Iguazu Falls, Argentia & Brazil
January 16 - 18
Day 77 - 79
Hello there, dear reader!
Welcome back to the blog. I know I’m writing about January and this is publishing in May… but… let’s get right back into it.
I met the rest of my family in Buenos Aires and we went on a cruise to Antarctica! I’m still working on how I want to publish that experience, so I’m skipping ahead to Iguazu Falls. My Dad and I went together and we spent only 2 days there but the falls were beautiful and I’m glad we did not miss them.
Saying goodbye to the rest of the family and witnessing another beautiful airplane sunset.
We arrived after dark in Iguazu from Buenos Aires. The hotel warned us to keep our doors locked because monkeys sometimes break in. Early in the morning, I was awaken by the sound of… MONKEYS clamoring over the balconies of the hotel! I stepped outside and saw the bluest of blue skies dotted with the puffiest of white clouds. Moments later, I was perspiring from the heat and humidity. We got dressed, applied loads of suncream, and went downstairs to enjoy some breakfast before heading off into the park. Our hotel was located inside the national park, meaning we only had to walk down a short path to the trailhead. The trail was paved with railings and heaving with people.
That afternoon, we changed into our swimsuits and headed downriver for a boat ride under the falls. We put everything into a waterproof bag and held onto it tightly when we went under the falls. During the ride, the weather changed from dramatic sunshine to dramatic storms. After getting pulmeted with the waters of Iguazu, we got pulmeted with the heaviest, largest raindrops I’ve ever felt. Our boat sped back to camp, causing the rain to impale us like tiny daggers. It was a serious monsoon.
The next day, we woke early and crossed the border into Brazil. We stood inline for about two hours. It was, again, absurdly hot; the previous day’s rainfall had done nothing to the humidity. We arrived to the park and the sky was a brilliant blue, the sun blazing down on us. We lathered up in copious amounts of sunscreen and walked along the trails towards the falls. There were way less people on the Brazil side, but I found it more beautiful. The designs of the pathways gave a sense of being closer to the nature. Not only that, every 10 minutes or so we’d pass a restroom and a café! A welcome treat. We ended the experience with buffet lunch at the restaurant in the park - a classic lunch option in Brazil. Then, we headed to the airport and got on a flight to São Paulo. There, we said goodbye and I continued my solo backpacking experience in Brazil.
Thanks for following along. Next up… São Paulo!