The only constant is
change
Heraclitus of Ephesus (c.535 BC - 475 BC)
I made it to the on the Argentina side the third day there, the day we would fly back to Buenos Aires in the afternoon.
I'd fallen a bit ill while in Brazil, and when the tour bus came in the morning to take us to the falls, I had to beg out of the deal, even though I'd already paid for the trip. Regrettably, I moped around the hotel all day - there was nothing else to do. I could hardly wait for Sandrita and Erek to return, and when they did I was waiting anxiously. They told me how grand the park and the falls were, and how much I had missed.
Our return flight to BA was scheduled for the following afternoon. I'd managed to recover considerably from the bug by evening, and they pointed out to me that we still had a large part of the day there in Iguazu, so they exhorted me to go to see the falls. After all, we'd come a long, long way for that very purpose, so I resolved to do so in the morning.
A small shack in front of the hotel served as a dispatch point for several remise/taxis. I nabbed one early and got a ride straight to the Iguazu National Park. Between my most rudimentary spanish and the drivers english I got some pretty good advice.
The park complex is huge, and there many routes to take, and sights to see. There are two primary walking paths; the "upper circuit" and the "lower circuit." There are trains and boat rides as well. The driver figured I did not have sufficient time to do all, since he was set to pick me up in the afternoon in time to get back and prepare for the return flight to BA. He said I could do the upper circuit or the lower circuit, but not both.
I went into the main gateway building, paid my park entry fee and headed into the depths of the park. I checked out the train schedules; they, too had a couple different routes it seemed, and I decided to head directly for the upper circuit, snapping pictures along the way. I moved swiftly, taking in the grandeur, and even chatting with other tourists. There were no Americans. Most of the others were actually South Americans on their holidays from Argentina and neighboring countries, and there were groups of Europeans here and there. All were polite, courteous, congenial and helpful.
To be continued....
We flew from Mar Del Plata to Jorge Newberry airport in Buenos Aires in just over two hours, then caught our flight from Buenos Aires to Iguazu. That flight lasted a little less than two hours, and we arrived in the afternoon. The area is remote and comparatively undeveloped. We checked into our rooms and met at the hotel cafe for espresso, relaxation and planning our next adventures. The excursion into Iguazu National Park we'd booked with the travel agency in BA was scheduled for the following day, so we had an "open" day. Erek resourcefully tapped into the concierge and came up with the trip into Brazil so the next days schedule was set, and we visited the Brazil side of the falls before we got into the Argentina side.
Circuito Superior - the "Upper Circuit"
The hotel was pleasant with a small luncheon cafe open most of the day, and a formal dining room open at the usual time - 8:30 in the evening.
It was a good choice, and you can see in these photos that the locals take pride in the carving of their fresh fruits and vegetables. That's what everything in those two pics is made from (except, of course the meats and cheeses).
Beyond this information center the trails break off into different directions, heading to the different circuits, trains, boats, etc. I followed the signs as best I could (not multi-lingual here) to the circuita superior or upper circuit.
Both the upper and lower circuits are comprised of series of sidewalks, catwalks, ramps, stairs and bridges. I don't know what the distance is; I often longed for my little pedometer I'd forgotten to pack before leaving home, but everyone who makes that trek is in pretty good shape.
This is in the heart of the Argentine rainforest, and it is tropical, hot and humid. The air is moist and the flora drips. This was past mid-summer and someone reminded me that the waterflow is much greater in the spring when the winter snows melt, and flow down the mountains.
The faint rush of water is heard when entering the park, and crescendos as you get closer.
There must be hundreds of different waterfalls spread about in the forest for miles and miles.
The sounds of the running water turns into more of a rush as one draws closer.
This first view of the wider expanse of the falls was used as the background image for this page.
To be continued......
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