IGUAZU, un maravioso del mundo.

November 8, 2010

There were nice cumilus clouds Saturday when I was at the falls.

There was a Canadian couple aged around fifty Staying at the Hostel Iguazu, the days I's there, who had planned a cycle-tour of South America but a while back she came off a motorbike breaking her collarbone. I myself broke a collarbone two years ago so I could understand the pain and worry. The surgeon handling her case decided not to put a support plate in instead leaving the bone to nit together itself. I didn't get mine plated either and six weeks after the break the nerve became trapped in the shoulder and I lost the use of the arm on that side. I had to return to hospital where they ran many tests to see what could be done. Eventually after a month off work the sensation gradually came back. The Canadian woman was feeling numbness in the arm too. They were now forced to travel by bus when they'd originally wanted to cycle.

On Friday morning it was raining heavily and remained wet all day. Is feeling lethargic, not feeling like doing anything at all so on Saturday I thought I better get my act together. Originally, I'd thought to take a bus to the waterfalls but then thought it better to cycle as it would liven me up and get rid of the cobwebs.

Not alot of life in that department today.

With the inflow of people from all over the world to see the waterfalls, the city of Puerto Iguazu is full of hotels and restaurants, infact the only industry here is tourism. The buses come constantly full of people and there are many excursion companies running trips to the waterfalls both on this side and across the nearby border on the Brazilian side of the river. Some of the companies do tours to Paraguay, a stone's throw away, as the location is the place where three countries meet, Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.

It's roughly 18km to the falls from town. The road is excellent except for one factor, it lacks a shoulder. One would think that the enlighten people in planning would build a cycle-lane and promote cycle hire and environmentally friendly transport to the park but no they're perhaps old with nineteen-fifties attitudes like cars are fantastic things altogether and in any case probably think 18 Ks too far to cycle.

Luckily most cars gave me room however. At one point there was no traffic for a while then suddenly came a whole convoy of buses and cars. It was apparent that there was some type of road block ahead. Sure enough there was a big long quene of cars and buses on either side of a police vehicle and personal stood on the road holding up traffic. They waved me on when I got that far. I couldn't say exactly what was going on but it looked to be an old car abandoned on the verge which they needed to stop the traffic in order to get a tow-truck in to tow it away.

The whole area is of coarse a National Park. Is here before a few year ago. I wasn't too impressed with the waterfalls that time despite the enormity of them as I compared them with the waterfalls I've seen in Iceland where the constant thundering sound of the swift flow glacier rivers crashing down are amplified being located where they are in cold sub arctic desert which is normally silence because few things live there. There's no vegetation just lava-fields and sands. Here on the other-hand there's a whole world of differents. It's thick jungle full of birdsong. The thick canover of vegetation I think absolve from afar the wonderful thundering sound of the water.

People taking photos. SURE and why wouldn't they.

Before I knew it it had made off with my lunch.

Cabeza de vaca, Cowhead was ere, commemorating the conquistador that discovered the falls in 1541 in search of a way from the Andean highlands to the river plate and the Atlantic.

The butterflies are attracted to salt in the mud.

La garanta del diablo. The devils troat.

No pasar. No entry. The Sheridan hotel Iguazu where I didn't stay.

Sunday afternoon Asado (BQ)It's Argentina!

The first morning at breakfast in Hostal Iguazu I heard a loud voice which I thought to be a TV with the volume turned up very loud. But it was actually sounding to be out in the street, so I thought it was one of those cars with a loudspeaker on the roof which is common here driving around advertising supermarkets. On listening carefully though, it wasn't that either. It was a Brazilian accent emanating from a man out in the garden on his Mobil. I especially craned my neck up from the coffee and media luna to see. Fatima, the lady that does the breakfast looked too and said 'loco, Brazilero'.

It was Marcus and he'd spend alot of time talking to his sister in Brazil every morning. He was a little mad. I shared a room with him and He said he was an evangelist minister. He would try to convert people in the hostel talking about the healing power of god.

I took advantage of the second day visit reduced rate for entering the park reduced from 85 to 45pesos or from 17 to 9 Euro. It was Sunday and there just were too many people. Furthermore it was stifling hot and to be stuck standing still in the open behind people clogged walkways wasn't fun. I was beginning to feel light headed and thought I's going to be sick. It was good to be back on the bike again with air circulation returning to town. I had something to arrange anyway namely move hostel.

Yes, it seems I out stayed my welcome at Hostel Iguazu. I didn't upset Marcus I don't think. Perhaps I drank too much coffee. It was rather annoying the way I found out too. I was up at six thirty, wrote up my diary, had breakfast and generally pottered around till nine when I'd everything ready for my second days visit to the park proceeding to push the bike out past reception. The guy who's usually there in the morning as usual was sat for most of that time drinking mate suddenly asked me 'oh, are you leaving now'. 'Yes, I'll be back this evening' I reply. 'Oh, we are fully booked' he continued. 'what' I say. He had been looking at me for two hours and just tells me now there isn't room tonight. I leave the bike in reception returning to the room and quickly collect all my stuff, making sure not to leave anything, in the big yellow Bob bag and take it down to storage. I, then ask could I leave my little notebook and cable in the security box on reception. 'No it's to big' he maintained. It was lucky though, there is another hostel just round the corner and there they'd room and I could leave my laptop for safe keeping at reception. It's a little dearer 55 pesos per night instead of 40 or 11 Euro instead of 8. The Hostels called Marcopolo and the clientele are young that like to party all the time but that doesn't worry me too much as it's a big place and it's possible to find a quiet place to up-date the journal or whatever.

Today's ride: 72 km (45 miles)
Total: 5,264 km (3,269 miles)

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