I have now added in some bits from my journal I wrote a couple weeks ago! More soon about Patagonia.
A joy to get away from the city! I took an 18-hour bus overnight Monday to Puerto Iguazu - my first opportunity to see some of the country outside the hub. I sat on the top-level of a very comfy first-class coach, and startled myself when I realized we were towering over semi-truck drivers on the highway. The marathon of violent movies dubbed in Spanish began before we left the city, and I got to practice my español (always looking at the bright side!).
I have learned that meals are served two ways on Argentine buses - either on the bus, airline-style (only the quality of the food is unbelievably worse than airplane food), or in a special restaurant run by the bus company where they herd you to sit at together at tables decorated with fake flowers and linens and serve you substantially better food. From random bus passengers to dinner companions in 30 seconds! Met two mechanical engineering students from BA traveling to stay with a friend in El Dorado, a small non-tursity town just before Iguazu.
In fact, there were many stops before our final destination, and at one point, I asked two guys who were reputedly speaking English where we were. Turns out these two Brits were more lost (and less fluent) than I, so I went on a scouting mission and discovered we still had another stop to go. I continued chatting with Frank and Peter from London until we arrived in Puerto Iguazu. They are in their forties, but somehow at the same stage of life as me. Fleeing stressful, unsatisfactory careers, not sure what is next; single and not sold on marriage, but wanting children in the long run. Frank has been traveling since April! At the bus station, they sought out a hostel (unlike me, they had not made any reservations). I found my hostel, Iguazu Falls Inn, which was pleasant enough with a pool, outdoor patio, soft bed and pillow, but had an extreme party atmosphere, with 18 year olds frollicking to the non-stop hip hop beat played by the staff.
I had lunch at El Charo, a very good and cheap grill, and my waiter was a little overeager. After I finished the choripan (sausage on a bun), Alexandro introduced himself, told me he had a moto, and offered to take me for a ride sometime. Apparently he gets off work at 5 pm everyday and has to be back by 8:30 pm. I told him thanks, I would think about it. Questions running through my head were - is it safe? Does he have a helmet? What is implied/expected? How many foreign girls receive this invitation each week? The consensus at my hostel was that I should take him up on it. I might have, but in the end, I become too sick to even consider it.
But my sore throat didn’t stop me from a lovely, exhausting day of thoroughly exploring Parque Iguazú with Peter and Frank from the bus. Together we discovered the magnitute of the falls; the most impressive thing is how far they stretch in the distance. I also loved the tropical setting – it reminded me so much of Jurassic Park that I expected a velociraptor to poke its head out from behind a palm and say, “¡Hola!”
La Garganta del Diablo, Iguazú Falls
The falls stretch for kilometers
In fact, it was so hot and muggy that we each paid $75 pesos for a 10-minute boat ride to be doused under the falls. The water hit us like a fire hose – it was impossible to keep our eyes open, but I did hear Peter exclaim that he forgot about his cell phone and wallet in his pants pocket. Oops!
$75 peso boat ride to get soaked under the falls, a welcome respite from the Jurassic Park-like climate
Can you see the boats? Wheeee!
Soaking wet, we then took a Disneyland-ish train to the biggest waterfall, La Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s Throat). While we waited in line for the train’s arrival, Peter explained that the British are the best queuers in the world and that they should design a global queueing competition. The judging would be based on form, patience, orderliness, space given to other queuers, and of course, style. An extra level of difficulty would involve reading a broadsheet. He imagined that the Brits would win for the first two years, and then the Americans would develop some unfair technology (extra stiff broadsheets), take steroids, and win from then on. ;)
My friend Constance from language school in BA told me her favorite part of Iguazu was a nearly deserted hiking trail that led to a small, isolated waterfall where you could swim. After the hordes of people on the main trails to the falls, I was really looking forward to hiking this trail – until the park rangers told us it was closed for maintenance! We decided to ignore this warning and sneak onto the trail. I’m really bad at breaking the rules (very conspicuous), but luckily I had partners in crime. The hike was a wonderful escape from all the people, and we only had one run-in with park mainentance workers at the waterfall lookout – fast asleep!! We managed to splash around in the waterfall and leave without waking them.
One thing I love about solo travel is chance meetings with random people and making new friends from all over the world. We also had dinner and drinks that night, and discussed healthcare systems, volleyball vs. rugby, drinks of choice, good vs. bad managers, Argentine drivers, and a recent poll that discovered England´s “favorite national dish” is chicken tiki masala.
Frank and Peter, two London chaps I met on the bus from BA who shared my adventures at the falls
Random Observation
After more than a month of travel in Argentina, I haven’t met a soul from Seattle or Washington state. ! I’ve met hundreds from California, several from New York, one from Chicago, one from Minneapolis, and one from Ohio.
A joy to get away from the city! I took an 18-hour bus overnight Monday to Puerto Iguazu - my first opportunity to see some of the country outside the hub. I sat on the top-level of a very comfy first-class coach, and startled myself when I realized we were towering over semi-truck drivers on the highway. The marathon of violent movies dubbed in Spanish began before we left the city, and I got to practice my español (always looking at the bright side!).
