Category: Argentina

The following morning we took the 20 minute bus ride to Iguazu Falls, set amid National Parks in Argentina and Brazil.  The falls which are four times wider than Niagara derive their name from guazu which is Guarani for big, and I, Guarani for water, and it lives up to its name many times over.

 

There are four main trails around the falls.  We started off by taking an open sided train the short distance to the Garganta del Diablo, or Devils Throat, then a walk of a few hundred metres over open water to the viewing platform by the semi-circular series of falls.

The combination of the sight and sound of the water as it rushes relentlessly over the edge and crashes into the depths below, and the smell and taste of the constant spray that fills the air, attacks the senses simultaneously and left me breathless and in awe.  I have never been anywhere or seen anything that demonstrates nature’s power so vividly.

Hannah also seemed to be impressed!

From here we ventured back on the train and began our journey of the ‘Lower Trail’ on foot.  This was no less impressive as you get an entirely different perspective of the falls.  Due to the heat of the day we elected to cool off when we could.

 

As I mentioned before, the falls are in National Parks which means you could come across a wide variety of creatures at any time.  Here’s a selection of the ones we saw:

       

 (Crazy Frog!)

After a full day we enjoyed a leisurely meal before collapsing into bed.  As we were in a hostel there was a certain amount of partying into the night by some of the other guests.  Lorraine said she was on the verge of screaming out ‘Silencio’ but thankfully the party ended and peace returned.  I’m not sure whether she thought it was a direct translation into Spanish, or a spell she read in her ‘Harry Potter book of Magic’.  Either way it wasn’t needed on this occasion.The following day we returned to the Falls and took the ‘Macuco Trail’, a 3km jungle path leading to a single waterfall and rock pool where you can take a needle shower and have a swim.

  On the trail we were treated to another impressive selection of wild creatures.  

To finish our time at the park we took the ‘Upper Trail’ which provided us with more lasting memories and photos of what has to be the most amazing natural wonder I’ve ever seen.

  

Our final day in Puerto Iguacu was spent lazing by the pool before boarding our bus for the 11 hour journey to Curitiba.  We had originally planned to go straight to Rio however the carnival was on and although it would have been great to experience it, it was apparent from our investigations on the internet that accommodation was as rare as chocolate fireguards and the cost increases by around 4 to 5 times which put it way beyond our budget.  So we decided to spend a few days in Curitiba as a stepping stone before Rio.  Or so we thought……..

Having travelled very little by bus or coach in the past I was unsure what to expect from a coach journey of 16 hours from Buenos Aires to Puerto Iguacu.  We were due to leave at 8.45pm so we bought some snacks to see us through a potentially restless journey.  Our coach duly arrived and our bags were checked on in airport style with each piece being labelled and stowed carefully.  We had the front two seats on the top deck and the two behind.  In all there were about 12 seats on the lower deck and 14 on the top, (the toilet was on the bottom).  We made ourselves comfortable and tucked in to a sandwich and crisps anticipating settling down for a rest as soon as possible.

 About 30 minutes into the journey a steward came round with a tray of beef and salad, and a wide choice of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.  Very nice we thought.  20 minutes after that he came back with a main meal of pasta and a top-up for our drinks.  Even better we thought.  20 minutes later, it was pudding time, and ….. more drinks.  By now we were regretting our early snack but thoroughly enjoying the hospitality.  With the lights of B.A. behind us and the children engrossed in the movie playing on a number of screens I decided to catch 40 winks, only to be offered champagne!  Obviously it would be an insult to refuse so I gladly accepted.  Needless to say I cannot think of a better way to travel and would recommend the journey to any fellow travellers.  With the movie over we set the recliners to maximum, pulled up the large blankets left on our seats and drifted off to sleep. Morning arrived at a gentle pace with blue sky and lush green forest, and breakfast.  No alcohol this time.  We compared notes on how the night had been and in general all of us had got plenty of sleep.  I spent the rest of the morning gazing at the changing scenery and reading up on accommodation as we had yet to secure a bed for the night.  Four hours later we pulled into Puerto Iguacu and I ventured off once again for a suitable hostel.  Our criteria for the most part remain constant – clean, local, safe, within budget and if possible a pool.  The Park Hostel met all of these so I collected the girls and we spent the rest of the day by the pool planning the next couple of days at the falls.

