Whilst here in Brazil we have been shown several waterfalls, which although are not in full flow - it being the dry season here, are still very dramatic and beautiful.
Some of these waterfalls have already been mentioned in the blog in other places, but here are a couple of photos to show you all what I mean...
These are part of a larger river and lagoon system found around Minas Gerais. These lagoons are for the most part manmade by flooding the original river systems, but are nonetheless very beautiful and in places the local landowners have realised that placing housing areas for the more wealthy around these lagoons is a more profitable exercise than farming the land. these are mainly in condominiums with main gates at the entrances allowing a more relaxed feel to the properties rather than the electric fences and high walls that surround the housing in more urban areas. They are also a potential for tourism through water sports etc.
Apologies for the tree - couldn't resist! I think dead trees are quite sculptural (as long as they are not next to busy roads!)
This lagoon system or Lago de Furnas covers a huge area of Minas Gerais and has from what I can ascertain has two main functions. To store water for use by the towns for general purpose things (but definitely unlikely to drink!) and also it is dammed so that it can be used to generate power.
I have read that nearly 90% of the electricity used in Brazil is produced via hydro-electricity. We have been over and seen several dams and hydro-electric plants in our time here, some large like the photo above and some much small affairs where the water at the edge of a natural waterfall has been diverted to an often insignificant building at the side that unless you knew what it was would not even be noticed.
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