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preserve and study delicate ecosystems. Itaipa Dam, Paraná, Brazil
Named a UNESCO World Heritage site
in 1988, Iguaçu is also a Nature Park on
the Argentinian side of the river, affirming the two countries’ commitment to working together
for conservation.

Of course, this is 21st century Brazil, so it’s not all sugarcane and nature parks. The capital city
of Curitiba reflects the history of the province as a whole. For a few centuries, it was a quiet
hub between cattle-breeding country and the port city of Paranaguá. But around the beginning

of the 20th century, the coffee industry from São Paulo moved to Paraná in force, and massive
development was sparked (Rolim). Today, with a population of 1,879,355 people as of 2015,
it’s the eight largest city in Brazil, but has the fourth largest economy of Brazilian cities.
Curitiba has an unusually high Human Development Index for Brazil (0.856), achieved the
Global Sustainable City Award in 2010 (Laughling), and is considered the best location to
invest in the country. It's a global example of progressive and sustainable urban planning. For
the football fans out there, don’t forget it’s been one of the World Cup host cities in both 1950
and 2014.

If you want to visit for the food, you might be more inclined to head to the small coastal city of
Morretes. Here are produced the famous candies bala de banana and bala de gingibre. If
you’re seeking a bit more of a buzz than just sugar, you can try cachaça, a sugar cane spirit
sometimes infused with banana. A typical meal is the prato feito, a mixed plate which will be
rice and beans, some kind of meat, and maybe a potato or salad. It’s often abbreviated to PF
on the menus, but if you don’t see it, just ask, it’s a daily standard. The real pride of Paranán
cuisine is barreado, a beef stew slow cooked in a clay pot. It was originally a carnival dish, but
has become iconic regional cuisine.

Remember those Volga-Germans
mentioned a few paragraphs back? Well
they introduced a European genre of
music and dance called schottische. As
the style hybridized with indigenous
music and Spanish guitar, the folksy
chamamé emerged. It sounds like a

cowboy polka, and I love it. This style Bala de Banana, Morretes, Paraná, Brazil
exists on both Brazilian and Argentinian
sides, but I found better recording qualities in Spanish. Hope you don't mind. Divirta-se!

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