Goodbye Iguazu, Hello Again Buenos Aires

Monday, May 27, 2019

Puerto Iguazu-Buenos Aires

Goodbye Iguazu, Hello Again Buenos Aires

Buenos Dias from Buenos Aires!

Today we were offered a bit of breathing space in-between hectic days of exploration and sight seeing. When we awoke in our lovely deluxe suite at La Aldea Lodge de Selva, we were struck by the utter silence of the space. If there were nocturnal creatures waddling about the  Rain Forest at night, we certainly did not hear them as we were dead to the world. Upon awakening our first thought was of breakfast and check-out—not necessarily in that order. 

     We packed our few belongings and at about 9.15 (yes, we did have a slow start today), made our way along the beautiful, sturdy wooden walkways to the restaurant for a princely buffet breakfast. Llew and I tucked into cereal with yogurt, scrambled eggs with sausages, croissants with ham and cheese and fresh fruit with good decaf coffee—which we are able to obtain very easily here. (Is India the only country in the world in which decaf tea and coffee are not available?)

     Breakfast done, we had some sorting out of Llew’s return journey to do as we discovered very late last night that his Norwegian Airlines flight that was supposed to leave at 1.30 Pm was cancelled. Email correspondence with kiwi.com (through whom he had booked the flight) informed him that he was booked on an Aerolineas Argentina flight at 3.00 pm which was the same time that my Andes Lineas flight would be taking off. 

     Hence, we had the whole morning to use at leisure, but we could not hang out in our room as check-out time was 10.00 am. Instead, we decided to call for our shuttle to the airport at 12.00 noon and spend the morning exploring the Rain Forest surrounding our hotel on foot.

     Except that the best plans of mice and men...are thwarted. It came down so heavily that we could hardly believe our eyes and ears. Honestly, it simply bucketed down in sheets and the sound of the air drumming on the tin roof of the hotel was truly deafening. But then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the rain stopped. We considered ourselves very lucky that we were able to view the Falls in great weather conditions. It would not have been fun had it been wet.

    

Visiting an Indigenous Rain Forest Village Settlement:

As part of our exploration on foot, we strolled outside the property of our resort and came upon a sign welcoming us (in Spanish) to an indigenous village settlement of the Guarini, a Rain Forest people. On impulse, we decided to visit the place.It would be a way of learning how these people lived. 

     We entered the settlement and were welcomed by two young men and asked for 200 pesos each for the short tour—this was all we could manage as we had limited time at our disposal. The guide told us that his name was Bernard—his English was almost non-existent and his commentary was delivered in monosyllables. Basically, he pointed out various plantations such as banana, pineapple, sugarcane, etc. helping us realize that this is a sustainable community of people who grow their own food. 

The heavy downpour had left the village mucky and filled with squishy red mud that coated our shoes and the bottoms of our trouser—we wondered if it had been a good idea to go exploring in such slippery conditions. 

We were also shown a couple of homes—no better than huts really—maintained in poor condition with a great deal of untidiness all around. There were chickens running around (making it clear that they are reared for eggs and food). We were told that there was a school in the vicinity and that the language was dual—Guarini and Spanish. Finally, our tour finished with a visit to an artisanal hut where, if we wished, we could purchase the local handicrafts that the people make—we saw wooden carved coaties and monkeys, hanging wind chimes and the like—needless to say, we bought nothing. But with this last stop, our tour ended and we were led back to the entrance. 

     

Off to the Airport for Our Return Flight to Buenos Aires:

  Our shuttle bus arrived on schedule and off we went after thanking the hotel for the generous upgrade and a very comfortable stay. It took us 30 minutes to reach the airport where, after a few anxious moments, we were able to resolve the issue of Llew’s ticket. He ended up buying a ticket on my flight so that the two of us could fly together. He will follow up with kiwi.com where he returns to the US to get compensated for the losses incurred over his cancelled flight.

On the Flight Back:

     The flight back was comfortable and uneventful. We did glimpse the Falls fleetingly from a great height and I did get a few pictures but nothing to really write home about. Since Jorge Newbery Airport is right in the heart of the capital, we had the most brilliant sights of the city’s complex but utterly stirring urban design from a height as we came down. In the suburbs, one saw neat houses each of which had a swimming pool. Closer to downtown, the many green spaces that dot this city were clearly visible as was the superb town planning which sees the city designed around a perfect grid. The more we explore of this city the more we realize how superbly it has been conceived. Indeed we could be in any European capital—either London or Paris or Berlin—so chic, neat and affluent is the place. 

