphlet once we left the airport that showed the natural world of Curitiba. As an avid bird-watcher myself, Lester would point out many species so that I may add to my own personal list of birds seen. Before we could do any birdwatching however, Ana’s health had to be addressed. The infection in her eye was getting worse and worse to the point where Tait thought it best to take her to the hospital to get her looked at. This was quite unfortunate for Ana and we all felt terrible. This did provide the group to fully recharge on the trip and explore. A group of us went out to see what the food situation would be like. Unlike most places in the United States, a lot of restaurants and food places were closed on Sunday or if they were open, had very short hours of operation. Once our stomachs were full we decided to get out of the rain and head back towards the hotel. Tait and Ana had finally returned from the hospital and we started out presentations as planned. Onto the next day!
Day 9: The Infamous Carlos.....
Today we were getting to the heart of trip (as far as education was concerned). Curitiba was our longest stop and it with well-planned tours and more formal talks, we got a lot out of it. This morning we had two presentations prepared for us: the first consisted of learning about the history of Curitiba and its innovations, while the second consisted of a talk given by the “infamous” Carlos talking about the ecology part of Curitiba which was very fitting as we paid a visit to his work: the SMMA, the environmental agency of the city.
The first talk as previously stated was about Curitiba’s innovation. It is important to mention the Taulois Plan which began the start of the world famous urban planning in Curitiba. This plan stood in place for 60 years, helping Curitiba grow exponentially. With a good base and an expanding population, a new plan was put into place: the Agache Plan which was the first master plan for the city which introduced an interesting new feature, radial structure. This plan stood in place for a good 20 years before it was replaced/modified by the IPPUC which took over as the innovators behind Curitiba’s growing popularity. The IPPUC was initially created to get a basis on how the city can be improved by utilizing research and evaluating the urban environment of the city which eventually gave birth to the BRT system which was a ground breaking innovation which included one fair per ride on the buses, the buses had their own designated lanes (this would all be explained in the next day’s presentation so the speakers ran thru it pretty quickly). In 2014, there were revisions made to the master plan to better adapt to Curitiba’s changing urban environment which was gathered from over 80,000 residents of Curitiba which wanted bicycle lanes, more sidewalks, and an even better bus transportation system. A subway system was mentioned but at that time the funds were not available to pay for such a massive project.
Next stop we visited Carlos at the SMMA. Carlos was truly a real character, one who looked like he stepped out of a different decade with long hair in a ponytail while wearing a whole biking outfit because he bikes to work every day. With him we learned about the ecology of Curitiba as well as the word’s meaning: where the pine grows. Very fitting from all of the pine trees spotted there. The building itself was constructed using very little concrete and brick while using a lot of treated wood for the pillars of the building to add to its sustainability and substantially lowered the cost to make the building. As the talk was coming to an end, Carlos lead us to one of Curitiba’s famous urban parks, a terrific family friendly part consisting of a lot of wildlife including capybaras (which we ended up seeing a group of), caiman, turtles, and many water fowl species.
The day was now complete, we finally made our way back to the hotel using taxis and got the chance to celebrate Erika’s and Andy’s birthdays for dinner (happy birthday you two and thank you for dinner Andy!)
The first talk as previously stated was about Curitiba’s innovation. It is important to mention the Taulois Plan which began the start of the world famous urban planning in Curitiba. This plan stood in place for 60 years, helping Curitiba grow exponentially. With a good base and an expanding population, a new plan was put into place: the Agache Plan which was the first master plan for the city which introduced an interesting new feature, radial structure. This plan stood in place for a good 20 years before it was replaced/modified by the IPPUC which took over as the innovators behind Curitiba’s growing popularity. The IPPUC was initially created to get a basis on how the city can be improved by utilizing research and evaluating the urban environment of the city which eventually gave birth to the BRT system which was a ground breaking innovation which included one fair per ride on the buses, the buses had their own designated lanes (this would all be explained in the next day’s presentation so the speakers ran thru it pretty quickly). In 2014, there were revisions made to the master plan to better adapt to Curitiba’s changing urban environment which was gathered from over 80,000 residents of Curitiba which wanted bicycle lanes, more sidewalks, and an even better bus transportation system. A subway system was mentioned but at that time the funds were not available to pay for such a massive project.
Next stop we visited Carlos at the SMMA. Carlos was truly a real character, one who looked like he stepped out of a different decade with long hair in a ponytail while wearing a whole biking outfit because he bikes to work every day. With him we learned about the ecology of Curitiba as well as the word’s meaning: where the pine grows. Very fitting from all of the pine trees spotted there. The building itself was constructed using very little concrete and brick while using a lot of treated wood for the pillars of the building to add to its sustainability and substantially lowered the cost to make the building. As the talk was coming to an end, Carlos lead us to one of Curitiba’s famous urban parks, a terrific family friendly part consisting of a lot of wildlife including capybaras (which we ended up seeing a group of), caiman, turtles, and many water fowl species.
