South America, Days 152 & 153 - Stage 30: Salta to Iguazu Falls, Argentina

Iguazu Falls, Argentina

Day 152 Tuesday 

Wanting a relatively early dinner yesterday (most places don't open till 20.00) we ended up in a cafe/resto/bar, open all day. Another steak and bottle of wine seemed on the cards, looking at the price we thought it would be a steak each, thank goodness we asked, 500g with chips for £14! And I think it weighed more than 500g, it was huge.

So after the red wine hots, and or the meat sweats we had a relaxed get up. Check out and Uber to the airport. He chatted all the way, in Spanish, but we did manage a conversation. As we apologised for being English, he said what everyone we've spoken to has said, it's nothing to do with us, it's all political. Messi and Beckham are friends but play for different sides, and so on.

Have a look at this Youtube, it ranks among the most crazy things we've done. A speedboat ride into the falling water of Iguazu Falls. No sound with it as my go-pro equivalent was in its waterproof housing

Another easy, single hop flight got us to Puerto Iguazu. The Argentina side of Iguazu falls, where it was raining, a lot. Our taxi driver offered to be our driver for the falls, but wanted 40,000 pesos whereas the bus was 28,000. It wasn't actually the money though so much as how we were going to call him (unless he was going to stay all day). He was talking to us using Google translate on his phone, but then he had no cell for much of the journey, although we would have WiFi at the park, that wouldn't help him! By the time we got to the hotel he'd obviously decided he was onto a loser and just dropped us off. Proximity to the bus station was the main reason we picked this hotel after all. Out in the rain to get our bearings and buy bus tickets, might as well be prepared. We had planned to walk to the 3 countries viewpoint, Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, but not in the rain.

Approaching Devils Throat, Iguazu Falls. Have a look into the void in the Youtube below

Day 153 Wednesday 

A much nicer day, hurrah, so breakfast at 07.00 to be at the Park as early as possible. We had talked about booking our entrance tickets in advance but I'd decided against it as apparently you had to specify arrival time. The queue for tickets was long, and slow, so we would have been better off buying in advance particularly as when we got to the front it was an old fashioned card swipe machine, not chip and pin so Brian's card didn't work. We hadn't taken all the cash we had with us, so hadn't got enough (45,000 each) scan the QR code to book online then (they have provided WiFi over much of the park which is quite impressive). This was ok until he started putting in the CC details and there was an extra box which we couldn't translate. Fortunately the help desk knew it was passport number. Then there was a big queue to get through the gate......

No sound on this as my go-pro equivalent was in its waterproof housing, but its impressive looking down into the Devils Throat

After this however it all got better, the big queue actually moved very fast, we got round most of those in front and got to the train ticket desk and got a ticket for 15 minutes time. The train is included, but they issue times for busy periods. We could have walked but it would have taken possibly an hour and we had lots of other walking to do. Boarding was efficient and we disembarked ahead of many others to walk 2.2km to Garganta del Diablo or Devils throat. This is the walk everyone does, and the one with the least shade. It was closed for much of last year as some of it had washed away, it is a long walkway over the wide river so you can't go without it. We made good time and although it was busy it was fine and we got to see lots of water falling over the edge. See our Relive video with more photos: click here

Photos never do it justice, its just amazing to be there

The other two main routes are the upper and lower circuits, though the lower is still quite high. We did both of those, not just looking for water, but wildlife too. We didn't see much wildlife really, just opportunists who know that all these people carry food with them. Still the coati and the plush crested jay birds were very cute. The black vultures circling overhead not so much! The water is the main event though and there is certainly a lot of that. See our Relive video with more photos of upper and lower circuits: click here

We finished both these circuits quite quickly with a short stop for snacks that we'd taken with us, and water which was freely available from taps marked Potable water throughout the park. Also very impressive. We had planned 2 days in the park, but it was only 12.15 and all that was left was the Gran Ventura (the boat ride) and the more remote macuco trail. If we do the boat ride and don't come back tomorrow, we will effectively get one of us doing it for free. (Second day park entry is half price if you get your ticket validated, but the bus would still add up to 28.000, making a total of 73.000 - about £52) The boat ride sounded a bit of fun, but more fairground than nature, but we felt we had to do one (there is also a boat trip on the Brazilian side) and this is the better one from what I've read.

This is a short Youtube of various bits of the falls, this time with sound!

