All aboard

The second day of our adventure started with a typical Argentine breakfast consisting of with pasteries and juice. We left the hotel and headed to the marina where the Miss Litoral Argentino awaited our arrival to start our voyage. We started up the 3rd largest river in South America, the Parana River, just outside of Rosario which carries five times the amount of water that the Mississippi River. The Parana River moves large quantities of silt downstream and the locals like to say, "Brazil is melting and we are gaining their ground." Due to high rainfall, the Parana has been experiencing flooding in the recent weeks. There has been recently an estimated loss of one million cattle due to the high water rising above the island banks. The flood was especially apparent as large clumps of aquatic vegetation were floating with the current. We were told these grass clumps often carry large snakes and alligators down stream.

As we headed upstream toward the grain terminals, our tour guide, Jorge, explained that the river must be 32-35 feet deep for the Paramax to travel the river. The Paramax is a term for ships that are eligible to use the Panama Canal. These ships can be loaded with 60,000 tons of grain in 1 1/2 days.  We saw numerous ships being loaded with grain to be shipped all over the world. There were some from Greece, Panama, and Hong Kong to name a few.

We learned that much of the grain that is produced around Rosario and Buenos Aires is sold by the farmer directly to the terminals. Many barges bring the grain down the length of the river from inland to load the Paramax and some also go out to the ocean. From the terminals, the large Paramax ships travel 500 kilometers to the Atlantic to start their haul. After 40 kilometers of our own haul, we finished the day with a lunch of fish and ice cream while enjoying the view of the Parana River.

Submited by Jalen Baldwin 

As we were riding in our boat down the river along came a large Paramax Vessel, it was huge and very neat to be going right beside it. It passed us in no time as we determined it was from Greece and was empty on its way here to pick up more grain. 

Dust showing the loading of the Paramax vessell and how close we really got to it. this was at the Cargill Terminal 

Some of the cement storage bins at the terminals along the river

Another view as we approach a vessell along its terminal loading system 

This was a very of a Paramax vessell at the Cargill Terminal on the River 

It has been hot here....our bus showed 38 degrees celcius today...over 100 F and it has been tht since we have arrived.