Gargantua del Diablo

We have been getting used to bus rides recently, but the journey to Iguazu was quite unique. We had splashed out for a ´cama´ seat- slightly more comfortable and reclines further for just a few pounds more and we were greeted with an extremely friendly service. Offered sweets, whiskey, fed up on warm meals and given a champagne night cap the trip should have beeen utter luxury. The one draw back was the misbehaving little brat sat behind us with his ineffectual mother and grandmother. He played oh-so-annoying games consoles with repetitive bleeps and tunes which any other parents would have muted for their own sanity, as if the embarrassment of making a whole coach load of people deal with the irritation was not enough. Whilst playing he enjoyed kicking the backs of our chairs- the little darling- whilst his guardians turned thir eyes from what he was doing.

Night fell and after some excellent films, food and drinks we tested the extreme recline of our classy bus. Leaning blissfully far back Blakey was soon snoozing quietly. On the otherhand I was kept up as every twenty minutes my chair would slide back to its upright position. Losing patience and utterly exhausted I continued to correct the chair and attempt to join my dearest in peaceful slumber. Eventually I wore out, though was not nearly as satisfied with the amount of sleep I had managed. When the lights came on the following morning and our breakfast was served I complained to Blakey of the awful chair. From his laid back position he turned to see that the mother had placed the little darling on the seat behind us and she was sat at his feet, pushing my chair up to try and make space for herself. I did not miss them when they got off and I reclined to full benefit until my attention was caught by some cheesy wedding based rom-com.

Every time we disembark a bus recently there is a marked difference in temperature and this time was no exception. Not only that, but the red mud and huge decorative plants growing all around gave this town a truly tropical feel. Leaving the station a smartly dressed petite lady offered us lodgings and walked us back to her home where we were given a large room with a patio, fan and bamboo door. Even that felt tropical.

Desperate to have information on my course and to type up some long overdue blogs we took the opportunity to find and internet cafe and stare bleary eyed at the screen for the afternoon. After a few minutes into checking (too early for news on the course yet) all the power cut off. Not only that, but after being told how unusually hot it has been here for days the weather that has been following us struck and a huge tropical rainstorm ensued- though it was far more satisifying to watch than the gloomy drizzle of Patagonia! We rushed to a nearby shop to grab some supplies before heading back to cook up some long over due food- pasta and sauce again- yum!

Our ever helpful hostess had given us all the information we needed to visit the world famous Iguazu waterfalls the following morning, but we couldn´t bring ourselves to set an alarm. After a relaxed get up we set out in the once again blazing sun to see the falls- though not befoe an internet check- especially as I was told this was the day I would receive an answer. However, after yesterday´s power failure the internet cafe we had been using was not working. We searched and searched before finding an alternative. Typically I had nothing- but at least I knew and could get on with enjoying my day now.

Entering Iguazu the scale of the park was instantly aparent from the rows of coaches parked outside the huge entrance foyer. We purchased our tickets which included a free train ride to the tracks- though a very theme-parkesque carriage through the beautiful foliage that was swarming with butterflies. We then joined the masses crossing metres and metres of boardwalks over the waterways towards the "devil´s throat". As people passed on the way back it seemed most had enjoyed a boat ride too as they were soaking wet.

That was our theory until we reached the end of the track pearching over the precipe where there was the most deafening, almighty cascade of water I have ever seen. There were hordes of people but this place was big enough for us all. An ampitheatre like drop from the massive waterplain above churned with the sheer violence and weight of what must be tonnes of water each second falling over the edge. It was so massive that the mist created by the waterfall was propelled so far into the air that the boardwalk at its safe distance was utterly drenched- that was what had happened to the returning tourists! We tried to snap through the droplets of water and just indulged in the energy of the whole scene. It bought to mind the glacier a couple of weeks back as nature left us once again in awe.

After an introduction to the magnificence of this place we spent the rest of the day wandering around the many tracks offering vantage points from above and below the falls. It was a beautiful day topped off at the end by our encounter with cute little creatures with monkey like bodies and stripey tails but long snuffly noses as they foraged for food. By the time we headed back that evening we were exhausted and satisfied.

Next day we had mostly to ourselves- after the obligatory internet check of course. Once again this involved quite a search though when eventually seated at a functional desktop I was rewarded with an email at last. However, the pissy thing was to tell me that they would not disclose my results until they had my references- argh!! I quickly emailed my old tutors to chase this up, hoping a quick response would put me out of my misery as soon as possible- every time it came to mind it made my tummy do a little flip.

After that we headed back to plan our day. We aimed to wander to a nearby garden though we somehow missed it and so took a massive stroll around town in the hot hot sun. We returned for a lazy aftrenoon and whilst Blakey snoozed I headed to get some long overdue laundry sorted (though once again to no avail) and to phone and wish my Mum a Happy Birthday- plus yet another internet check of course. Nada. But a good gossip home kept me satisfied.

The afternoon was topped off with a slightly ill timed wander to the Tres Frontera- a point where two rivers meet and we could see the banks of Paraguay and our next destination, Brazil. A wrong turn meant we got ther just after sunset (which is happening so much earlier now) but it was a pleasant stroll none the less. As we headed back our sense of adventure grew- the power supply had gone out again and so we cautiously stumbled through the cobbled streets in the pitch black and returned to our candle lit hostel, looking quite romantic in the flicker of the dim flames.

The next morning saw us repack once again and after dropping our bags off at the bus station head off on the most epic interent search yet. The previous evenings power cut had put every single internet cafe in the town out of action, but I couldn´t bear the thought of still not knowing the result for the duration of Rio carnival- it was time to stop my tummy from flipping! After a hour of wandering from place to place we eventually found a small hostel that allowed us to access their computer. No joy again. Fingers crossed carnival would keep me too busy to think about it!!