Junyi “Joey” Cao is a rising junior from Shanghai, China studying aerospace engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He has of course been to China and North America, but he has also traveled to Africa, Oceania, and now South America.
Cao was one of 15 students, along with instructors Wayne Chang, Laura Gerhold, and Brian Woodard, on the fourth study abroad trip to Brazil. The group leaves almost immediately after the spring semester ends as the culmination of completing the course AE-398 Global Experience Brazil.
Here are some of Cao’s thoughts and photos from the daily journal he kept while on the trip.
Day 1
The first day of the trip was supposed to be full of traveling. The planned two-leg flight consists of a flight from Chicago to Houston, then from Houston to São Paulo. The flight, however, quickly turned into a day-tour of Chicago O’Hare. The thunderstorm over Houston led to a ground stop at the airport, delaying the flight by four hours, which would make the team miss the transfer to Brazil. After two hours of waiting, however, the team successfully rebooked onto the direct flight to Brazil. After staying at O’Hare for nine hours, the team finally boarded the United Dreamliner, departing into the night sky for a 10-hour flight to São Paulo.
Day 2
The team arrived in Brazil at half past nine, uniting with our guide at the airport. Our luggage, however, was left in the US. With no checked baggage, we headed towards our first hotel, toured the neighborhood, and tried to get as much rest as possible from the long travel to get ready for our first big event – the welcome dinner. During the welcome dinner, the team was joined at the restaurant by the Brazilian students. The Brazilian barbecue was awesome, and the team had an unforgettable evening trying out Brazilian food and getting to know the Brazilian culture.
Day 3
The third day of the trip, also the first entire day in Brazil, is packed with activities. The visit to Insper was extremely insightful. We toured the instructional buildings, visited labs, and got to know the student organizations on campus. We also had the opportunity to chat with current students at Insper and learned about their projects on campus. Also, a visit to Insper is never complete without trying the massive slide down the instructional building! In the evening, the team met up with the other Illinois group for a dinner with Illinois alumni, and a few hours of fun at an arcade!
Day 4
This is arguably one of the most anticipated days on the trip – visit to Embraer S.A. We travelled two hours on bus to São José dos Campos Airport and visited Embraer’s production facility and customer experience center, experienced the interior of the advanced E2, toured the production line, and had a unique opportunity to check out an E190-E2 up close. It was a privilege to communicate directly with an Embraer employee and discuss the Embraer lineup, and I personally have learned a lot from the Q&As along the way. And, of course, it is impossible to leave Embraer without visiting the Embraer store!
Day 5
The big day of the trip – visit Azul’s office for the final presentation. We met up with our Brazilian partners bright and early at the hotel and drove to a mall for lunch and some last-minute preparations. At Azul’s office, all six teams delivered their findings on the challenge, while Azul engineers asked questions and provided feedback. After the stress was over, we toured Azul’s headquarters, learned about different services provided by Azul, and visited Azul’s Operations Control Center to see dispatch working in real time. With the stressful work done, we celebrated with a big dinner and a night of fun events – a great way to conclude the first part of São Paulo’s visit. Next day, Ubatuba!
Day 6
The first day in Ubatuba began with a four-hour drive from São Paulo. After settling into the hostel, we had a late lunch by the ocean, and then went straight to the beach. Everyone embraced the ocean, playing ultimate frisbee, and had a fun evening until the sun set.
Day 7
The second day at Ubatuba began with a visit to State Park of Anchieta Island. Despite the overcast weather, we enjoyed the boat ride over the ocean and a few hours of free time at the Palmas Beach. After returning from the island in the evening, the hostel greeted us with an in-house barbeque, and we had a fun time playing cards into the night.
Day 8
It is always sad to say farewell to a fun and beautiful place like Ubatuba. We left Ubatuba early in the morning, heading back to São Paulo for two more days in the economic center of Brazil. After having a long rest back at the hotel in the afternoon, we tried out the unique Brazilian martial art – Capoeira. During the workshop, we learned the history of Capoeira Angola, a branch of Capoeira, and had a go with traditional Brazilian instruments and a few Capoeira movements.
Day 9
This is the last day in São Paulo. To conclude the trip in the city, we got up bright and early to visit University of São Paulo, one of the most prestigious universities in South America. The team listened to presentations and toured a few labs related to hydrology and water treatment, then walked around the campus and experienced a completely different campus style than Insper. The trip at USP ended with one of the highlights of the entire trip – a glance at some capybaras enjoying the sun beside Pinheiros River. In the afternoon, the team visited the Ibirapuera Park, then bid farewell to the Brazilian partners in São Paulo, getting ready for the departure for Rio the next day.
Day 10
Next stop – Rio de Janeiro! We woke up bright and early – once again – for a short drive to Congonhas Airport. The flight to Rio de Janeiro took only an hour, and some lucky students caught a glimpse of Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain during the descent into Santos Dumont Airport. In the afternoon, we visited Líder Aviação at Rio International Airport, learned about their operation in the executive aviation industry, and caught a glimpse of the multi-million-dollar jets parked in the hangar. In the evening, we had dinner together, while enjoying the traditional samba music, getting ready for the most scenic journey of the entire trip.
Day 11
The one and only full day at Rio was also the most scenic day of the trip, with a visit to Christ the Redeemer and the Sugarloaf Mountain. After a short bus ride, we took the railway up the Corcovado Mountain. At the top of the mountain, we were greeted with a spectacular view of the Rio city, and Christ the Redeemer statue. Despite some issues with the bus in the afternoon, the team made it up to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain via the cable car just in time for a beautiful sunset, concluding the events of the day.
Day 12
Last day in Rio, and last day in Brazil. Every member of the team decided to utilize the time to enjoy what Rio has to offer. Some went to the famous Copacabana Beach for a beautiful sunrise, some went to the market to grab some souvenirs to remember these amazing two weeks in the country. Waving goodbye to the guides that spent every moment of the last 12 days with us proved to be difficult, but everyone is also glad to have successfully completed the program and are eager to share the stories of this amazing trip to friends and families.