Oh....The Places You'll Go!

It is truly a unique engineering program that understands that its graduates must not only be educated as engineering scholars...attention must also be paid to their development as well-rounded professionals, ready to make significant contributions to industry, their community, and their world.

On this trip, students were immersed for 10 days in a different culture.  They were able to see, up close, four modern and amazing pulp and paper manufacturing operations, including cloning technology for production of fast-growth eucalyptus trees.  They toured a university that had a paper program and was amazingly similar to NC State.  They saw and did things that they have never seen and done before.

So these young people are now different than before.  They are more aware of the global community.  They understand their own pulp and paper industry better, in the context of the global market.  They are better thinkers...better learners....and (we think) better engineers for having done this.

And that is EXACTLY the goal of the Paper International Experience!

A Heartfelt Thanks...to Our Sponsors and Supporters!

Most of the students who participated in this amazing journey could not have afforded to do so at full cost.  The generous donations from companies in the pulp and paper industry, campus programs, individuals, and PIE alumni made it possible for students to  reap the benefits of such a mind-broadening experience while paying only a portion of the cost.

To offer our personal thanks, we offer this short but sincere video.  Your generosity makes the PSE program continue to be one of the most unique and successful applied engineering programs in the country!

Safe at Home

Our flight back to Miami from Sao Paulo was about 8 hours...and, like the inbound flight, absolutely packed.  However, it went without incident.

We are all glad to be back on US soil.  We had a 4-hour layover before our flight to RDU, and most of the students promptly crashed on the airport floor.

10 days...seems to be a long time ago at this point!  The things we have seen!  The things we have done!

Last Day.....On the Beach

Well, it's not an international trip without at least one panic moment.  Dr. Byrd awoke Thursday morning to find an automated message from American Airlines indicating that our flight back to the US had been cancelled.  No explanation....no indication of how we would be re-booked....no help whatsoever.   After about four hours of great anxiety, we found that we had been re-booked to Miami through Sao Paulo, with a domestic flight from Rio to Sao Paulo.  (American Airlines...thanks for almost ruining our last day).

Thursday was our last day in Rio.  Our flight back to the US was at 8 pm, and we were scheduled to take a bus to the airport at 4 pm.  The problem is that our hotel checkout time was noon.  After a lot of begging and cajoling, we managed to get them to let us check out of two rooms at 2 pm.

Ipanema beach is probably one of the most celebrated beaches in the world.  So we wanted some time on it!  And oh, what a day it was.  Sunny, mild, absolutely no humidity, clear as a bell.  The beach was modestly populated, mainly by lots of people wearing as little as possible.  Thongs, bikinis, and speedos were in abundance.  We were constantly beseeched by vendors hawking everything from cheese grilled on the spot to colorful scarves to trinkets of all kinds.

Looking out across the water, to the small islands in the distance, with the sun so soft and bright...many of us were thinking, "man I could get use to this!"

What a nice, low-key way to end the trip!

At the last minute, we had a bit more anxiety.  Doug Kaminskas had been booked on a different trip code originally, because the travel agent had misspelled his name and we had to re-book his tickets.  Somehow, American had him re-scheduled to leave Rio the next day, instead of traveling with the group out of Sao Paulo.  After some animated discussions with the American counter at the Rio airport, we managed to get him on a flight on US Air from Rio to Charlotte.

Time to go home.

Ri-OHHHH...What a Way to End the Show!

Rio de Janeiro.  Wow!  This place is amazing!

To help the group enjoy the city more and learn more about it in the limited time available, we hired a tour company to supply us with a bus and a guide.  We woke up to a sunny, warm day and greeted our energetic tour guide, Ana Maria, in the lobby at 9 am.

The first part of the tour took us to Corcovado, the famous mountain with the giant statue of Jesus at the top -- known worldwide as a benchmark site for Rio.  We had to board a small shuttle tram to climb the steep mountain.  At the top...the view of the city was breathtaking.  Perfect weather, no crowds...we were a pretty giddy group!  On the way down, we were entertained by a small samba musical group on the tram. 

Ana Maria was clearly proud of her city, and it showed in her interesting and entertaining stories as we drove through the city.  She next took us to a giant cathedral in the middle of town -- an amazing, modern, pyramid-like structure completely open to the outside.  We then went to another "proper" churrascaria -- the Brazilian barbeque featuring an enormous salad bar, followed by meat served endlessly on skewers brought tableside.  (Some people commented that they may not be able to eat meat for a week back home).

The tour bus then took us to another mind-boggling mountain experience -- Sugar Loaf.  That is the highest peak in town, accessible only by the famous cable car ride (remember Agent 007's adventures on this in Moonraker?).  The top peak provided an even more amazing view of the city and its beaches.

Ana Maria got some of the students excited by telling them that her friend ran a hang gliding service for a reasonable price.  The trip starts on one of the mountain tops and ends on the beach.  We went to see some of them landing.  A few students, undaunted by the price, were insistent on doing it (parents..please don't hurt Dr. Byrd!).  However, we found out back at the hotel that we would not be permitted to check out late -- we had to be out at noon, so that situation prevented any hang gliding.

