A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2005.
Part 18:
Foz do Iguaçu (PR) – Itaipu hydroelectric power station
Foz do Iguaçu (PR) – Sweeping the floor
Paraná (PR) – Clouds
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Heron in tree
Foz do Iguaçu (PR) – Itaipu hydroelectric power station
Foz do Iguaçu (PR) – Sweeping the floor
Paraná (PR) – Clouds
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Heron in tree
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2005, 2016
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
153. Seagulls at sunset
AUGUST 2008: Seagulls at sunset
Not only the city of Rio de Janeiro, but also the city of neighboring Niterói hosts some beautiful beaches. Like the more distant and more discrete beaches of Itacoatiara and Itaipu. From Rio, Niterói – across the Guanabara Bay – can be reached either by bus or car via the bridge, or by ferry. There is a bus service from the ferry station to the beaches of Itacoatiara and Itaipu. However, the bus doesn’t stop in front of the beaches, but at some distance. After having passed the guarded entrances, you can reach the beaches on foot. In August 2008, I joined a small group of students for a day at Itaipu Beach. We stayed there until the evening, and witnessed a beautiful and colorful sunset. Many seabirds were circling around in their search for food. Seagulls crossed in front of my camera lens, thereby creating a sharp contrast with the sunset pastels, and providing some dynamics in this picture.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2008, 2015
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
021. Immense
JUNE 2005: Immense
Foz do Iguaçu is not only famous for the waterfalls, but also for the immense hydro-electric power station, which is located partly on Paraguayan, and partly on Brazilian soil. Until the inauguration of the Three Gorges Dam in China, Itaipu was the largest in the world. A free bus tour guides you along the huge turbines, which provide approximately ninety percent of the Paraguayan and about twenty percent of the Brazilian energy need.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2005, 2014
From Praça XV de Novembro, not far from the center, one may take the ferry boat to the other side of the Guanabara Bay, to Niterói. From the ferry boat station, the bus station is at walking distance. There are regular bus services to two beautiful beaches in Niterói: Itacoatiara and Itaipu. Itaipu Beach is a small beach, that is surrounded by hills. There are number of small restaurants specialized in seafood. When I was there with friends in August 2008, suddenly one of the locals was shouting that there was a penguin at the shoreline. Two people went immediately to the poor, weak and hungry penguin and took it out of the water. Despite the temperature of almost thirty degrees, the poor creature was covered by a beach towel. The sea bird was skinny and appeared exhausted. One restaurant owner already had alarmed the local fire brigade. It took several more calls and little more than one hour before three firemen in uniforms arrived. One of them wore gloves and took the penguin at the base of his wings. The animal got scared and had its excrement dropped, thereby nearly hitting the fireman. During the Brazilian winter of 2007, more than four hundred lost penguins had to be rescued in Niterói alone. Lost penguins were also located at other Brazilian beaches, even in the northeastern state of Pernambuco. The penguins were collected and returned to South Brazil, by airplane, where they were released.
The original picture was taken in August 2008.
Click HERE for the accompanying story about the first travel to Rio de Janeiro.
(Click HERE for the Dutch version)
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including history, touristic information and informative videos.
Click HERE for overview of Carnaval 2012 in Rio de Janeiro
A swimming penguin at Itaipu Beach
From the center to Rio it is easy to take the ferry to cross the Guanabara Bay and visit Niterói.
Near the Ferry Station, one may get a bus to the beaches of Itacoatiara and Itaipu.
Small beaches, flanked by huge rocks. There are some bars and restaurants offering drinks and home-made food.
That day in August, a lost penguin appeared in the waves. Quickly the poor bird was drawn from the water by helping hands.
The fire brigade was alarmed, they arrived one hour later to rescue the penguin. That winter, about 400 lost penguins arrived in Niterói only. They later were transferred to the south of Brazil to be released.
That afternoon, we witnessed one of the most beautiful and colorful sunsets, that I have experienced in Brazil.
Gulls were flying low over the water, in the search of their daily meal.
The final minutes of daylight provided a colorful scene, from yellow turning into red.
No wonder that sunsets receive applause at Ipanema Beach, in Rio de Janeiro.
Camera: Canon PowerShot A540
f/5.5, 1/320
June 2005. A short visit to Foz do Iguaçu, at the border with Paraguay and Argentina.
The bus ride went from Belo Horizonte to Curitiba, via São Paulo, lasting 14 hours.
From Curitiba, another – overnight – bus ride to Foz do Iguaçu, lasting 10 hours.
I arrived there at 8 AM and I first went to Ciudad del Este, crossing the Bridge of Friendship to neighboring Paraguay.
The second day, I spent in the Brazilian National Park of Foz do Iguaçu, and admired the magnificent waterfalls there.
On the third day, I went into Argentina and visited the Argentinean National Park of Puerto Iguazu, and approached the enormous Devil’s Throat.
On the final day, I visited the giant hydro-electric power station Itaipu, a joint construction of Brazil and Paraguay.
Three days of water and green, green and water, an unforgettable experience.
Camera SONY DSC-P73 f/5.6, 1/80 sec. ISO-100
Current amount received: U$ 223 Thank you! 
Adriano Antoine 