Bug bites and beauty in Iguazu Falls

Next Stop: Iguazu Falls, Brazil/Argentina (March 25-26, 2011). This leg of the journey can be summed up in one word: BUS. We left Trindade on the morning of the March 24, and arrived 29 hours later in Foz do Iguau, Brazil. The trip went something like this: 1/2 hour collectivo ride from Trindade to Paraty, then a 6 hour bus to Sao Paulo, then a 16 hour ride to Foz do Iguacu, then a 10 minute local bus from the long distance bus terminal to the local bus terminal, then a 45 minute local bus ride to the Brazilian park to see the falls. We were filthy and pretty tired (the long distance buses in Brazil are not of the same caliber as those in Argentina) but we made the most of it and the falls were spectacular.

Saw: Iguacu Falls first from the Brazilian side.



Double rainbow

My Argentinian lover

My unprovoked bee sting in the Brazilian Park. I hope the bastard died.



Waiting for the next bus at the Argentinian border



After visiting the Brazilian side of the falls, we needed to make our way to Puerto Iguazu in Argentina where we would be spending the night and exploring the Argentinian side of the falls the next day. Easy, just get off at the Foz do Iguacu local bus terminal and look for the handwritten sign attached to a tree that says “Puerto Iguazu, Argentina.” Fifteen minutes bus ride later, we arrive at the border crossing with two other tourists, an Aussie and a Bulgarian girl, and get out to get our Brazil exit stamp while the bus continues without us. Seemingly this isn´t a big problem, except that the Argentinian border is about 3 km away, and there is only one more local bus running that night...Presumably, if we wait for it at the Brazil crossing it will drop us off at the Argentina border and leave us there. So, how does one without a vehicle arrive at the next border??? We walk up to a tourist bus parked next to the crossing and say “Quatro chicas (point to bus, point to Argentina, then make a stamp gesture) passaporte?” The guy smiles and nods and we hop on thinking we will wait for the rest of the tour group to pass through customs, but he drives off with the four of us on this huge coach and drives us 3 kms to Argentina. I love Argentina already! Once we were stamped into Argentina, we sat by the road waiting for the next bus to pass. I wouldn´t say that this border crossing is backpacker-friendly perse. As a sidenote, we didn´t have to pay to enter Argentina either...we were under the impression that it would cost us $75 each...maybe they don´t charge at land crossings? If so, a tip for other Canadians, make the crossing by land.

The next day we visited the Parque Nacional Iguazu in Argentina and it was equally as beautiful, offering a different perspective from the Brazil side. I think I prefered the Argentinian park more because it felt like a more natural setting, close to nature and tranquil...although I could be biased because of that f-ing bee.

Stayed: Marcopolo Inn in Puerto Iguazu. It was alright, nothing special, the matresses were too thin, the shower was weak but it had a nice layout, a decent breakfast and was very conveniently located right across from the bus station.

After an afternoon at the Argentinian falls, we head off to catch our bus to Buenos Aires. We had to retrieve our backpacks from the storage room at the hostel. When we left them in the morning, the room was empty and we placed our packs neatly on the top right shelf....when we came back in the afternoon...this is what we came back to:

WTF

Our bus ride to Buenos Aires was with a bus company called Via Bariloche. We traveled the 18 hour trip in “total-cama” style: seats that recline ALL the way back into a bed, pillow and blanket, a snack, a meal, champagne, movies (my favourite was  when they played Phil Collins´ The Singles Collection)…the upgrade was sooooo worth it and by Canadian standards it was still cheap.  



Ate: We had a really good pizza across the street from our hostel. For $7 CAD we had enough pizza for dinner and lunch the next day and a beer, not to mention the snack they bring to your table while you wait for your food. A nice change from Brazil where our meals were mediocre at best and cost about as much or more than we would pay at home for the same thing.

Things to note in Brazil: 

• Don´t bother to handwash your clothes...they won´t dry...ever. I made this mistake and carried around damp clothes for 4 days.
• Brazilian buses are a pain in the butt for the sole reason that they all have turnstiles on board that you must bypass after you pay your fare. The turnstiles are high and narrow. The average person has to squeeze through them so I feel very badly for those who are overweight or those who, like me, were carrying a daypack and a huge backpack...I often had to literally heave my backpack over the turnstile and let it crash to the floor on the other side in order to manage it, while the bus was in motion.