Our second day in Buenos Aires brought more exploration on foot with regular pit-stops for rest and sustenance.  The combination of increased heat and exercise meant we took it nice and slow and let our bodies dictate the pace.  Hannah and I decided to visit the Cemetery of the Recoleta which holds an amazing array of mausoleums and contains the tombs of a number of important Argentinean figures including Eva Peron, who lies with other members of the Duarte family.

 Hannah looking respectfully sombre.

With the Tango so prevalent in the Argentinean and Buenos Aires culture we decided to take in one of the many evening shows and ventured off to the Confiteria Ideal, a wonderful café with 1930’s interior and a Tango school upstairs.  We were treated to a great exhibition by a small number of dancers who, apart from one couple had an average age of around 60.  It was a great demonstration of the passionate, sexy nature of Tango and we were all enthralled by their skill and storytelling.

  Another brilliant blue sky greeted us on our final day in B.A. and we made one final excursion into the city, this time to Caminito, a street of brightly coloured wooden and tin houses in the district of La Boca.  Lined with cafes and bars we took in the vibrant atmosphere of musicians, artists and the inevitable tango dancers before heading back into town to ready ourselves for our journey by coach overnight to Iguazu Falls.

After a pleasant flight from Frankfurt we arrived safely in Buenos Aires having made friends with a German couple and their two young children.  It always amazes me how verbal language rarely seems to be a barrier for children.  Although our two can’t speak German and Luna and Annalina couldn’t speak English they played together for hours, sometimes as a four but mainly in pairs; swopping partners on occassion.  I was pleased that although both sets of children had Nintendo’s they didn’t rely on them and taught each other card games and played paper, scissors, stone for long periods of time.  At times I watched as they jabbered on to each other in either German or English with no chance of a literal interpretation but the intonation and occasional hand gesture was sufficient to get their point over.  Rarely was a parent called on to translate.  Amazing to watch.

Our guide book, the ‘Footprint South American Handbook 2007’, now referred to as ‘The Bible’ (no insult intended) advises caution about jumping into any old taxi out at the front of the airport so we elected for a Remise which is a pre-booked one through an office inside the terminal.  It duly dropped us off at our hotel where we were informed our room hadn’t been kept because of the 24hour delay at Frankfurt.  Nice one.  After a bit of negotiation we secured a room for one night and settled down for the night.

First thing in the morning I went off to find somewhere for us to stay while the girls set about exploring.  Having secured a roof over our heads we headed out into the city with the temperature and our expectations rising.

Buenos Aires like many cities is laid out in a grid system which always makes me nervous as I’ve got lost in Milton Keynes on many occasions.  However we quickly got our bearings and went for a wander.  One of the first things that struck me was how many contrasts there were even taking into account that it’s the capital city.  A multitude of faces and races combine to give a true cosmopolitan feel to its inhabitants.  The architecture is just as varied with chic boulevards and plazas contrasted against enormous structures that wouldn’t look out of place next to the Palace of Versailles, or others that could sit well on Wall St.

 

A few streets away from our hotel was the Avenida 9 de Julio, one of the widest avenues in the world with 7 lanes of traffic on the main carriageway and additional lanes running parallel.  Our eyes were naturally drawn to the Plaza de la Republica and it’s 67m obelisk commemorating the 400^th anniversary of the city’s founding.

Off this is the Plaza de Mayo, often referred to as the heart of the city with many of the city’s most important buildings including the Cathedral.  Mass was being held as we entered but we were still able to wander down the sides and explore the various alcoves dedicated to a number of religious and historic figures including General Jose de San Martin, known as The Liberator, whose tomb is guarded by soldiers in impressive uniforms. We continued beyond the Plaza de Mayo to Puerto Madero, the dock area where the former warehouses have now been turned into bars and restaurants complimented by elegant walkways which attract many visitors particularly at night.  Buenos Aires was originally called ‘Santa Maria del Buen Ayre’ in recognition of the good winds that brought sailors across the ocean.  First built in 1580 the city of Buenos Aires was always linked to the port although 300 years would go by before a safe and modern harbour would be built.  After having been left fallow for 50 years, it was decided in1989 that the 170 hectare space should be recovered for public use by bringing the city closer to the river.Having explored a number of areas we eventually made our way back to the hotel and settled down for a couple of beers and a well earned rest, knowing that tomorrow would bring more of the same.