8.0 Iguazu - Buenos Aires (nothing new just typo updates!)

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After our lovely stay at Villa La Angostura, we headed back to Bariloche airport for our two 737-800 flights to Iguazu. No lost baggage and no connection problems. Our guide picked us up and we then had the fun of driving into Brazil. Leaving and entering Argentina for us as a group, with a guide, was relatively painless as we just gave him the passports and he returned a few minutes later with them all stamped. In Brazil they want to see your face so there is a bit of standing in a queue but all pretty painless.

The Belmond hotel is situated inside the Brazilian National Park, which means that all those not staying in the hotel must leave by 5pm and they cannot enter before 9am. Between these hours the views of the falls (on the Brazilian side) are for residents only. And believe me there are bus loads of tourists. But lounging by the hotel pool supping the odd cup of tea, is no hardship.

The best views of the falls however, are from the Argentine side, which of course meant more passport stamping (in both directions). But it is well worth the effort. And even though it was Sunday we were not completely swamped by international and local tourists. We did get quite wet though. But with temperatures in the mid 30s, it did not matter. Humidity here is around 98%.

Perhaps the best way to get the scale of these enormous falls is to take a 10 minute helicopter trip over the top of them. A few comparisons with Niagara: Niagara consists of three drops with the highest of 52m. Iguazu has 275 drops which range from 61-82m, so about the same height as the Perito Moreno glacier. Niagara does flow faster though.

The parks are full of wild life: monkeys, rodents, birds and hundreds of butterflies and moths, that come in all shapes and sizes.

We are now back in Buenos Aires and have just completed a morning of sight seeing with a very knowledgeable Guide. She seems to want us to eat at all the best restaurants, drink in the best bars and eat as much Buenos Aires ice cream as we can! Sadly impossible to do in three days.

Our final day in Argentina tomorrow, before we head north to Cuba (with short stop over in Lima). Argentina is so huge and varied in climate, it is impossible to take it all in, but we have been well hosted and never not felt safe.

I will attempt to send something from Cuba, which might not be easy, if not see some of you in the Black Horse, Fulmer on the evening of 16th Feb.

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Photos

Villa La Angostura
Could be the Italian lakes

Amazing number of butterflies
Called a swallow tail, about the size of a hand

Aerial view of falls.
Belmond hotel at bottom