Iguazu Falls-- heaven on earth!!! :)
Trip Start
Sep 01, 2008
1
12
15
Trip End
Dec 02, 2008
Puerto Iguazu,
Litoral,
Argentina
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
We arrived at the hotel Los Helechos on Friday night and stayed in for most of the night. As we were getting ready to go out, a huge thunderstorm erupted in Puerto Iguazu and the power went out. For the rest of the night. It rained and rained. We ended up just running up and down the cobblestone streets of the town in the rain and enjoying the beautiful weather and peaceful town.
Peaceful? Understatement. This was the quaintest little town EVER. So very peaceful and quiet-- with a 0% crime rate, we heard. And for good reason. We saw nothing that would have suggested crime. There were police all over, but they were very nice and smiled and waved at us as we walked by. I would feel comfortable walking anywheere by myself in the town of Puerto Iguazu. Cobblestone streets everywhere, and little boutique-shops and tiny Italian restaurants everywhere. Breakfast and dinner were provided by the hotel, but we had to look for lunch by ourselves. We ended up eating at only 2 different restaurants for 2 different lunches-- both excellent. Friday I ate an OMELETTE!!!!! with lots of Tabasco sauce... yum. Sunday we went to a restaurant where I got a tasty chicken lasagna. Mmmmm.... So good.
We arrived on Friday, and on Saturday we travelled about a half hour to Iguazu Falls National Park. Entry was about 40 pesos (a little over $10 USD), but with entry one day you can get in the next day for half price. So really, if you WANTED to go 2 days, you could go for $60 both days-- a little less than $20USD. We got right into the park, early in the morning, and started walking. The park is HUGE. I had no idea what to expect, but I didn't expect it to be so darn big. We must have walked a hundred miles that day. I'm from Michigan, you all know, and so I'm accustomed to Niagara Falls. I wasn't actually expecting much more than that. And thank God I was expecting so little. Because I was BLOWN AWAY.
Our first stop was at La Garganta del Diablo (The Devil's Throat) waterfalls. This is the most powerful of the waterfalls at Iguazu. It was absolutely amazing... and the sound was deafening. And you walk out on this metal-mesh walkway, over the river that leads to the Falls, and right up to the edge of the waterfalls. To me, it doesn't seem completely safe, but I didn't care. It was amazing.
Our next stop was the rest of the falls. We walked about 50 more miles and took a train to the other falls. More of the metal-mesh walkways over the water, and we got some absolutely amazing views of the Falls. Words can't describe just how amazing they are. Absolutely the most amazing thing I've ever seen. In my whole life. And for someone my age, I think I've seen a lot of places. I can't even begin to describe just how breathtaking this trip was. I'm kicking myself now for not having written this blog as soon as I finished the trip. The words are somewhat gone, I guess. But I took a gazillion pictures! They're posted on my web album again, and I'll post the link again at the bottom of this blog.
Word to the wise: If any of you EVER get to Argentina, GO TO IGUAZU. You have to see it. I promise you, you won't be let down. Iguazu Falls is absolutely heaven on earth. The coolest thing I've seen. Argentina is AMAZING because it's got so much to offer. It's got places like Iguazu Falls-- paradise, and the 2nd biggest waterfalls in the world. And it's got the 2nd tallest mountain in the world (Aconcagua in the Andes mountains) and it's got the southernmost city in the world (Ushuaia). Pretty cool, that they can boast all that stuff. And I got to see the end of the world (Ushuaia) AND the beginning of the world (or so I say, about Iguazu Falls... paradise!!!)
Anyway, GO TO IGUAZU FALLS if you're in South America. I am a changed person. Or something.
web album: http://picasaweb.google.com/mlbierle
