2nd day at Iguasu Falls, Argentina side

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Geo: -25.57, -54.57

Our second day of hot, steamy sunshine - getting used to hugging the shade and avoiding the sun we so crave in England.
Our friendly, saviour taxi driver turned up, by secial request, at the hotel at 9.30 am to drive us across the Argentinian border - we were so pleased not to be lugging bags on and off local buses- and on to find our hotel in Puerta Iguasu to drop our bags, then on the the waterfalls entrance ( some 20 k away). This all worked like clock work and he was helpful in checking we had Argentinian pesos and knowing where to catch the public bus back from the falls.
The entrance to the Argentinian falls is beautifully landscaped with shady paths and flowering shrubs. We set out on the lower board walk thinking we might get a boat over to a island for a closer view, but just looking at the climb down hill, hot boat ride to exposed beach and climb through forest the other side was enough of an adventure. We got up close to fantastic falls, got sprayed on to cool down and looked back on the Brazil side where we had been the previous day. The high point was the last board walk right up to the Devil's Cauldron, where the river Parana fell with explosions of foam and spray to churning river below. The water begins a muddy brown but the foam picks up the light and beecomes a frothy white with brown streaks.
The long board walk was very exposed and we got hot and tired, like everyone else. There were first aid stations along the way to take blood pressure, one of which was invaluable when Peter tripped over a rope at the train station and fell onto a bench, catching a finger nail which was pulled back and emerging with various bruises. The fall looked a lot worse. A first aider poured iodine and alcohol over the wound - very painful- and stuck on a plaster. Park officials looked after us and put us on the front of the next transit train to the entrance. This chug along train was great and an easy way of getting to the falls through the forest, with clouds of yellow butterflies at one point chasing alongside. A toucan with a bright yellow beak was preening itself in a tree and the coatis scavenging around the bins.
Good steak for supper, excellent Mendozn wine, not terribly good live band - but knowing England was soon to suffer a snowstorm it wS nice to be eating alfresco!
Next day our first long distance (6 hour) bus trip to Posadas then the Jesuit missions in Paraguay.

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Comments

[Jane McCleland]

Have been following your trip and it's a wonderful antidote to our weekend weather in South London which I'm sure you've heard about by now. trying to plan my own trip up to Borough Market and all the trains are cancelled! Have fun!