Iguazu Falls and Northern ArgentinaOct 30, 2009
|
|
First sight of the falls - unreal!
We arrived in Puerto Iguazu, the town on the Argentinean side of the world-famous Iguazu Falls, a little shell-shocked from the 37 hour bus trip that we’d just survived. It wasn’t long, however, before we employed the services of a full-day taxi to drive us across the border into Paraguay to the city of Cuidad del Este.
The city is renowned as being one of the biggest black markets in the world and so it was with little surprise that Robbie picked up an “authentic” Acer laptop for himself and our taxi driver didn't flinch when crossing the border back into Argentina - ”customs? What customs?”
The following day the rain which had plagued our journey all the way from Rio de Janeiro finally cleared and the sunlight revealed the magnificent jungle that surrounds the Iguazu Falls. For me (Pete) visiting these falls has been a dream realised as I used to have a poster of the falls in my room at St. Andrew’s.
As the saying goes, “every cloud has a silver lining,” and this couldn’t have been more true for us. The rain may have spoilt our time on the beaches of Brazil but it did mean that the Iguazu River was in flood and the sight of the Falls was truly spectacular! Although Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe retains the record for the longest ‘curtain of water,’ Iguazu is wider and it is amazing beyond words.
On the Argentinean side of the falls one is able to walk almost the entire length on walkways perched right on the edge! It is both amazing and terrifying when a river such as this is in flood. The largest cataract is called ‘Garganta del Diablo’ or ‘Devils Throat’ and the six of us squeezed onto the platform overlooking the border with Brazil to the most incredible view imaginable! The sound alone is deafening and the roar that boils up from the throat gives you an idea of the violence taking place below.
All the travellers that we have met suggested taking a boat ride from below the falls right up to the cataracts. This was another memory that we will never forget as we piled onto the very powerful (500 horsepower!) motorboats used by the park to get that little bit closer to the action. When we were literally under the curtain of water there was a moment of fear as we looked back at our captain and he closed his eyes against the spray of the falls only to then push the throttle down further! Screaming and soaking, it must be by far the best water-ride-cum-rollercoaster in the world!
Another 36 hour bus trip to the wine region of Mendoza was next where Zack and I would be celebrating our birthdays. Born one day apart we thought it only appropriate to have a birthday ‘week’ and use this opportunity to sample as many of these famous Argentinean wines as possible.
Day 1 was a ‘bikes and wines’ tour through the vineyards around Maipu. Although you would think that it is safer to ride a bicycle while under the influence rather than driving a car, this is not always the case. Especially when you’re on a tandem and your wife is from Benoni! Matt also took an extreme liking to his bike (complete with 1960’s or 70’s basket in the front) and did his best to break a land speed record in between the rows of vines with a bottle of Malbec in one hand!
On Pete’s birthday we celebrated by visiting 3 different wine farms and ending with a traditional ‘asado’ (barbecue) at the farm of Familia di Tomasa where they kindly gave him a 2004 bottle of Don Angelo Malbec straight from their cellar!
For Holley’s birthday the following day we booked into a locally famous restaurant called Anna Bistro for a fantastic night of Argentinean beef and wine. Matt and Robbie managed to convince three of the female guides from the wine farms that we had visited during this week to join us for dinner and a razzle. We finally crawled into bed at 4 in the morning on the 29th completely exhausted. What a way to celebrate the ageing process!
Unfortunately Matt had to leave us as he heads back to London to join the work force. It has been such fun travelling with him all the way from La Paz in Bolivia to this small town of Mendoza in rustic Argentina. Thanks for all the great times Youngest.
