Just around the river bend...GIANT waterfalls!: Iguazu Falls, Argentina

My third trip outside of the city of Buenos Aires was great! The main part was going to Iguazu Falls, but we also got to stop at a few other places along the way. We left on Thursday the 14th and traveled the 13 hours by bus to our first stop in Posadas, the capital of Misiones. 

Friday, April 15th

Cows taking a bath

Technically our first stop was at bus station to switch buses to one that could hold the entire group of about 45 people.  After we all met we traveled a short way to Estancia Santa Cecilia, which is a gaucho farm.  We were led to an open pavilion for breakfast of mate cocido (which is a type of mate served cold) and a pastry that was like fried bread with sugar.  Soon our guide for the day showed up with the three gauchos that work the farm.  Gauchos are comparable to the North American cowboy.  From what I've been able to understand in my classes.. They originated in the Pampas and lived off the land, moving with the cattle. Those at the Estancia showed us how they round up the cattle and then the process of injecting some of them with a medicine to get rid of parasites.  After, they had the cattle go through a scale to check their weight and then gave them all a "bath."  I guess I don't really know the best way to wash 50 cows, but theirs seemed to work as good as any.  Basically the process was to have them jump down to a walkway that was filled with water. They had to swim a little then were able to touch and walk/run and slip out.  When they finished showing us the LIVE cows we moved on to look at the process of making leather.  They showed us leather that was drying, leather that was stretching and then the finished product, leather ropes, reins, and other gaucho gear.  Some people were a little turned off after seeing the cute beef cattle taking a bath and then the stretched out leather, but what we saw next might’ve made their stomachs turn—lunch.  The estancia started us off with choripán and lots of veggies.  Then they brought out a huge cut of beef and after that some freshly cooked ribs.  The ribs were cooked between spokes and then they stuck the spokes into the ground and cut portions off for anyone who wanted some right there.  So it was a little rough for some people to see the cattle and then eat who might have been their friends, but honestly, it was worth it. 

The three gauchos who work the farm

After we left for the Jesuit Mission Ruins called San Ignacio Mini.  The Jesuits founded the mission around 1970 and lived there along with some Guaraní natives whom they taught the catholic gospel too.  We walked through the various parts of the ruins, including a massive church, a cemetery, and different houses.  It was strange to imagine people really living and working there at one time and to think about those who found it after it was abandoned.  When we left the ruins women and children selling random handicrafts and plants greeted us.  I passed up the chance though and headed for the bus, which then took us the four extra hours to our hotel in Iguazu Falls.

our whole group

We arrived at the Hotel Saint George where upon check in, they gave us fruit smoothies. During our stay we also had dinner and breakfast buffets there. They also offered a chilly pool and lukewarm hot tub as well as a ping-pong table.  The next day we were headed for the falls!

Saturday, April 16

We woke up early excited for what was said to be a real “North American breakfast.” However, we were all a little disappointed when the eggs turned out to be hard-boiled and the sausage was really hot dogs cut up and put into some sort of sauce. They did have cereal, milk, pastries, and a lot of fruit though, so still a good breakfast overall.  

Afterwards we left for the waterfalls (cataratas) of Iguazu.  It wasn’t long before we were there, seeing toucans, coaties (a member of the raccoon family), and tons of butterflies.  We started on the Green Trail and it wasn’t long until we heard the waterfalls.  When you first see them, you want to take a million pictures, trying to capture every part of what makes them so amazing (this is impossible to do, by the way).  But then you walk a little more, get closer, and feel like you have to take a million more pictures because they’re even more impressive from that view.  The waterfalls are hard to describe and my pictures don’t do them justice, but hopefully you all get an idea of how incredible they are to see.  So incredible actually that Iguazu Falls is in the running towards becoming one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature (click here to vote!).

We walked to different areas of the falls, at one spot getting close enough to be drenched by the huge waterfall above us.  We were also given the opportunity to go on a boat ride around the falls.  After getting fit with life jackets and waterproof bags we loaded onto boats and headed towards the first waterfall.  We drove near the bottom of two separate falls, getting drenched by their mist. At one waterfall it was difficult to actually look anywhere but down because of the water falling onto us.  We got off of the boats drenched and in my case with out a change of clothes or shoes.  So, soaking wet, I walked back with the group for some lunch and then a short train ride to the start of a trail leading to The Devil’s Throat (Garganta del Diablo). Sounds ominous right?? To get there you walk on a metal walkways over water and the occasional small island.  I really don’t know how to explain how awesome and impressive it is, so here a couple extra pictures and a video to give you a better idea..

At the Devil's Throat

La Garganta del Diablo

(Not the best video recording, sorry!)

Sunday, April 17

You can catch an armadillo with that!

With a check out time of 10:45 we were able to sleep in a little more before packing up and heading down to our last Hotel Saint George breakfast.  After eating, we went to the local Guaraní community.  We took big safari trucks (which reminded me of Cabo Polonio) to navigate the dirt roads of the village.  When driving in we saw some women and children swimming and washing clothes.  The kids all smiled and waved as we drove by.  Our guide Luís started by showing us their most popular crops and then led us to a woman’s hut.  The hut was small consisting of only a small fire pit and a roof.  We all felt a little strange and intrusive coming onto these people’s land and viewing the way they live.  Especially after hearing they are generally very shy and timid.  However, Luís told us that they have to give tours and sell handmade crafts in order to support their community.  They used to be able to move with the animals they hunted, but now they have to rely on local supermarkets.  They realize that in order for the tribe to survive they have to adapt in certain ways.  The children are taught Spanish as well as their own native language and they have a medical practitioner visit weekly.  It’s a sad reality, but they are still holding onto their own customs and traditions as well as learning how to function in other societies.

We ended our tour first by hearing the Guaraní children sing some songs in their native language. Luís told us that they really enjoy doing it and it shows; they all did a great job.  We had a chance to buy some of the hand made crafts and then loaded back on to the trucks, passing more smiling, waving kids on our way out.

Luckily, we skipped the hours of traveling by bus and flew back to Buenos Aires. That night Hebe’s family came over and we had empanadas for dinner, so great way to end the weekend. All in all, it was a very fun trip and maybe my last for a little while.  I’m hoping to travel to El Calafate some time before it gets too cold, but that’s still up in the air.  In the mean time I’ll be living the life in Buenos Aires and maybe posting entries about the little things I do around here. This week being Semana Santa is a big one (the biggest in Argentina) and most people go away for the long weekend.  I however, am not, but plan on putting my time to good use and getting to know the city better.  Until next time, ¡Felices Pascuas!