Foz do Iguaçu: Brasil and Argentina

Towards the beginning of moving to Brazil, we took a trip to a place where the borders of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay meet. We got to experience one of the most beautiful displays of nature that I have ever seen, the waterfalls: Iguaçu Falls. We were able to go to both the Brazilian and Argentinean side of the waterfalls. We also took a day trip to Paraguay to explore for a bit. We had so many moments that honestly took our breath away (as cheesy as that is) and was a great reminder of how creative God is.

We also visited the Bird Park: Parque das Aves. We got to experience birds, animals, and wildlife that are so vibrant and unique to Brazil and South America. Below is a plethora of pictures from our adventure with friends.

Esther, Natalie, and I

Nathan and Daniel watching the flamingos 

Enjoying the amazing flowers

Bright and beautiful

Hung out with this toucan for a bit 

Adventures with friends :)

Jumping across the border of Argentina and Brazil

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Buenos Aries, Argentina

Before we made our way back to the States for Christmas break, we went to Buenos Aries, Argentina. We are so thankful we got the opportunity to tour this beautiful city. We got to experience the uniqueness of its history, art, people, and culture. We enjoyed sipping fresh juice at cafes and shopping antique stalls on street corners. One of my favorite memories there was taking tango lessons with a tango instructor in Spanish. I love Portuguese, but it was refreshing to be able to speak and hear Spanish again! 

The Pink House

Street art galore.

Antique shopping.

Cafes

Tango show and classes

Learning Tango

Beautiful theater where we saw the ballet Swan Lake

Carnival

Carnival

We got to experience our first Carnival in Rio! We went with our Aussie friends and really enjoyed the sights and sounds of one of Rio's most famous events. It started around 8 o'clock at night and goes until about 5 or 6 in the morning. We left around 3:30 am after seeing many of the city's samba schools perform. 

Tips and Advice:

• Get there a bit early, an hour or so before it starts, to get good seats. It's on a first come basis in each section. 

• Check water bottles if you buy them from a street vendor. If they are not sealed, that means they used an old water bottle and probably filled it with tap water. (it happened to my friend who was with us)

• Try not to bring valuables. We brought our nice camera and it was fine. We kept a close watch on it.

• Wear comfortable shoes and clothes. There is a bit of walking, because most Metro stations will have very long lines. 

• Soak it in! It is an amazing experience. 

The pictures below show a glimpse of the bright colors, fun floats, and excitement of Carnival.