Saturday: We boarded the bus at 8:00 am and headed toward the center of Piracicaba. Our first stop was BUG, a small company that developed biological control of pests in sugar cane using wasps. We learned about the growth stages of the wasp and the need to present the wasp to the larvae to kill the pests of sugar cane. This company also exports the biological control agent to Europe, United States, Canada, Ecuador and many other countries. It was quite interesting to see what BUG is doing.

From there we went to the Piracicaba River and waterfall. Piracicaba grew up around the waterfall and the Central Sugar Mill located nearby. The water was extremely high because of all the recent rains in Brazil and it was easy to tell that the dam had been raised. The water was rushing down the river and falls. The Central Sugar Mill is a former sugar mill built in 1881. It marked the beginning of industrialization in the production of sugar and alcohol. It was closed down in 1972 and recognized as a Historical Heritage in 1992. It is now home to the City’s Culture Department and also an important cultural, artistic and recreational space, where exhibits, shows and festivals are held. There is a mural on one of the walls in the mill representing the industry.

From there we went to the Piracicaba Indoor Market to see how other countries display and selltheir food. I am sure the students will have several commentsto make about what they saw. It is quite different than the United States. We sampled two new fruits. This group has been really good about trying new and different foods. Lunch was at Restaurante Cambuquira, a typical small Brazilian restaurant in Piracicaba. The food was great and again we paid by the weight. There were some neat decorations and paintings on the walls.

In the afternoon we visited two churches: Igreja Metodista and Igreja do Sagrado Coracao de Jesus. It was interesting to see the culture of the churches and to learn of the history of Methodism and Catholicism in Piracicaba. The Methodist church was 19^th century style and one of the oldest churches in Piracicaba. It was founded by North American missionaries and is considered the third Methodist church in Brazil. There also is a high school and university affiliated with the Methodist church. The church is currently being renovated to its original appearance. The Catholic church was built in 1895 and was very ornate and decorative. It still had its nativity decorations up from Christmas.

It was a quiet evening of cards, napping, a small supper and early to bed as we board the bus at 6:30 am on Sunday for a day of hiking and rafting.