After 70 days on the road from Buenos Aires we have made it to the Iguacu Falls !!! we have had many adventures getting here and met some wonderful people making some delightful friends, also we have bonded our little group together and have had just a wonderful time getting here.
We arrived thursday 13th October after spending my birthday with OJ, checking her out and leaving her in the very good hands of our friends in Marilia.
Firstly we went to see the Itaipu Dam which is the biggest Hydroelectric Dam in the world. It is shared between Paraguay and Brazil. This for me was a surprising, enjoyable and interesting experience. The Power of Water ---- Incredible. We had no idea just how much water we were going to see in the next few days!!
The next day was the most spectacular and awesome of days. In Steve Davey´s book "Unforgettable places to see before you die" Iguacu Falls are on page 84 it should be page 1!!! We went firstly to the Brazilian side of the falls, our first glimps was from a boat it was just breathtaking. We cried! We were at the falls the whole day it was impossable to stop looking at the limitless wonderment of nature, its natural beauty, and to some extent in disbelief at just what we were seeing. We ended the day which started with a boat ride having a hellicoptor flight over the falls, an awesome end to an awesome day.
We unanimously agreed that this is the Planets Star attraction.
There has been a lot of rain, the rivers are very high, the falls are very full we were drenched -- serveral times.
Lunch overlooking the falls was also superb
The following day we took a day trip to the Argentina side of the falls which is very different but none the less aweinspiring --- This side covers a larger area. There are 275 separate falls in total. The largest being Devils Throat where the water plunges into a crater making a huge cloud of mist. On the Brazilian side we were soaked at the foot of the crater, today we were soaked at the Top of the crater whilst watching the birds skim through the falls to get at the grass and between.
Awesome.
We enjoyed walking through the jungle paths looking at the flowers, trees and the most beautiful butterflies, there were 100´s
Lunch was good Argentina Steak the very best !!!
For me today equaled the magnitude of yesterday.
Sunday we had planned to go to the bird park in the morning, firstly the clock went forward 1 hour so we lost an hour there, then when we were in the park it rained and I mean rained. Down pour I had no coat so took shelter in the lady´s loo which stunk of moth balls and filled up very quickly with Brazilians who speak very loudly and quickly. I was the point of the whole conversation, we just all kept laughing we all looked ridiculous wet through!! when the rain eased a little we all met up in the resturant, shopped, ate lunch still it rained. I bought, we all bought rain coats, then went for a walk around the park in the rain, we had a good view of the birds because they were all huddled out of the rain and not flying. the birds were beautiful and worth a further soaking I feel like a prune (?)
We leave Brazil tomorrow, Monday 17th October, going back into Argentina and then to Paraguay. I have loved Brazil so much; I feel so comfortable here; the country is very beautiful we have seen some incredible things; BUT it is the people of Brazil I will never forget. They have held out the hand of friendship to us everywhere we have been - everyone has wanted to help us - we have been welcomed into their homes, guided through towns just by asking the way. We have been made to feel safe and wanted all the time. To all the people we have met on the road, in shops, in Posto´s (Petrol Station) on buses, on trains and of course all the wonderful people we met in Marilia and the Hospital ------THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart Brazil will always be a very special place for me I hope one day to return.
Maureen
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