The day was now complete, we finally made our way back to the hotel using taxis and got the chance to celebrate Erika’s and Andy’s birthdays for dinner (happy birthday you two and thank you for dinner Andy!)
Day 10: Buses, Buses everywhere
Today we received a rude awakening that we were in a different country. As Americans we definitely stood out from the crowd which attracted some very unwanted attention from a pickpocketer. This guy had followed us for a few blocks trying to blend in…not the sharpest tool in the shed, we were all onto him. He might has gotten away with small trinkets but thankfully he ignored me, good thing too (muscles have to be good for something, right)?
Moving along today was the day we were getting to tour the facility which was the central hub for the BRT. This presentation itself did not take up too much time but was very informative none the less. Our presenter talked about Curitiba's integration transport network (RIT) and went through their day to day responsibilities. The main management system is run by URBS whose main goal is on planning/managing the transportation system. Now there are 11 different companies who come together to aid in the planning operation which is based on roughly 15 years of service. These created services incorporate a designated bus for citizens with disabilities known as SITES well as the creation of the biggest bus in the world called “Liguera azul” which can hold roughly 250 passengers at a time. She then talked about the way to sustainably fuel these buses through the use of biofuel (100% soybean based) which hardly gives off any emissions, though this is still in the production phase seeing that only 34 buses in the fleet run on biofuel. Hybrid buses are also included two engines for even more fuel reductions. However this method is much more expensive and only buses numbering the single digits actually had this technology.
After the talk itself was finished we got to look at the control center which ran the security asset of the whole operation. There are many cameras set up at the designated stops, however there were not many used in the buses themselves (if at all). Also they monitor the locations of the buses in real time to make sure they are keeping accurate records.
After the presentations we proceeded to go back to the hotel where we had a little time to get ready. This was our chance to go onto the transportation system and check out the other sites around the city. We rode on the green tour buses and proceeded to go through the city. We were able to see some amazing sites including the Botanical Gardens and the Opera House made entirely from wire. The Gardens themselves were much smaller than expected and were more of a glorified park. I was still able to get pictures of some beautiful butterflies none the less. At the opera house we were walking on an engineering marvel with a beautiful structure, pity there was no show that day. While there I got a chance to see the almost prehistoric looking Muscovy duck, which is actually the only duck species that is not descended from the mallard duck. After our bus tour we proceeded on back to the hotel, listening to more student presentations and preparing for our formal meetings for the next day.
Moving along today was the day we were getting to tour the facility which was the central hub for the BRT. This presentation itself did not take up too much time but was very informative none the less. Our presenter talked about Curitiba's integration transport network (RIT) and went through their day to day responsibilities. The main management system is run by URBS whose main goal is on planning/managing the transportation system. Now there are 11 different companies who come together to aid in the planning operation which is based on roughly 15 years of service. These created services incorporate a designated bus for citizens with disabilities known as SITES well as the creation of the biggest bus in the world called “Liguera azul” which can hold roughly 250 passengers at a time. She then talked about the way to sustainably fuel these buses through the use of biofuel (100% soybean based) which hardly gives off any emissions, though this is still in the production phase seeing that only 34 buses in the fleet run on biofuel. Hybrid buses are also included two engines for even more fuel reductions. However this method is much more expensive and only buses numbering the single digits actually had this technology.
After the talk itself was finished we got to look at the control center which ran the security asset of the whole operation. There are many cameras set up at the designated stops, however there were not many used in the buses themselves (if at all). Also they monitor the locations of the buses in real time to make sure they are keeping accurate records.
After the presentations we proceeded to go back to the hotel where we had a little time to get ready. This was our chance to go onto the transportation system and check out the other sites around the city. We rode on the green tour buses and proceeded to go through the city. We were able to see some amazing sites including the Botanical Gardens and the Opera House made entirely from wire. The Gardens themselves were much smaller than expected and were more of a glorified park. I was still able to get pictures of some beautiful butterflies none the less. At the opera house we were walking on an engineering marvel with a beautiful structure, pity there was no show that day. While there I got a chance to see the almost prehistoric looking Muscovy duck, which is actually the only duck species that is not descended from the mallard duck. After our bus tour we proceeded on back to the hotel, listening to more student presentations and preparing for our formal meetings for the next day.