     Once at the airport, we stopped at McDonald’s for a bite of burgers with fries and sundaes and then asked at the information desk for public transport into the city. We were instructed to buy a card that we could fill with as much money as we pleased and top up as we used it. We were also instructed to take Bus No. 37 to get to our hotel as well as told where we would find the bus stop.

     With Card purchased, we made our way to the bus stop and were pleased to find that the 37 arrived in about half an hour. We hopped in and enjoyed the bus ride to the city. We passed by vast gardens punctuated by the most striking statuary and sculptures of various Argentinian luminaries. I asked a young student seated besides me on the bus to tell us where to get off and he did. It did not take me long to find out exactly where our stop would be as Llew and I decided to make a detour before getting to our hotel. We thought that while the evening was still young, we could visit the city’s best-known attraction, Recoletta Cemetery.

   

Too Late for Recoletta Cemetery:

Alas, it was not only dark but late by the time we did actually find Recoletta Cemetery which has been the burial place for the city’s rich and famous since the 19th century. It was also closed—which meant that we would have to wait until tomorrow morning to see it at our leisure. However, it was good that we were able to figure out exactly where we should go. The place is encircled by high red brick walls that are reminiscent of a medieval castle and surrounded by wrought-iron lamps that are more than slightly ornamental.

     Unable to enter the Cemetery, we did get a peak through its impressive main entrance, conceived in Greek Neo-classical style. Then resolving to return tomorrow, we walked back just a few blocks to our hotel. 

    

Ending Another Tiring Day:

Our hotel, the Grand Hotel Recoletta, was like a refuge and the fact that we were given the exact same room that we had occupied before our departure made us feel at home. We showered, changed and got ready for bed. I did a bit of blogging, Llew watched some TV and then sent out a few of his pictures to friends before we called it a night.

     We are looking forward to a continuation of the sight seeing we had started, two days ago, as we re-enter the city and undertake a look around its main attractions...because, of course, tomorrow is another day.

     Until tomorrow... 

   

Llew Sees The Iguazu Falls at Last:

Sunday, May 26, 2019

Puerto Iguazu and the Iguazu Falls

Llew Sees The Iguazu Falls at Last:

  

Buenos Dias from Buenos Aires!

The reason for our early awakening was our overnight excursion to Puerto Iguazu, the small town that makes a base for exploring the famed Iguazu Falls, one of the highlights of a trip to South America. I had seen them before, about 5 years ago, when I had participated in a conference held at Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The Falls have the most unique location: they lie at the exact confluence of three major countries: Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, and can be viewed from all of them. It is said that seeing them from each perspective is a different experience. My experience, seeing them from Foz de Iguazu on the Brazilian side, had been stunning to say the very least. I expected a similar sighting this time. However, it was very different. The Falls are created by the merging of two main rivers: the Rio Iguazu and the Rio Paraguay which, as they rush down the heights of the terrain, create voluminous drops and sheets of water through immense heights. 

     Our flight took 90 minutes, Just before landing, we caught sight of the river and could see wisps of cloud and smoke emerging from it at various points. We realized later that these were the points at which smaller drops existed. They created the streams of spray and mist that looked from a height like clouds.

     We disembarked quickly, found a pre-paid taxi service and hopped in for 200 pesos each (about $4) to get to our hotel which is right in the midst of the Rain Forest and far away from the town of Puerta Iguazu. Several other passengers got into the vehicle (a mini-van) outside the airport that is being completely renovated and reconstructed and is in quite a sorry state at the moment as construction continues. 

     It took us 35 minutes to be dropped in this shuttle to our hotel—La Aldea Lodge de Selva. We entered the Reception area that sits right in the middle of a large restaurant where all three meals are available and breakfast comes with room tariff. We had arrived far earlier than check-in time and were permitted to use the washroom and take only what we needed for the day. We left most of our belongings behind and ordered a taxi to take us to the Falls. Our driver was Lucas. He spoke no English and we speak no Spanish. Most drivers have a translation app and it is through this device that communication is done, 

     We were dropped off at the Entrance to the Parquo Nacional Iguazu (Iguazu National Park) where Lucas told us that he would ick us up at 5.30 Pm. This worked for us as it gave us about 7 hours in the park and at the Falls. At the Ticket counter, we paid 200 pesos each and received tickets and maps which also entitled us to the use of a free train that runs periodically in the park. Armed with this knowledge, we set out to take in the sights.

