Iguazuuuuuuuuuuuu

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(sorry it’s been a week since i wrote this... taken a while to get it online - more coming soon)

Back on the road, and right now on a semi-cama (i.e. coach with reclinable seat for those not in the know) for the next 20 hours or so which is setting me back 150 pesos (23ukp). It’s nice - they give you meals and champagne (well at least they did in the last one,,, which was cama ejecutivo, slighty classier, so maybe they’ll skip champers) and the seats recline almost horizontal (as low as they can go without amputating legs of person behind - incidently i’m surrounded by israelis front and back - they travel in big noisy groups and keep everyone awake at hostels - why is this?). Only other problem is the aircon and the fact that i’m in my shorts and t-shirt and have forgotten a jumper. I did ask for a blanket and the guy told me something like he’d be bringing food after Resistencia which is not quite the answer i was expecting. Something was lost in translation, either he thought i was asking for butter (manteca as opposed to blanket=manta) or i’m praying he did say he’ll bring around blankets after we’ve had dinner and i just missed the key bit of what he was saying. In any case i replied "ah, si gracias!"

So i've just spent three nights at Iguazu where there are some huge waterfalls (bigger than Niagara) and also an enormous number of butterflies which will happily land on you whether you like it or not. There was also a nice jungle walk in which me and my travelling companion Lucas from Czech Rep saw lots of monkeys (i utterly failed to get a good photo, but Lukas had more success) and also a lovely little waterfall and bathing pool at the end. Standing in the waterfall was like being pummelled with rolling pins by a team of female Bulgarian weightlifters. Or so i imagine... Anyway, i’ve got lots of photos to put up asap: http://picasaweb.google.com/nick.in.south.america

The hostel in Iguazu was really nice, with a swimming pool. Unfortunately the dorm had aircon, so a game of aircon tennis ensued throughout the night. I don’t know whether it’s because i lived in singapore without aircon for a year or what, but really i don’t find the nights too bad (though the day temp is 32 and sticky) but other people seem to want to travel to hot places and still sleep in a fridge and ensure through global warming accelerated by that aircon excess that the hot places will in future get even hotter! It’s a tad irritating waking up at 6am on a top bunk with a siberian wind cutting through your single sheet, and a throat resembling a piece of ryvita. And then to scramble down in the semi-dark, grope for the off button, only for some schmuck (with a bunk next to, but out of the direct line of fire of the aircon) to switch it on again 5 mins later.

Aside from that i also lost another one of my possesions... my new zealand rugby top (admittedly deteriorating badly now after 10 years) bringing my list of lost possession to:
1) carry mat (thanks to British Airways)
2) Miffy towel (currently using thermal top as towel)
3) Pin badge (flecha amarillo del los peregrinos - irreplacable!)
4) Rugby top...

On the bright side my backpack is lighter now, except for all the spanish course notes i'm now lugging around!

Yesterday we had a quick look at the remains of a Jesuit mission close to the falls which was very atmospheric. We had our cheapest hostel yet (25 pesos for a twin room) with a banana tree out back with free bananas (well i presumed they were free) and a swimming pool with no water. (Did i say that the hostel in Iguazu had a pool too? which i shared for 10 mins or so with an extremely fat woman who seemed to be enjoying her momentary weightlessness... Also in Iguazu i met two english girls one of whom bizarrely enough had just had a mole on her shoulder bitten off by a presumeably hungry parrot. Who needs the NHS!) We also had a damn fine steak plus salad for 8 pesos. Lukas went back there for breakfast this morning... he eats constantly!

So tomorrow is Salta, where we’ll try and hire a car, travel around the amazing scenery we’ve heard about and hopefully get the tents out again!

Hope life is fun back in the UK 😊

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Comments

[Non gogoa]

Beautiful butterflies
I like this photo is really nice! :)

[El Eterno Caminante]

great pic!!
Amazing shot, can't wait to get down there!!