Puerto Iguazu & around, Argentina

Sunday Jan. 13, 2013
We arrive in Puerto Iguazu at 10am. We head to "Mango Tree Hostel & Bar" that is very close to the bus station (90 pesos = 18.15$ Can.), one of the staff tells us that we can easily go visit the Brazilian side of the waterfalls in the afternoon. There are many buses all day and even if, like me, you need a visa to go to Brazil, you won't need one just to go to the waterfalls. Round-trip bus to go to the Brazilian side is 60 pesos = 12.10$ Can. The entrance fees cost me 150 pesos = 30.25$ Can., because I did not have any Brazilian Reals and that their exchange rate was very bad for Argentinian pesos. The real price in Reals is of 41.10 Reals (the equivalent of 102 pesos = 20.57$ Can.)

Iguazu Falls, Brazilian side

Clicl on image to see the whole album "Iguazu Falls - Brazilian side"

Monday Jan. 14, 2013
We spend most of the day very relax at the hostel, in he pool. In the afternoon we decide to go take a walk up to the Hito (small tower at the corner of all three neighboring countries, Argentina - Brazil - Paraguay). Really not anything wonderful but pretty cool to see the corners of three countries only separated by two crossing rivers. The walk was quite agonizing because it is so very hot and once we got back at the hostel it was pool time again. The evening is pretty much the same as the day before, which is drinking with people met there and some of the staff.

Hito Argentine

Hito Brazil

Hito Paraguay

The three flags united

Parana River, that splits the three countries

Tuesday Jan. 15, 2013
I leave with two friends at 7:40 am to get to the Iguazu National Park on Argentina side. The entrance to the park is 130 pesos = 26.22$ Can. Round-trip for the bus is 60 pesos = 12.10$ Can. We walk around just about everywhere on the catwalks of the park to see the falls from every angle possible. An incredible landscape that was definitely worth the detour up to here. I regret a bit of not doing the boat ride that goes strait into the waterfall because many have told me afterwards that it was very cool, oh well one less experience. We leave the park around 2pm and go back to the hostel to relax. It is still extremely hot so once again the pool is very welcoming.

First view on the falls of the day

Everlasting Rainbow

Coati, be careful they are food snatchers.

They stole two empanadas in a paper bag from me.

Wednesday Jan. 16, 2013
Big day of being lazy. The only thing I really do on this day is to go to the Paraguay Embassy to get some info and make a demand for my travel Visa. Spend the afternoon around the pool and in the evening another few drinks with the guys. My friend Renee left today going to Brazil, but my friend Susanne got here, she is coming back from Paraguay so I'll still have company for the next few days.

The falls can be seen from above and under

Garganta del Diablo (the biggest part of the waterfalls)

Thursday Jan. 17, 2013
At 2pm we leave for a small organized tour to go do some zip-lining and rappelling. Only three stretches of zip-lining but a very cool experience none the less, but I would have loved it to last a bit longer. For the rappelling part, we go down a small cliff into a waterfall assisted by the guides. I really liked the small tour, but I would have loved it to be somewhat longer on both activities, but it was awesome anyways for a first experience doing both things. The price of the tour was 275 pesos = 55.46$ Can. with the company "Iguazu Forest". Back at the hostel around 6:30pm and it is pool time once more. If you ever go to the hostel "Mango Tree", be aware that they make BBQ every night and you can have steaks (2-3 inches thick), fish (very big) and hamburgers (enormous), that are all very god. Evening with drinks again.

Zip-lining

Rappelling

Steaks and fish on the grill

Friday Jan. 18, 2013
I get up early to go get my travel visa for Paraguay. The cost of the visa itself is 65$ US, but I also had to pay in US$ and the exchange rate that the "casa de cambio" was offering me was ridiculous. It would have cost me 102$ Can. to get 65$ US. So I ended up asking one of the guys at the hostel if he would sell me some US$, he accepted at a much more reasonable rate. I got 65$ US for 80$ Can. instead of 102$, so my visa that is 65$ ended costing me 80$, but in Argentina exchange rates are very bad. I spend most of the rest of the day at the hostel and once again it is very warm and spend my time in and out of the pool, I also got a pretty good sunburn too :)

Saturday Jan. 19, 2013
In the morning we go the the animal shelter "Guira Oga" (75 pesos = 15.12$ Can.), for a guided tour (no option on that). Seen some very nice animals, if you have not had the chance to see much in the surrounding forest. Spend the afternoon at the hostel and we go take a walk in the evening before coming back for the BBQ at 9pm. It is really the last evening me and my friend Susanne spend together, she will be leaving for Brazil before going back home to Switzerland. We have a few drinks, I end up staying up late having drinks with the guys and go to bed at 2:30am, to get up late the next morning and miss my bus at 7:45am :)

Click on image to see the whole album "Puerto Iguazu & around"

Toucan

Cayman

Capibara (worlds biggest rodent)

This is the end of my adventure in Argentina, there is so many places I did not have a chance to go and see. Maybe I will come back one day to see more of this wonderful country.