On Foot Along the Green Trail to Central Station:

We did the first bit of walking in the Rail Forest when we got into the park and make our way to the train station. It would not be around for a half hour—so we were advised to walk along the Green Trail for ten minutes and pick up tickets at Central Station. This worked for us and was a very pleasant walk. We began to see the first of what would be large herds of coatis—scavenging animals native to the region that look raccoon-like except that they have pointed snouts like ant-eaters. They forage for food and one is warned to keep food and food bags out of sight as they grab it from unsuspecting visitors. I found myself on my toes while on the lookout for them as they are greedy, aggressive and quarrelsome.

     At the Central Station, we were given free tickets for the next train for which we had to wait for another half hour. During that time, we browsed through a shop and bought a magnet of the Falls as well as a post card. We also munched on our packed breakfasts as we were hungry by this point. 

     When the open train did get there, we found lovely window seats and enjoyed the ride during which we were trailed by a whole host of colorful butterflies in varied sizes. We also saw a lot of capuchin monkeys on the trail—they are constantly at war with the coatis. 

Arrival at the Devil’s Throat Station:

The Devil’s Throat is the name given to the most stunning bit of the Falls in Argentina. It is a massive drop of water that falls so far below that you cannot see the base. It sends up clouds of spray and mist that can completely drench the visitor depending in the direction in which the wind is blowing. 

To get to the vantage point, one must walk for a good long mile along wooden walkways that are constructed above the river. Some bird life is evident if one is lucky. We saw a black cormorant in the rocks and a bird that we could not identify fishing in the shallow waters in search of fish that she surfaced in order to eat. 

      Hundreds, if not thousands of people, were using the walkway and there was heavy traffic. When we did eventually get there, we were fascinated by the sight of the main Falls that fell from a horse-shoe shaped ledge (similar to Niigara but not as deep) and similar to the Victoria Falls in that one sees it falls as from a straight flat ledge right ahead. Many other minor Falls cascade down this ledge as far as the eye can see.  The power of the water and the proximity from which one views the falls is quite special here. That said, on the Brazilian side, one has about ten different sites from which one can see the Falls in different vistas. They are almost layered there as they fall from one ledge to the next to the next like a tiered fountain. I personally found the impact from the Brazilian side far more arresting.    

  We spent about a half hour at this point, taking pictures and videos and jostling for space with other visitors, some of whom had bought plastic ponchos and were able to stand much longer in the spray.

     Eventually, we moved away to start the long mile walk back to the Railway station so that we could return to Central Station.  That happened in about another half hour. 

In Search of Lunch:

It was time to pause and take in lunch and since there was a good deal—an all-you-can-eat buffet in the neighboring restaurant for $10 each— we decided to go for it. It offered a wide selection of salads plus grilled chicken, beef and sausage and a desserts bar of fresh fruit. Everything was very tasty and  the grilled items offered us our first taste of Argentinian churascaria (although we still intend going to a nice restaurant to enjoy a really good well-aged steak). 

On the Inferior Circuit Trail to the Minor Falls:

     We lingered for a long while at the restaurant and then decided to take one of the trails that would lead us on foot to the minor falls. However, on calculating the amount of time at our disposal, we realized that we could only get the taste of one of the trails on the Inferior Circuit. And after about half an hour of walking the trail, much of which went downhill down very steep stairways, we caught a glimpse of the first sets of Falls (Salto Alvar Nunez) and decided to retrace our steps back in order not to be late for our meeting with Lucas.

     We managed to get a couple more free train rides through the thick lush vegetation of the Rain Forest that was filled with singing birds before we made our way back to the entrance. Lucas was prompt and was waiting for us when we reached. He whisked us off in his car for the half hour ride back to our hotel where we reached just as dusk had fallen.

Enjoying our De Luxe Upgraded Suite in our Hotel:

      Since it was already dark, we did not venture upon the balcony attached to our lovely suite in the hotel. To reach it, we had to walk along wooden walkways, identical to the ones we had walked along at Hamilton Camp in Kruger National Park in South Africa when we had gone on safari. In fact, the only thing missing here was the water hole that offered uninhibited views from our balcony of the animals as they came to drink. This balcony overlooked the thickness of the Rain Forest and came with a hammock, a hot tub and other amenities—if only we had known. It was silly of the hotel personnel not to point this out to us.

Had we known, we wouldn't have had showers but would have used the beckoning hot tub instead.  

     Still, we decided to make the most of the luxury suite and ordered drinks (Wine and shandy) to the room so that we could relax completely and get our showers, try out the TV channels and find CNN and BBC in English. We were both tired and ready to slow down as the night closed in about us. Neither of us felt the need for dinner as our lunch had been so huge and we were still stuffed. Just drinks and a few snacks did the trick before we called it a night after what had been a most visually stimulating day.

     Until tomorrow