I think we got Mr. Grumpy in the ticket office though and ended up with tickets for the last trip at 15.15 so lots of time to kill. We stopped for an ice-cream before heading all the way to the park entrance where we knew there were lockers. The boat ride is very wet, and we had our passports as well as phones, wallet, his hearing aids etc. The locker room was locked so we went looking and found someone from the boat company who said we didn't need to do that, they provide dry bags and the storage would probably cost us 20,000 pesos (the cost of our last steak). We went through what we had and decided we could put the valuables in the dry bag that Brian's waterproof was in, put that in the rucksack and put the rucksack in the dry bag that is in it! Then put it in their dry bag. Neurotic? Not us! Back to the booking office as although we were going to be very early, there was AC and WiFi. Brian settled to read the paper and I spoke to the desk. I managed to change our 15.15 tickets for 14.00, and we were off, the last 2 spaces on the lorry.

In theory this is a jungle nature ride, but we didn't expect to see anything, it's just the 20 minutes to the dock. Then a long walk down, which was obviously going to mean a long walk back up the steps, but that's ok. Life jackets and big yellow dry bags. We'll take one each and put our shoes in the second. No children on this trip, but they have to be at least 14 to do this ride. We whizzed up the river, towards the falls seeing a couple of capybara on a sandy beach (no pictures, as he wasn't quick enough. Phone and camera were hidden away, just the GoPro equivalent to hand). The falls were very impressive as we came towards them, but for most people it was all about getting wet. And so we did. Glasses off, just in time, as it is quite indescribable, the amount of water that came down, it was impossible to open your eyes and the noise was huge. Three times he tried to drown us, all very silly, but what an experience.

We saw a few of these fish that seemed to be sucking onto the rocks to stop them being swept over the edge

We were still dripping when we got back up half the stairs, here the sensible people got changed into the dry clothes they'd brought with them. Hmmm, we'd been planning this for tomorrow. So, carry on uphill. Not quite dripping as we got into the lorry, but left a puddle on the seats when we got out. A brisk half hour walk through the park back to the entrance and I'm still wringing water from the hem of my shirt, and my pants are still wet as are my trousers. The bus back to town is there, with 2 spaces left so on we get. Half an hour back to town and fortunately no puddles on the seat (which were plastic). Back to the hotel and into the shower fully clothed, it was still all damp and needed a good rinse at the very least! At no point were we in the least bit cold!.

Out for a lovely meal. Local Catfish and a localish sauvignon blanc. It was the service and attention though that made us feel very special. We had a laugh with both our waiters and were rewarded with a limoncello on the house, always gratifying when you get something that not everyone did!

A cormorant sitting on a rock above the falls

Day 154 Thursday 

No need to get up early to go back to the park so a much more relaxed breakfast. We'll walk the long way, via the port, to the three countries viewpoint. Brian was vaguely interested in getting the ferry across to Paraguay but it really was just for the sake of it, so I talked him out of it. The viewpoint too was just for the sake of it, you can see three countries, but the borders are actually in the rivers, so you can't stand with a leg in different countries or anything, but it's one of those things that Brian has to do! Yesterday the forecast had been for thunderstorms today, and there may be some later. But by the time we got back to the hotel just after midday it was 31° feels like 35°! Too much for me. See our Relive video with more photos of our Triple Frontier walk: click here

Not too many spiders but they were about, fortunately a distance away

We walked the walkways above and below most of the Argentinian side of the falls. In this photo there's a walkway right on top of the falls....

This, I think, is the fall from the top

Even this is only a small section. It's hard to describe just how big they are

Some wildlife on the path too. These are Coatis

We saw quite a lot of these. They are Plush-crested Jays. Love the blue eyebrows!

A lot of these were flying over the falls, they are black vultures

Todays walk to the Three Country viewpoint. In this photo are three countries. On the left of the Iguazu River is Argentina, Brazil is to the right and straight in front on the opposite bank of the Parana River (the Iguazu River joins it) in Paraguay

At the actual viewpoint looking up the Parana River with the Iguazu river joining from the right. The bridge connect Brazil to Paraguay and is known as the Puente de la Integracion. Further upstream and not in view is the second largest dam in the world, the Itapu Dam that straddles Paraguay and Brazil providing a vast proportion of Paraguay's electricity. I did read that, before its construction the Parana River had waterfalls even bigger and more impressive that Iguazu falls, but they are now lost beneath the huge reservoir behind the dam

No such easy way to get to Paraguay from Argentina though. That's the only way on that little car ferry tugged by the little boat. 

There it is having just docked in Paraguay. I was tempted to go over there, but there's little to see

It was there so we had to take a photo. Can you see Jackie?

At the viewpoint and using the photoframe provided!

The round blocks show the colour of the Paraguay, Argentine and Brazil flags