The jaw-dropping Iguazu - I

After a hard time finding an apartment to stay in Puerto Iguazu, we were settling there for three days and two nights (with discount costing 150peso with kitchen and air-conditioning but no wifi) to see the Argentine side of Iguazu Fall. Being tortured by the heavy backpack, Maria was finally satisfied with all-you-can-eat parrilla (BBQ) on the street costing 50 peso each. It was kind of expensive in our budget, but to make Maria happy again, it was an easy way, to let her smile again by eating and drinking. I am glad to have a wife whom I know how to satisfied.


The next day we started early, took a bus to the theme-park-like Argentine Iguazu. We went straight to the Diabo Throat, which awed all visitors. So were us, our jaws dropped to see all water dropping to the abyss, the fog resulted from the water fall covered the air that we couldn't see the bottom of the valley. 

 

We were there for a long time, not taking pictures but to stand there, gazing at the fall for a long long time, feeling the power of the fall, while other tourists just stood there to take pictures for themselves.

After we paid 400 peso for the moonlight walk the same night (we were lucky to be on the second last night for a full moon trip that participants went in again after the park was closed), we walked the Macuco Trail. Expecting some wildlife, but after one hour walk we saw nothing but big spiders and coati. We went to a pool for a dip. The water was not clear but many locals go there for a dip (local only paid 10 peso to enter the theme park).

Disappointed and it was 4pm already, we went to the upper level of the falls near catarata station. Before we could cover the lower level, it went dark and it was still 6pm (when the park closed) and there were still two and a half hour before the gathering time of the moonlight walk. We went into the Sheraton hotel to hang out in the lobby. Although we cannot have wifi, we could sit in air-conditioning with sweaty clothes and see the Diabo Throat fall away behind glass.

The adventure came: the sky turned cloudy and we did not know that the moonlight walk was canceled. The last bus from the hotel and the park back to Puerto Iguazu ended. Either we had to pay 120 peso for remis (local taxi) back, or walk to the gate of the park for trying some luck on hitch-hiking. We chose later. Maria was very tensed about this, believing the propaganda that there were fierce animals in the park after dark and the punishment of wandering in the park after closing. Personally (also with the habit of breaking rule) I don't think so after the disappointment of seeing no wildlife in the Macuco Trail.  It was a nice walk on the road at the middle of the national park with moonlight behind cloud. (M: was so worried about a wild cat popping up to bite us, but when our eyes get used to the night, I see light in front of me and felt that we are safe and God is within us and we are well taken care of.) We finally went to the gate, got the refund from the moonlight walk. (M: with the help of a staff, who drove us back to the main gate from a staff area) It was nice of them to refund right away. It would have been different if this happened in China, which would not bother to give refund so quickly, or even none. Luckier was that we met two workers waiting for remis back to town and we could share the fare with them (100 peso shared by four). One was a photographer and another was the powerboat captain.

Finally we went back to Puerto Iguazu, did some shopping in the supermarket. Making cuadril (M: As bife de chorizo sold out, the butcher recommended this, he said the meat taste even better, though not as tender, it was good!) and made pizza for the next day and cookies as snacks. Probably we cooked too much, when we start boiling some water, all the gas in the apartment was used up. Though, we had the next lunch and dinner prepared.