http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from South America , Brazil , Paraná , Foz do Iguaçu en-us Sat, 25 May 2013 05:53:05 +0000 Sat, 25 May 2013 05:53:05 +0000 From Angra we took a bus to Paraty. After one hour the tire exploded so in the middle of nowhere we waited for another bus. After four hours we arrived in Paraty normally 3hours a pittoresque charming colonial location at the seaside having around 50 little islands. It is one of the most cinematic destinations in Brazil. Cobblestones are so oneven that it makes it painful to walk on the stre http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/Igua-u-National-Park/blog-786547.html The less said about the night bus the better it was a small van and there are a LOT of speed bumps in Brazil however we have spent the last 2 days in and around the Iguassu Falls which are so spectacularWe started off yesterday with the Brazilian side. We walked along the walkways and up to Devils Throat which is the most 39wild39 bit of waterfall you can go all the way out towards it http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/blog-779620.html After our long and bumpy 16 hour budget bus journey from So Paulo we finally arrived at Foz do Iguazu. This town is the gateway to the Brazilian side of Iguacu falls which lie on the borders of Brazil Argentina and Paraguay. After getting a bit lost we found our hostel Iguassu guest house. It was lush there was a swimming pool hammocks we had our own room with en suite and even a full le http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/Igua-u-National-Park/blog-775465.html 1502 to 1702 Foz do IguacuBased on recommendation we visited the Dam Itaipu created in 1974 and finsihed in 2004. On the border of Brazil and Paraguay this colossal beast of contemporary engineering ranked among the seven wonders of the modern world. It is One river Two nations and One dream. Generating clean renewable energy and promoting selfsustainable development but also conserving http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/blog-775251.html Now we have started our Brazilian adventure.We arrived late in Rio de Janiero after an 11 hour flight on Saturday and the next day just sat on the beach to recharge. We really didn39t appreciate how strong the sun was and we both got a little bit of sunburn. On Monday we were flying to Iguassa in the evening so spent the day on a bus ride in Rio. Hadnt planned to spend 2 hours on a bus rid http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/blog-770114.html Finished stay in Sao Paulo with tasty Sushi feast in Japanese quarter before sneaky visit to exclusive 360 viewing platform for great night views over city with Christmas lights. Next day travelled through some remaining temperate rainforest en route to upland university city of Curitiba with signature modernist eye shaped gallery designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. First rain of tri http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/blog-761768.html Weve been travelling pretty quickly since Floripa no time to upload pictures and do blogs until now. Finally have some time to relax and a decent internet connection here in Mendoza so Ill try and catch up.Getting the car returned in Floripa was a bit of an adventure. Traffic is pretty laid back on most of the island but it is hectic in centro where the car rental and bus station are. Lots o http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/Igua-u-National-Park/blog-758778.html Probably not worth mentioning this bit as the photos will speak for themselves but just in case you really need to kill a few minutes of your dayFirst full day in Foz and we decided to spend it at theBrazilian side of the falls. Getting to the Parque Nacional do Iguau was easy from the main bus station took about half an hour getting there. There39s a bus that takes your through the park a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/Igua-u-National-Park/blog-755947.html After surviving the 17 hour bus ride from Sao Paolo we finally made it to Foz Do Iguau. Maddy who I39m traveling with is at uni in Brazil and managed to get us accommodation with some students for the 3 night we39re staying here. They picked us up from the bus station and drove us to their place. Very studenty house looked a little bit like an American neighbourhood. Its quite a big bunga http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/blog-755943.html A Zala e a Nina levantaram cedinho para pegar o voo delas o meu voo era mais tarde entao dava ainda para aproveitar mais um pouquinho...O Carlos e eu pegamos o onibus e fomos rumo ao Templo Budista... eh longinho... caminhamos um pouco e chegamos no Templo. Eh um lugar muito calmo cheio de energia... um lugar perfeito para levar uma canga e ler um livro tambem... dah para ver um pouco da ponte http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/blog-751940.html Day 360 Friday 5th OctoberIt is funny how a day can start so full of hope and excitement and end in the sewer. Just about every trip we have ever had has had a day like we would experience today and it always surprises us when our plans end in the sewer. The day started well with another great breakfast that included chocolate cake which is the internationally recognised sign that we are near to http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/blog-749297.html The word iguacu means Big Waters in the Guarani and Tupi language and one39s first look at the magnificent Iguacu Fallsreveals why these waterfalls retained the name given to them by the natives of the area. Straddling the border between Argentina and Brazil the Rio Iguacu roars over the edge of the Parana Plateau in 275 breathtaking waterfalls that stretch like a curtain over nearly 3 kilo http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/Igua-u-National-Park/blog-731018.html We actually got to sleep in a little this morning as we were not heading out until 9 am. Chester was up and in the bathroom around 4 am with an achy breaky belly. After breakfast we were picked up by our guide Lily. She is very knowledgeable and personable. She even spent time working in LA a few years back working at Magic Mountain. We were very excited for this day since we are headed straight http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/blog-724135.html Today started VERY early with a 4AM departure from the lodge to the airport in Manaus. As it seems the travel agents do not know how long it takes to get to the airport we were there 2.5 hours before our flight. Not what we wanted at 4AM. So we had plenty of time to find our gates and grab some breakfast. We had a 4 hour flight to Sao Paulo and then another 90 minutes to Iguacu Falls. Seemed http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/blog-724133.html My days in Foz do Iguau are almost at an end the day after tomorrow I will heading to Rio de Janeiro to spend a few days taking in the main sights before the long flight back to Europe and then onwards to home. It is a strange feeling to leave a place that has become your home. After three months here I have become used to living out of my backpack to seeing the friendly faces of the staff eac http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/blog-719136.html And then after every good meal it is necessary to indulge in a lovely pudding to skip this important part of the meal would be rude There are a few healthy options but I have to say that there are many more unhealthy options obviously I have had to try them all so that I can tell you all about them so I am not to blame for my expanding waistlineSo lets start with the good news. I have eat http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/blog-717055.html There is no guinea pig on offer on the dinner table in Brazil however the meals are still a little different from those served in the UK. The South American theme of eating a ridiculous amount of rice continues here although it isnt always accompanied by potatoes so that is a step in the right direction when it comes to the carbs balance Instead of potatoes we usually find beans or feijo as http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/blog-717023.html Friday marked the beginning of the end of my journey as I completed my final shift at the Special Educational Needs school that I have been working in for over two months now. It was an emotional finish to what had been a very emotional week all in all a real rollercoaster ride.Part of the work that I have observed here and been part of is with very troubled youngsters who have need of real und http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/blog-716270.html Now as many of you know I am not really a night owl. Once the sun has set I prefer to be settled on the sofa or in bed already old before my time maybe but happy with it all definitely. However there are a few things in life that are best done after dark and seeing stars is one of them. So last night I set off for Itaipu Dam once more where they offer an astronomical experience.Now before I go http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/blog-714874.html Hi everyone sorry for the time it has taken for a new blog entry to arrive. Unfortunately I have spent most of this week in bed suffering from a horrible cold. Yes you heard right I have travelled to sub tropical Brazil and I have caught a cold. I know what youre thinking but here over the last few weeks we have had crazy changes in temperature each day and I think this may be the cause. It http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/blog-714705.html