The Iguassu Falls Area Guru

I am the gentleman to the left. In the center is my aunt Selene and right is my cousin Dani. We all were born in the Northeast of Brazil, more specifically in Maceió or Coruripe, in the state of Alagoas. Selene and Dani came to Foz do Iguaçu as tourists and surprised me with their visit. I am posting this photo because it gives my readers the opportunity to understand the racial complexity in my family. The family is of Portuguese, African, and Xukuru Indian descent. At least 400 years of an experience that puts together colonizers and colonized. I myself who married twice also have children of both Japanese and German descent.

Foz do Iguaçu's first Shopping will be inaugurated on the 31st of this month. That is, within three days. People from all over the world have been perplexed to learn that Brazil's number 2 top (tourist) destination does not have a shopping to offer its visitors. Let us wait and see how the great day will be. The new shopping is administerd by the JL Construction Company and will be called Cataratas Jl Shopping. There is a JL Shopping in the city of Cascavel. Here is the Cascavel JL Shopping homepage

The Gonçalves Dias River (pronouced Gawn-sul-vees Dee'ahs), the smaller river to the left is seen here at its mouth as it empties into the larger Iguassu River. The Gonçalves Dias marks the limit between the Iguassu National Park and the cities of Lindoeste, Santa Tereza do Oeste and Capitão (Captain) Leônidas Marques. The area has been greatly tranformed by human hands and tools. The landscape you see in the picture taken by paramotor pilot Billy Pereira and commssioned by the Captain L. Marques' Government, shows the general area where one more Hydropower Dam is possibly and supposedly going to be constructed to the sadness of nearly voiceless environmentalists who - as it normally happens - live far from here (including the tycoons and barons of the tourism trade).