Week 4. Iguazu Falls

Note to myself: always book accommodation over weekend, whether it is popuar touristic destination during high season like Iguazu, or small rural place where nobody goes - there might be a carnival and all hotels booked.
Note #2: Local tourist information can be very helpful, should use it more.
All photos are here.




Thursday, 20/02. Road to Iguazu

Today I fly to Iguazu. The airport is in the city so the taxi ride cost me only 60 pesos (around 6 US$), taking into account that Subte did not work again (manifestations?), going by taxi was a good choice. I was in the airport almost 2 hours before my departure this time (progress!).

There was some confusion with the time of my flight: my ticket said 11.10, information board 11.25, at check in 11.15. Eeeeeeh? Welcome to South America!

Puerto Iguazu is a small town on the border with Brazil, siesta during lunch time (not very handy when you are hungry and have not eaten since last night), cheaper souvenirs, cheaper accommodation, hostels, B&Bs are everywhere (but all full as I found out later).

I came somehow late so did not go to the falls, instead walked along the river. I am in the tropics! I can see it, I can feel it in the air! It smells like in a greenhouse of botanic garden (I have never been to tropics before, so more experienced people should forgive me this clumsy comparison).

Hostel is great! There is swimming pool and huge garden with red sort of flowers. I am so used to dirty, tiny and crowded hostels in Europe, that all this feels sooo luxurous. Although I forgot a bit how it is like to stay in the hostel, in the dorm with other people, climbing up to my bed, washing dishes after yourself, Hiltons make you lazy.

Met the girls from Expanish in the street! Also talked with people who traveled on the same ferry with me from Uruguay. Small world indeed.

I have been lucky with the weather so far, it is not tropically humid and hot, it's cloudy and refreshing. Me like it.
There is a place at the river, where 3 borders meet: Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, so strange, I can see people on the other side.

Friday-Saturday, 21-22/02. The Falls

The Falls are stunning, breathtaking, magnificent, terrific, absolutely fantastic.
Standing there so close to them you can feel power of all this water coming down from everywhere around you. Wind lifts up small drops of water and blows to the spectactors, making them completely wet.
Under the Sun lots of rainbows appear everywhere in these clouds.
I have no words to describe the falls, I have very little pictures as they do not show even 10% of that mighty power of nature. So you have to go and see for yourself.

I have started on the Argentinian side and as it was my only night in the hostel, I bought a ticket for a tour as it was cheaper than in the park. The adventure included jeep ride in the rain forest and boat trip around the island in the river under the falls. Yes, under the falls. Strange experience: you cannot really see anything because of all this water falling on your head, but you know (you were told and you sort of saw that the boat apporached a fall) that you are in the fall. I wore my rain jacket to save at least a bit of dry cloth, did not work. Good all of my clothing is quick dry.

After the tour, I walked two very touristic panoramic roads around the falls looking for animals. By 1pm only jungle trail and the main attraction left to see and as I was full of energy (or rather did not want to leave to early), I decided to finish with Argentinian side in one day (usually it is recommended to spend two days in Argentina and one in Brazil).

There were thousands of people in the park, but I was alone walking the Jungle trail, the girl I was with gave up early and the trail somehow is not very popular among the other tourists.

The forest looks like normal deciduous forest with odd palms (I always say this, don't I? All is like in Russia, but with palm trees), although it smelled like in botanic garden's greenhouse and was very humid. The sound? Well sometimes in botanic garden they have this recodring of the jungle on. That's how it sounded. So yes, garden are qiute representative, one just cannot meet wild anymals there. And there were plenty of these: monkeys, toucan, coaties, crocodile, turtles, colourful birds, capybara, wild mini pigs, dears... Amazing how many wild life is in the park with thousands of tourists everyday.

I was walking the trail after I saw pigs (happiness! Wild life) and heard rustle in the trees, spent 5 minutes trying to see something on the ground. Than I finally saw something moved, and again. Monkeys? I looked up. Monkeys! Dozens of them! Jumping from one tree to another just above my head. Ok, I saw it before in the Netherlands (Даша, привет), but it was first time I saw them in their natural habitation.

Than suddenly it started to rain. The sky was blue with no clouds, it was probably water carried away from the nearest waterfall, but it still looked like magic. Now I know why these forests called rain.

I came back from the jungle just on time to catch the last train to the main attaraction, I was so tired that I fell asleep on the train, I hoped that there would be not that crowded and it is worth it.

It was another 2km walk over the river with plenty of people walking both directions, with huge fish and turtles under the feet. I run and did not really look around to reach this Garganta del Diablo, just one turn left, I can see clouds coming up from the river, I can hear it, and then here it is.

Next day I went to Brazillian side, crossing the border was so easy, I did not even leave the bus, but got 90 days stamp for Brazil, they did not even check bags of people who plan to stay in Brazil. So careless.

Brazilian side is much smaller, no walks (free walks) available, but there is panoramic view of all cascades, which is not available from Argentinian side. And again I am completely wet and speachless.

I was lucky both days and did not hit crowds, so if you ever go, leave garganta on Argentinian side for the evening, and do Brazil early in the morning before the main crowd.

As I came back early to town, I've decided to leave. Puerto Iguazu is too touristic, too expensive and in any way is not attrctive town. Besides, as I only booked one night and the hostel was full (weekend!), I had to look for another accommodation, cheap option that I found was horrible and felt unsafe, plus they did not have wi-fi.

Saturday, 22/02. This is not Rio

I wanted to see Jesuit ruins 4 hours bus trip from the falls, plus a girl from the hostel highly recommended the place, so when I came back from the Falls, I bought same day ticket to San Ignacio. Small town, the girl said, there are no tourists, she was staying pretty much alone in the dorm room for 3 for a week.

Yeah, right. "It is carnival today,"-informed me nice german guy in the tourist information office. -"All hotels are booked". I though, ok, it is not too late, I can still go to Posadas (big city 50 km away). He manage to find me cabana (cabin) though, where I spent a night for 9 US$. I had my own bathroom! First time in almost a month!

I like how quick my brain works here when I need to make a decision. Taxi to the Falls? It is cheaper than the bus and much quicker - we can be there before the opening - grab 2 girls I am walking with to the taxi and go. No place to stay? Moving on. Late for the bus? How can I find alternative routes? This is all side effects of Q&T.

Carnival was cute. Very provincial, but colourful and loud. You can see these girls in feathers are not professional dancers. I shall say, latinamerican girls have very good genetics. My camera is not good for night photos, so I cannot provide the proof, but their eeemmmm....hmmmm... low back parts(?) were left to show off and there was things to show. They did not look like very sporty girls, well, at least everywhere else. I am jealous.

So yes, even without Rio I was able to participate in Carnival in very unexpected place.

Sunday, 23/02. Day off in San Ignacio

I was supposed to sleep until lunch time today, as 10 hours of sleep in total in the last 3 days and 10 hours of walking in the jungle (get the most of you visit: spend all day in Iguazu!) killed me. 

Birds singing woke me up at 6am. No way! In England it was seagulls who woke me up at 5am during summer, here it was these exoctic tropical birds who I called little bees and roosters. Very loud roosters I should say. 

I changed accommodation and now is staying in the hostel with huge swimming pool. Not doing anything today, just sleep, speak Russian with home and relax in hammock and the pool.

I sort of need to plan my next move. Oh, well, I will do it tomorrow.