Day 69 - 12 Feb.2012 - Laranjeiras do Sul

Today we went to see the Itaipu Dam, the biggest hydro-electric power plant in the world. It is gigantic indeed. Although the build was started in 1973, it got the last of the 14 turbines installed only a couple of years ago. It can now run at 100% of its planned power.
The dam is Bi-National cooperation between Brazil and Paraguay and although Paraguay has the right to get 50% of the energy produced, it actually uses only 7.5 % of the power output, which equates to 1.5 of the installed 20 generators. This is enough to provide 75% of Paraguay’s energy needs. The rest of the energy is sold to Brazil. The generated energy is enough to supply 16% of Brazil’s energy demand.
We originally planned to stay another day in Foz do Iguaçu and see the Brazilian side of the falls as well. However, as the entrance fee would be the same again with a special gringo price, we thought that the Argentinean side would do. We also overheard at the Itaipu tour some tourist mentioning that the Argentinean side is better than the Brazilian one, which confirmed our decision.
So we set off and drove towards Curitiba and would stop for the night wherever we think is best. The Brazilian state of Parana is really green with a lot of agriculture but not like the vast monoculture fields further north rather more like central Europe with woodlands in between. In general it looks a lot like central Europe, the style of houses and the countryside. In fact even the people. In the past, over a century ago, a lot of central European immigrants came here to settle and so it can be that you come across a blond, blue-eyed Brazilian here.
We stopped in Laranjeiras do Sul a medium-sized city on the way. The quest to find a hotel, however, was not so easy and we ended up in a quite bizarre hotel. The people here were all very serious-looking, not the typical Brazilian happiness. At the reception area they had two open Bibles laying on the desk and all pictures on the walls were of religious themes and motives. With the style of the whole hotel being very simple and unimaginative, we felt a bit like in some old nursing home…quite creepy! But with the lack of alternatives, what can you do.