Latin America Travel Journal
Journal Entries on my Trip to Latin America! By Arnav
Oaxaca, Mexico and Its Culture
Honoring the Dead
People honor the dead by their flower-covered graves lit up by candles.
Market
At the market, there is so much to see and to buy, like food and supplies.
Sand Tapestries
Many detailed sand tapestries depicting death lie everywhere; on the streets, by homes and shops, and by graves.
Kingston, Jamaica and Its Geography
First, I go to the Blue Mountain Range, which is northeast of the city. As I stroll up the long trail, it gets dryer and less humid. I finally reach the top, and since it is a clear day, I can see all over Jamaica, even the coasts! In fact, I can also see the faint outline of Cuba! Seeing all the coasts reminds me of the beach, and it is 75°F, perfect temperature like it is year-round.
I jump into my swim trunks, and head towards the beach. First, I make a sand castle with the lovely, white sand. Then I dive into the warm, teal water of Kingston Harbor. The ocean is actually quite deep, even close to shore. I get out of the water and start to dry off, but I feel a few drops of rain on my head. It has started to drizzle! It is kind of peculiar that it is raining now, because Kingston is a rain shadow of the BLue Mountains, is dry, and it was a clear sky earlier today. But, after all, it is the wet season, and weather does change suddenly in Kingston. TIme to head back to the hotel!
By the time I am almost back, the rain has stopped. Kingston, after all, does have short showers. Then I see a big lizard, and almost scream! It's an iguana! Kingston has a lot of these. I'm back at the hotel, and now it is time to sleep. What a fun day! I learnt all about Kingston's geography!
Kingston Harbor
Kingston Harbor is a beautiful and fun place to see!
Blue Mountains
Hiking to the top gives you a spectacular view of Jamaica!
Beaches
The beaches here are beautiful and have white sand and a teal ocean. Paradise!
La Paz, Bolivia and Its Government
Protests
Many Bolivians were protesting the government before the election.
Evo Morales
Evo Morales of the "Movement Towards Socialism" party was elected!
Celebration
Many people were happy that Morales was elected and the protesting stopped.
Brazil and Its Economy
I hop in the car, and we start driving. As we go, I see many construction workers and lumberjacks. They are chopping down the beautiful rain forests so they can sell the wood and make room for farms and roads! So THAT'S why it showed hundreds of roads on the GPS! we pass many large, local farms, and they are growing coffee, soybeans, wheat, sugarcane, corn, cacao, and citrus fruits, like oranges. They are also raising cattle and chickens. We keep on driving through the rural land, and we see many miners with high technology, and they are mining minerals, like oil, nickel, tin, iron ore, copper, and others. Finally, I can see large factories, buildings, and industries in the distance. We're in Rio!
We drive through several slums to get to the hotel, and we see many people living in shacks made of trash. But on the contrary, I see many beautiful gardens and huge mansions owned by billionaires. We then drive by the Petrobras headquarters. Petrobras is one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world, so we stop here to get a gas refill. We continue to the hotel, and we see many industries. They are making clothes, food, wood products, steel, and vehicles. I stop to get myself a new pair of running shoes.
Finally, we're at the hotel. There are many tourists here. I learnt all about Brazil's economy, but I'm very tired from the long drive. Good night!
Petrobras
Petrobras is one of the biggest oil and gas industries in the world!
Agriculture
Most Brazilians farm on local plots of land.
Forestry
Despite its effects on the rain forest, forestry is a big and important industry in Brazil.