After a grand time in Buenos Aires, we hopped a plane to Parque National Iguazu. Given the timing of our visit, this might have been left off the trip, but gosh darned if everyone we met who had visited Argentina didn’t list it as a highlight. That, and we are suckers for nature.
It was a short and uneventful flight, other than needing to get up super early again to catch a taxi to the “international airport”. Anyone who books this, be mindful to book Buenos Aires to Iguazu via the downtown airport! You can save a 1/2 hour cab ride.
I love the airport at Iquazu! It looks like an early 20th century brick mansion. It’s TINY! The planes they fly into there are plenty big, and we ended up on many newer Airbus models that were really nice and comfy.
A quick cab to the hotel (the Iquazu Jungle Lodge) to drop off our bags (this was extended when we declined our first room for mold), and same cab back to the park. Downtown Iquazu (where the hotels are), is about 15K from the park, which makes the park/falls very raw and National Park like (unlike a certain set of falls that I won’t mention by name).
Our first day, we got there early afternoon, and made a b-line for the boat to “San Martin Island”. I guess if you liberate 3 or 4 countries, you get lots of stuff named after you. San Martin Island is part of Argentina, and based on the maps appeared to give us the greatest views of the falls not in Brazil. We elected not to go to Brazil b/c we would have to pay 700 bucks for visas and don’t otherwise plan to go there. Rather than take the train, we walked on the green path to the boat launch. It was a nice, quiet hike, actually paved with pavers, surrounded by jungle, full of butterflies birds and lizards… with an occasional waterfall. I was sure Kim was going to slip and fall as the metal bridges near the falls were wet and slippery. She didn’t fall until later though.
After a quick lunch, we went to the boat launch, which was free, and took all of 2 minutes. San Martin Island essentially has a hiking trail loop (that you start once you climb the stairs to the top), and 3 great views of the falls. We were fortunate in that we saw several complete rainbows near the boat launch and the island as well.
After this, we were beat, so we hiked up to the train station and rode the train around the park until it was time to be picked up. We cabbed back to the hotel, rested, played hide-n-go-seek (mostly because I found what I considered to be a perfect hiding spot above our closet), and had an excellent dinner at the Hotel restaurant. The beef, even in the jungle was AMAZING!
Day 2, we got an earlier start with hopes of seeing some monkeys. We arrived at the park by 9:00 and hiked back to the Macuco Trail, which is kind of off the beaten path. We thought this would be our best chance to see monkeys. It was a great hike, with really nice, private falls at the end, but we didn’t see any monkeys. We did however see some “medium” sized rodents… agouti, and more birds.
After the Macuco, we hopped the train to the end of the line “Garganta del Diablo” (Devil’s Throat). Actually the train station is quite a walk from the Devil’s Throat falls, but well worth it. About a 1/2 mile on pedestrian bridges over the river, to a platform directly above the biggest falls you’ll probably ever see. The energy from the water here was palpable. We checked it out, took pictures, had the professional photographer snap a few shots, and headed back.
A funny thing happened on the way back, we started seeing tons of amazing butterflies. I managed to get one onto my finger, and he stayed there for 20 minutes. Soon after that, the butterflies were all landed on my back… I guess my sweat is like cocaine for flying Iquazu caterpillars!
After the Devil’s Throat, we were all beat, so we took the train back and called for our taxi. Just enough time to buy blow guns and eat ice cream while we waited! GREAT DAY!
Another nice dinner at the hotel, and some more chatting with the nice folks we met from Florida, there for a National Geographic and a TV pilot video shoot. Then off to Cordoba by plane at a reasonable hour the next morning.
Now, two more pics just for perspective:
Thanks for all the great pics….
You are welcome! Sometimes I feel bad for so many, but it’s a tiny fraction of what I take!
I want to see them all!!!