Fall down
Trip Start
Oct 23, 2006
1
181
228
Trip End
Apr 15, 2009
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Puerto Iguazu,
Litoral,
Argentina
Saturday, June 14, 2008
The red clay road came to an end when we joined the main highway running to the busy border crossing between Argentina and Brazil. Argentina's Misiones province is like a finger sticking into a marshmallow surrounded by Brazil, Paraguay and Uraguay. Flat grassy plains gradually turn into lush green rolling hills heavily treed where it was difficult to tell where one tree ends and another starts because the mesh of vines tying everything together. Yes, the jungle is creeping in and the temperature and humidity are rising but not uncomfortably so. This is winter so we are hoping for cool not the the steamy heat of the summer.
The pavement is not so boring because we are so involved looking around at the vegetation and the birds. Parrots always amuse us and we are always on the lookout for other interesting flora and fauna. Sawmills and wood yards are common sites. I guess that they planted all those forests just to cut them down. We noticed the houses in general are very well built, neater with more attention to detail compared to the roughly built adobe homes we normally see. We think that the damp weather here calls for quality brick buildings otherwise their houses just might get washed away.
Every farm or every home had fruit trees in the yards, they look like farms because every one a lot of land around them.
It sounds like this.
Flowers and especially orchids are everywhere. Orchids are the theme in most towns along the way and viveros (greenhouses) and florists advertised their selection of orchids. One small village had as their centrepiece in the town plaza, not a man on a horse brandishing a sword, but a giant orchid. We need more of that.There were many campgrounds along the way but non were opened so we ended up in Puerto Iguazu. On the highway into town we easily spotted the campground we wanted, Viejo Americano. A large well serviced resort type place with cabanas, campground, pools, convenience store, restaurant, tour company, internet wi-fi. and rain. Who ordered the rain? Oh well, set up, settle in, get comfy
and figure out a scheme to keep that red clay out of the camper. Has anyone seen our dog anywhere? She is gray, but the dog with us is red.
The next several days were sunny and we enjoyed the sites. Iguazu falls is the main draw to this area and we cannot leave Argentina without experiencing it.
So there we are, getting deafened and soaked by one of natures great spectacles, the Falls of Iguazu. It's truly impressive and well worth the Disneyesque atmosphere of it all. We not escape this wonder without seeing wildlife. Colorful birds flitted about as we tried to will them into sitting still for a photo and aggressive coati, like a raccoon with a long nose, ready to snatch the food out of your hands and large, but still cute, guinea-pigs.
Now we can say goodbye to Argentina, as we move on to Brazil and all its wonders.
Comments
So, no go in Paraguay?
Just catching up with your adventures it happened that we just had a friend over who is Paraguayan and wondered if you were anywhere near her home town. And we see you seem to have decided to round. Well she did say that it isn't one of the safest countries, despite their having a bishop for president, so she doesn't really blame you.
Yor bro in Yurrup