Iguazú

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What can I say about Iguazú that hasn't already been said? In Iguazú National Park, the magical views are equally as stunning as the sheer power of all the water moving from hundreds of feet above into a collection somewhere down below. Rainbows play on the warm sunlight combininb with the mist coming from all around the falls, butterflies kiss your cheeks and if it weren't for the hordes of people moving in and out of the park on a daily basis, a human might be able to find real sanctuary here. For Dain and me, this was the last of our 6 month stint in Argentina. It was a good place to conclude an exciting and challenging 6 months. For us Iguazú brought an important realization.

Compared to where we began 6 months ago we made progress, achieved success, failed miserablly, and stuck together! A few examples occurred in Iguazú where we couldn't really help but notice the difference between now and 6 months ago. Now, of course, I finally convinced Dain of all the wonderful properties of mate and we sat around and drank mate like natives. We could shoot the the shit like natives. We chatted with a happy puertero about absolutely nothing and really enjoyed ourselves spekaing in the unique spainish they use. Also, we became comfortable with down time. This was harder for me than Dain, but I became okay with a slow style of travel and enjoying the place at an easygoing pace. We were fearless with our time and stopped worrying about which option would be the biggest bang for the buck, the most time efficient and the least crowded. The decisions were made quickly and happily, no exhaustive weighing process. If anything, the time we spent in Iguazu was a confirmation how much we've adapted to a very different lifestlye and become an insider in a foreign country.

Our conversations were now incorporating more things about life in the US and it was very exciting and very real. For me, the time did not seem right, it felt too soon. After all, we've finally conquered Argentina, it was time for the rest of South America. Before our flight to the US, we were able to experience the magic of Palermo one last time. Arriving on the proper hour, 11pm, we ate a delicious steak dinner and drank down plenty of Malbec. We strolled down the sidewalk in Plaza Serrano, had one last helado and said the last of our goodbyes before catching a cab to the airport. The cabbie was quick to befriend us and immediately began to get to know us and by the time we arrived at the airport Dain and I were laughing so hard our smiles were concreted to our faces. The hilarious cab driver told us all his funniest stories about driving strippers around at night. We kissed him goodbye and began the journey home.

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Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

I'm glad I found your blogs tonight.
Looks like you are having great fun moving around the world,