After this exhiliarating day, the students spent the evening in the local neighborhood.

What a day...what a way to end the show!

Day 8 -- University Visit...and Another Long Bus Ride

Well, it turned out that the nice students from the University of Vicosa had planned a social outing for us last night....but our 1:30 am arrival squashed that!

We were greeted this morning by a faculty member and one undergraduate student, and they directed us to the UFV campus.  It was yet another beautiful day (10 F, sunny, clear, perfect!), and we headed to the pulp and paper labs.  Dr. Jorge Colodette, a UFV professor who spent time at NCSU in the past, welcomed the students and introduced them to undergraduate and graduate students in the UFV program.  All students had a chance to introduce themselves and tell what they were working on or where they were going to work.

Given the very brief nature of our visit, we took a bus tour of the campus.  It actually has a lot in common with NCSU -- a land-grant history, plus programs in engineering, agriculture, plant science, food science, biological sciences, and forestry (and, of course...pulp and paper).

Dr. Colodette had arranged for a wonderful buffet lunch in town, and the students enjoyed amazing food on an outdoor patio. 

After lunch, the students heard a presentation from the UFV international office about the school and its history.

After a quick change into comfortable clothes, the students settled in for ANOTHER long bus ride -- this time 6 hours to Rio.  At least most of this trip was by daylight, and only the first three hours of it were on a two-lane road.  Halfway through the trip, we stopped at a convenience area and had the ONLY cost-effect meal of the entire trip....a $5 steak platter that was actually pretty darned good.

As we got closer to Rio, the students started to stir.  Our hotel turned out to be just off the main drag of Ipanema, a premium beach area just next to the famous Copa Cabana.   The hotel was pretty nice.  Once  checked in, the students headed out to explore bars and clubs in the neighborhood (a safe one).  By all accounts at breakfast the next morning, they apparently were succesful!

It's still hard to believe...we have a full day tomorrow in one of the largest and most exciting cities in the world!

Day 7 -- BIG Mill...and DEATH BUS 4000!

Woke up to a beatiful sunrise on the beach (and the sound of Mario and Garrett padding out to the beach for an early dip).  Had a nice little breakfast in the hotel -- man, are we going to miss having fresh tropical fruits and juices every morning!

Our final mill destination was the Fibria mill in the town of Aracruz.  This mill makes 7000 TONS PER DAY of eucalptus market pulp using three lines, making it the largest mill in the world.  We had a curvy 1.5-hour bus ride to the mill, which is located in a somewhat mountainous area.  We received a warm greeting from the General Manager of the facility (!) and a team of engineers and assistants. 

One complication -- we found out a few days ago that the bus company would only take cash, no cards (a familiar story, it seems).  Dr. Byrd had not brought that much cash with him..the plan was for him to get a cash advance on his company card and use it to pay the bus company.  But the small bank branch at the mill (it's so big it has two banks!) said "impossible.".  The bus company said it would cancel the rest of the trip if the money were not deposited by early afternoon.  So, in a panic mode, Dr. Byrd went with one of the mill employees to the bank in town, while the students continued their tour.  Of course, the bank in town also said "impossible."  After some frantic maneuvering, the situation was at long last resolved (thanks, Mrs. Martin!).

The mill is impressive..both in scale and operation and attitude!  Super clean and efficient.  The loading area had miles and miles of baled pulp waiting for shipment.  There are three lines.  Two lines each feed two pulp drying machine, while one newer line feeds a single machine.

After the tour, we boarded the bus for a trip we had been warned would be long and challening ride to Vicosa, on some tough roads.  (Vicosa, although a university town, has no airport...the nearest airport is 3.5 hours away!).  As we passed through Vitoria again, we stopped to drop Danny off...and there went our ONLY Portuguese speaker -- and our drive spoke no English.  Fun!!! 

We had not been warned nearly enough about this ride!  This ride was 100 % on a 2-lane road filled with trucks, bikes, donkey carts, and tiny, tiny villages with dozens of speed bumps.  The mountain-filled countryside did not permit us to see where we were going in the dark.  We stopped midway for a drive rest and a bit to eat....at the equivalent of a truck stop.  That was an interesting cultural experience!  Jailson said we had "3-4 hours to go" (using sign language, of course).  As it got later and later, and all we could see was flashes of the moon between mountains, we began to worry about our location.  There were absolutely no signs indicating a distance or direction to Vicosa! 

This reminded Dr. Byrd spookily of the terrifying bus ride the first PIE group took from Jinan to Beijing, after the plane ride had been canceled due to fog.  That overnight ride, which nobody will EVER forget, was affectionated deemed "Death Bus 3000."  Now, we have Death Bus 4000 in Brazil!

At about 1:20 in the morning, we finally rolled up to the Alfa hotel in downtown Vicosa, checked in, and collapsed.

Wow.