Day 202 - Orange processing & More

(Ursula) Today we want to check out a few more industries on the recommendations list from Bruno, whom we met at Copacabana. The first one was an Orange processing plant.

A guide took us on a tour. Truckloads from surrounding plantations bring in fruits. Upon arrival, the oranges are placed on a conveyor belt where “unacceptable” ones are manually removed. Then they are washed, rinsed, waxed, and dried. In the end, they looked nice and shiny. Oranges are then sorted by size and quality before being packaged.

I wanted to hug the man that gave me a large box of oranges of the highest quality. We could hardly wait to eat some. They were so sweet and juicy!

(Heinz) A little further, we stopped at a citrus processing plant on the shores of the Paraná River. Unfortunately, it wasn’t in service because they adjusted the machines from Oranges to Lemons. But the guide showed us around and explained the whole process.

An automated machine individually squeezes each fruit. The liquid then enters a centrifuge that separates the pulp from the juice. The juice is then sterilized and bottled. The leftovers are not thrown away. They undergo a unique process of extracting oils from the peels used in the food and cosmetics industry. The oils are more profitable than the juice.

(Ursula) Our next stop was at a paper factory. Wood (mostly Pine and Eucalyptus) is shredded and boiled with sulfate and calcium. Then it is bleached several times by adding Chlorine. Finally, the soft, white cellulose is dried by passing through a series of steaming-hot rollers and ending up as a (raw) paper. This raw material is later processed into various paper products at other specialized factories.

What an interesting and educational day this has been!

And the Australians turned out to be good travel companions, as expected. Next, we visited the Jesuit ruins of San Ignacio and found a nice campground just before the town of Posadas on the Rio Paraná. From here, we can see Paraguay across the river.

Stats: Miles 146, Expenses $5.00Read more