We Have Arrived!

We arrived in Brazil and had a spectacular first day in country! Flights went well for the most part besides a little over an hour delay in Miami before we departed due to some needed maintenance on the aircraft. Sunshine and warm weather greeted us in Brasilia, unfortunately one of the students bags did not make it. We await its arrival tomorrow.

From the airport we dropped bags off at our hotel and walked to a nearby mall to grab lunch at the food court. Following lunch the students returned to the hotel for some down time while Dave and I went to the Instituto Federal Brasilia to discuss future collaboration possibilities. The Instituto Federal Brasilia is similar to a community college in the United States that serves 17,000 students. Our students took the down time to relax and swim on the rooftop.

Later in the afternoon we took the opportunity to do some sightseeing in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. We started at the JK Memorial, which honors past president Kubitschek who founded the city of Brasilia. From there we made stops at the national cathedral, three powers square, a scenic overlook, and the presidential palace. The time together led to many conversations around the red soil and Brazilian culture.

For supper tonight we enjoyed traditional Northeast Brazilian cuisine at the Mangai Buffet before returning to the hotel. We are now reflecting on our day on the rooftop at the pool. There is no doubt this is a great group and we have an awesome week and a half together to look forward to!