Iguazu Interlude

by Gem | Argentina | Iguazu

The main reason most people come to Puerto Iguazu is to see the world famous Iguazu Falls. We’d heard amazing things about the park and felt we couldn’t come to this part of the world without visiting. Because of all the tourists you’d expect Puerto Iguazu to be a really busy town but it’s actually quite a sleepy place. There are lots of backpackers, but most are there for just a day or two before moving on. We walked around town to find somewhere to stay and ended up at Hostel Sweet Hostel, a nice enough place with a pool and a bar area. Pretty cheap, too, compared to some places.

After settling in we headed outside to spend the afternoon by the pool. It was really hot so the pool seemed like the best place to be! Unfortunately it didn’t seem to be in very good working order; there wasn’t a pump and the water seemed a little murky. I didn’t much fancy going in but Dan acted as pool boy and gave it a clean with the net and soon we were both relaxing in the almost clear water! We did make sure not to put our heads under, just in case! That evening we went to a local parrilla for an Asado. Bit too much funny looking meat for my liking but it’s something to tick off the list.

The next day it was all about the waterfalls. We put on our hiking shoes for the first time since we’d left Asia and caught the local bus to Iguazu Falls. Because it’s such a tourist attraction it’s very developed. They’ve done a really good job, though. There’s an interesting Visitors Centre and a little train that takes you from the entrance to the different walking trails mapped out. Our first stop had to be Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s Throat). We could hear the gushing water and see the spray from hundreds of metres away. And it was just as impressive as we’d heard. The water is so powerful as it falls that you can’t see the ground beneath it. Wow!

After marvelling for a while we left to visit some of the other waterfalls within the Park. And there are lots. We’ve spared you the bother of looking at all of the photos because we took far too many, but it was a great day out. It was nice to be out and about in the fresh air. We felt like we were in the rainforest; there were loads of brightly coloured butterflies around, we saw some raccoon type animals running around and a few ENORMOUS spiders. We even saw a snake sliding behind a tree. It was black with a funny white face, bound to be something deadly!

One of the areas of the National Park, San Martin Island, was closed for the day. We later found out that a rubber dinghy had sunk on the morning of our visit, killing two American tourists and injuring several others. So sad. There are warnings all over the place about how dangerous the place can be but it’s only when something like that happens that you really realise.

After a full day’s walking in high temperatures we arrived back at our hostel hot and sweaty in the early evening. Just enough time for a long cold shower before some drinks by the pool and a late dinner. Dan finally got his wish of having the thickest steak he’s ever eaten. He claims this means he won’t be wanting steak every night now but I’m not convinced. Will keep you updated!