Day 11: Town hall meeting of terror
Today was the day that we needed a more formal outfit to wear. We were meeting with city officials to give feedback on their new innovation plan for the city since they recently had their election for the new administration of Curitiba. Though this was not what we were expecting since our meeting had been set up by the previous administration. Unfortunately the new mayor was still recovering in the hospital and did not have the opportunity to greet us so his associates ran the meeting. We had the meeting in one of the more ‘works in progress’ areas of the city with no air conditioning and construction on all corners of the area. Their main plan was to integrate many different departments of the city under one roof to better keep the departments in communication with day to day operations. The next plan was to sort of revitalize the cultural aspect of Curitiba, particularly in the area where we had the meeting. This plan was known as “Curitiba Inovadora” and it allowed investors, architects, agencies, tech companies, as well as researchers could all be consolidated in one area of the city to better work with one another. The next presenter talked more about the innovation of the ‘Green Line’ which would be able to connect the scattered areas of the transportation system by revitalizing an old highway running through the city. These plans were great an all, but what about the poor citizens we already had encountered throughout the city? They seemed to carelessly say that they would displace them, so no ghettos were formed…that is not how a ghetto is formed. They did not seem to care about the poor citizens. I really hope that this administration is using the excuse of being new for giving presentations like this. Oh, and Carlos made an appearance again, that was nice.
After that presentation we took the tour of the Oscar Niemeyer museum to see some of the culture of Curitiba through their paintings and sculptures. That night we finished the last of the student presentations for the trip. Everyone had done a fantastic job with the oral reports! The next day would be our last in Curitiba and it would turn into the most beautiful day of the trip to that point.
After that presentation we took the tour of the Oscar Niemeyer museum to see some of the culture of Curitiba through their paintings and sculptures. That night we finished the last of the student presentations for the trip. Everyone had done a fantastic job with the oral reports! The next day would be our last in Curitiba and it would turn into the most beautiful day of the trip to that point.
Day 12: Atlantic Forest Train Tour (No Music!)
Curitiba itself had been interesting to say the least. We have met some interesting presenters and misguided administration people, but today we were going on a tour of the Atlantic Forest by train, this allowed us to sit back and enjoy the sites (along with some stunning photography spots along the way). This provided our group with the best of both worlds, rest and nature. We had a very knowledgeable tour guide named Emmanuel who was very energetic and upbeat the entire time span of the train ride/bus tour. He spoke 7 languages and continued to stay in Curitiba giving these tours because of the nature he has grown to love. I actually had an interesting talk with him about the jaguars that were found in the area which inspire me to pick my topic as the cornerstone paper for the course itself (shown later). As we continue along the ride, we are increasing in elevation, every outlook was greener than the last. The clouds covered some of the mountain tops and I was amazed by the stunning photos I had taken of this magical place.
The train ride itself was truly a delight from photography to rest to dancing… our energetic and outgoing members of the group Tyler and Heather proceeded to put their dancing skills learned in Manaus to the test and started dancing on the train with no music. This became the staple for the rest of the train ride. They’re skills were so good that it inspired a few young boys to grab the microphone at the front and shout no music (which would end up becoming a hit single on that train ride)! The train was taking us to Morretes, a town decent amount of kilometers away. We stopped in a small town which provided us with a beautifully prepared lunch. After lunch we were allowed to wander the town to look at the many vendors and shops for souvenirs. I already bought my personal souvenir in Manaus so it was time to look for gifts for my family. I found an amethyst bracelet for my mother (her favorite color is purple). I was able to find a wooden shot glass for my brother to give him some class and culture… and I found a little owl for my sister who collects owls. I had already found a Christ the Redeemer figurine for my father so I did not have to keep looking for him.
Once we were done looking through the shops we returned to the bus where we had a few more stops along the way including a church which was not in session but people proceeded to enter and pray anyway. After the long trip back with no presentations to prepare for, we were able to grab some dinner and prepare to leave for our last stop of our study tour: Foz do Iguacu.
The train ride itself was truly a delight from photography to rest to dancing… our energetic and outgoing members of the group Tyler and Heather proceeded to put their dancing skills learned in Manaus to the test and started dancing on the train with no music. This became the staple for the rest of the train ride. They’re skills were so good that it inspired a few young boys to grab the microphone at the front and shout no music (which would end up becoming a hit single on that train ride)! The train was taking us to Morretes, a town decent amount of kilometers away. We stopped in a small town which provided us with a beautifully prepared lunch. After lunch we were allowed to wander the town to look at the many vendors and shops for souvenirs. I already bought my personal souvenir in Manaus so it was time to look for gifts for my family. I found an amethyst bracelet for my mother (her favorite color is purple). I was able to find a wooden shot glass for my brother to give him some class and culture… and I found a little owl for my sister who collects owls. I had already found a Christ the Redeemer figurine for my father so I did not have to keep looking for him.
Once we were done looking through the shops we returned to the bus where we had a few more stops along the way including a church which was not in session but people proceeded to enter and pray anyway. After the long trip back with no presentations to prepare for, we were able to grab some dinner and prepare to leave for our last stop of our study tour: Foz do Iguacu.
Some photos from the SMMA tour we took with Carlos, note the beautiful architecture, amount of green in the city and the capybaras that inhabit some of the urban parks
Here we took some time to see some of the other sites around the city including the Botanical Gardens and the Steel Opera House
Some of the sites around the city really....shattered out expectations...(ba dum ts!)