IGUAZU!

Time to play catch up!  This blogging thing is hard to keep up with, there is just so much to tell!

But, last weekend I had my first ride on a coche cama or "bed bus," after frantically rushing to the bus station after a no show taxi and much miscommunication.  Anyways we made it so that is all that matters!  So, this bed bus, it was a double decker with seats like the 1st class section of an airplane with seats that basically fold into cots, TVs, and dinner and breakfast served.  Watch out for the bathroom though, the toilet seat was at a slant making it impossible to hover and very difficult to put toilet paper down and hold it there without it falling off before you sit down.  This weekend is our trip to Córdoba, I will keep in mind how much water I consume before 12 hours on the bus.

So, last Friday in route to Iguazu after deboarding the bed bus and boarding a regular bus, we stopped first for a tour of the San Ignacio Ruins, an old Jesuit mission on the border of Paraguay and Argentina.  Then we continued on to an estancia (ranch) to relax for a couple of hours.  This estancia was situated on a black tea and mate (pronounced MAH-tay..the tea that all of the Argentinians drink and it is also common in Uruguay) plantation and was complete with a pool, outdoor kitchen and grill, hammocks, a relaxing atmosphere and really good food! Thank goodness! I need to stop living off of dulce de leche.  We spent a few hours here just hanging out, enjoying the parrilla (meal with all different cuts of beef cooked on the outdoor grill), and touring the factory were mate is processed.  By the way, yes I did try this "mate" and seeing as I dont like tea it wasnt very probable that I would like mate...it tasted..and looked...like I was drinking a swamp. Not for me.  But the estancia was interesting because it felt more like you should be in Colorado or northern California (not that I have been either of those places..) than in Argentina.

The San Ignacio Ruins

Hanging out in a hammock at the estancia!

Finally, after a full 24 hours of traveling by bus we arrived at Hotel Saint George in Puerto Iguazu in the Misiones Province of Argentina.  Saturday we spent a full day at the national park viewing the falls.  We walked the upper trail (view from above), the lower trail (you're going to get a shower), and La Garganta del Diablo trail.  La Garganta del Diablo translates to The Devil's Throat and it is the largest of the falls at Iguazu with one side belonging to Brazil and the other Argentina.  This place was absolutely breathtaking.  Mesmorizing.  And the views of the rainbows are constant.  It is hard to believe that that much water can consistently flow at that speed.  Also in the national park are my new favorit little animals called cuantis...similar to raccoons.  They are everywhere!  They are not shy and if you have food, guard it well because they like to steal!  We also took a boat ride under/into the falls while were there.  It was fun, an experience, but the water is coming down in such quantity that you basically sit with your eyes closed the whole time and just enjoy your shower!

Me at La Garganta del Diablo or "The Devil's Throat" the largest fall at Iguazu Falls!

 The falls on Argentina's side

A Cuanti checking my purse for possible food to steal...

After we left the park we made a stop at Las Tres Fronteras.  This translates as The Three Borders and is borders of Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina...see below one picture and three countries!

I am in Argentina (obviously!) and Paraguay is to the left and Brazil to the right!

On Sunday before leaving Iguazu and flying back to Buenos Aires, we visited a native Guaraní tribe that still lives off the land.  The guide spoke spanish to us but the rest of the people mostly speak only their native language.  We saw how they make their forest "huts" and the different traps they use to trap armadillos and deer and they even sang us some songs in their native language.

Okay, and to switch subjects.  Sunday night when we got back I had my first, and hopefully only, trip to the doctor at Hospital Aleman (German Hospital?) because my cold or sinus infection would NOT go away.  Everything went smoothly at the doctor's office other than the 3-4 hours of being there.  Itwas with the trip to the pharmacy at almost 12:30 in the morning that things got interesting.  Here the pharmacies are all 24 hours and you must get your prescription filled the day you get it, you can't wait.  So I am standing on the sidewalk, talking through the little window to the pharmacist and he seems overly friendly and smiley for working this late at a pharmacy.  Long story short...his name is Lucas and he was so kind as to write his number on my reciept.  So Erin and I got a good laugh on the way home while we both a sick and delirious from such a long day!

Córdoba this weekend for a weekend in the country riding horses and visiting the salt flats!
Abrazos y besos!