I have learned that meals are served two ways on Argentine buses - either on the bus, airline-style (only the quality of the food is unbelievably worse than airplane food), or in a special restaurant run by the bus company where they herd you to sit at together at tables decorated with fake flowers and linens and serve you substantially better food. From random bus passengers to dinner companions in 30 seconds! Met two mechanical engineering students from BA traveling to stay with a friend in El Dorado, a small non-tursity town just before Iguazu.
In fact, there were many stops before our final destination, and at one point, I asked two guys who were reputedly speaking English where we were. Turns out these two Brits were more lost (and less fluent) than I, so I went on a scouting mission and discovered we still had another stop to go. I continued chatting with Frank and Peter from London until we arrived in Puerto Iguazu. They are in their forties, but somehow at the same stage of life as me. Fleeing stressful, unsatisfactory careers, not sure what is next; single and not sold on marriage, but wanting children in the long run. Frank has been traveling since April! At the bus station, they sought out a hostel (unlike me, they had not made any reservations). I found my hostel, Iguazu Falls Inn, which was pleasant enough with a pool, outdoor patio, soft bed and pillow, but had an extreme party atmosphere, with 18 year olds frollicking to the non-stop hip hop beat played by the staff.
I had lunch at El Charo, a very good and cheap grill, and my waiter was a little overeager. After I finished the choripan (sausage on a bun), Alexandro introduced himself, told me he had a moto, and offered to take me for a ride sometime. Apparently he gets off work at 5 pm everyday and has to be back by 8:30 pm. I told him thanks, I would think about it. Questions running through my head were - is it safe? Does he have a helmet? What is implied/expected? How many foreign girls receive this invitation each week? The consensus at my hostel was that I should take him up on it. I might have, but in the end, I become too sick to even consider it.
But my sore throat didn’t stop me from a lovely, exhausting day of thoroughly exploring Parque Iguazú with Peter and Frank from the bus. Together we discovered the magnitute of the falls; the most impressive thing is how far they stretch in the distance. I also loved the tropical setting – it reminded me so much of Jurassic Park that I expected a velociraptor to poke its head out from behind a palm and say, “¡Hola!”
La Garganta del Diablo, Iguazú Falls
The falls stretch for kilometers
In fact, it was so hot and muggy that we each paid $75 pesos for a 10-minute boat ride to be doused under the falls. The water hit us like a fire hose – it was impossible to keep our eyes open, but I did hear Peter exclaim that he forgot about his cell phone and wallet in his pants pocket. Oops!
$75 peso boat ride to get soaked under the falls, a welcome respite from the Jurassic Park-like climate
Can you see the boats? Wheeee!
Soaking wet, we then took a Disneyland-ish train to the biggest waterfall, La Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s Throat). While we waited in line for the train’s arrival, Peter explained that the British are the best queuers in the world and that they should design a global queueing competition. The judging would be based on form, patience, orderliness, space given to other queuers, and of course, style. An extra level of difficulty would involve reading a broadsheet. He imagined that the Brits would win for the first two years, and then the Americans would develop some unfair technology (extra stiff broadsheets), take steroids, and win from then on. ;)
My friend Constance from language school in BA told me her favorite part of Iguazu was a nearly deserted hiking trail that led to a small, isolated waterfall where you could swim. After the hordes of people on the main trails to the falls, I was really looking forward to hiking this trail – until the park rangers told us it was closed for maintenance! We decided to ignore this warning and sneak onto the trail. I’m really bad at breaking the rules (very conspicuous), but luckily I had partners in crime. The hike was a wonderful escape from all the people, and we only had one run-in with park mainentance workers at the waterfall lookout – fast asleep!! We managed to splash around in the waterfall and leave without waking them.
One thing I love about solo travel is chance meetings with random people and making new friends from all over the world. We also had dinner and drinks that night, and discussed healthcare systems, volleyball vs. rugby, drinks of choice, good vs. bad managers, Argentine drivers, and a recent poll that discovered England´s “favorite national dish” is chicken tiki masala.
Frank and Peter, two London chaps I met on the bus from BA who shared my adventures at the falls
Random Observation
After more than a month of travel in Argentina, I haven’t met a soul from Seattle or Washington state. ! I’ve met hundreds from California, several from New York, one from Chicago, one from Minneapolis, and one from Ohio.
Reasons Seattle is famous to foreigners (in order of mentions):
- Rain
- Nirvana/Grunge
- Starbucks
- Proximity to Vancouver, Canada (?!)
- Bill Gates/Microsoft
- Boeing
- Grey’s Anatomy
- Jimmy Hendrix
Zip-lining in the jungle after a sleepless, violently sick night (I look a little pathetic!)
Zip-lining? Check. Now it's time to rapell down this waterfall.
I hate heights!
But I did it!
It looks like such an amazing adventure. I wish I was sharing it with you. I am also afraid of heights though so we might have made a silly team.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Barbara
I can't believe you went zip lining and rapelling after being sick! you are amazing. and I know you and heights!!
ReplyDelete