We spent the morning and early afternoon taking panoramic pictures of the falls from the Brazilian side and trying to keep our cameras out of the punishing non-stop rain. Finally about noon, the driver took us to a Brazilian restaurant and then it was back into Argentina. However, on the way back in, the border attendant noticed that one of the girls had an expired ID card. (There were four of us from work on the trip.) She wouldn't let us BACK into the country! It was still pouring rain, and we were soaked to the bone, trying to warm up in the car, when she told us all to get out of the car and follow the officer. We did. He looked at the cards and said, "Wait here please!" in the pouring rain. We waited, huddled together.
Finally, he came back and said, "There's a mistake. I'll be right back."
We moved so we were under the overhang and slightly out of the wind, while he went and did some more checking. We nervously waited, some more! Soon he came back and said, "It's not expired. She made a mistake. You're free to go. Your taxi is there." He pointed us to the taxi, and we grabbed our cards before he could change his mind!
We splashed through the deep puddles back to the taxi and made it back to the hostel at 2pm, just in time to make our 3pm bus back to the city. We arrived in Buenos Aires on Monday morning at about 9am.
All in all, it was a great trip. And one I'd repeat if anyone wants to visit!
The only wet we got on the Brazil side, was from the continually falling rain!
Behind me is the Devil's Throat. I wish I had this view, without me in the middle! Oh well, gotta save something for next time! By the way, behind my head is a viewing platform on the Argentine side. We ran out of time to go there and do that. Also saving that for next time!And finally, here's a look at the calm before the storm. The water is so slow-moving and peaceful, you would never know your impending doom. Unless, of course, you were observant enough to notice the spray.
The day after we went to the Argentine side of the falls, we took our National Identification from Argentina (DNI) and crossed to the Brazilian side. If you have a US passport, they may or may not let you cross. Officially, you're supposed to have a $100+ Brazilian visa to cross. But this may or may not be enforced, depending on how the border official is feeling. In any case, we didn't have our passports. We only took our DNI's and crossed. Then we got these beautiful panoramic views. On the Argentine side, you get closer to the action. You can experience it up close and personal (ie. get wet)!
Here's the Devil's Throat.
The funniest part of our trip to the falls was not the falls themselves. It was what happened in the boat.
As I was in the back screaming for more water, more time under the falls, my friends were trying to shut me up. In fact, after one particularly good dunking, the girl sitting in front of me turned her face to the side, and I saw her face was covered with suds and she was laughing and crying at the same time. She'd been wearing a cloth on her head, which she removed and was trying to wring out.
It turned out that her bag of toiletries had leaked onto the head covering. The liquid soap had saturated the cloth, and then dried, so she didn't really noticed. When we went under the spray, the water turned the dried soap to suds and she was getting an unintentional and unappreciated hair and face washing.
May 25 is Memorial Day in the US, and here in Buenos Aires, it is Revolution Day. As such, we had the day off. So four of us boarded a bus on Friday night to Iguazu Falls. The trip is long, but the bus was very comfortable and our seats reclined 180 degrees, so I had a good 10 hours of sleep or so. We arrived around 1pm in Iguazu and found our way to Timbo Iguazu where we were staying. It was recommended to us by fellow teachers. While it's inexpensive and fine for backpackers on a budget, I didn't find it spectacular. Anyway, we took a cab to the falls. At 70 pesos for a 20 minute ride, it was expensive. Especially compared to the bus which was 5 pesos. But we couldn't find the bus stop. Anyway, we arrived at the falls around 3pm. We paid our 20 pesos (60 pesos for foreigners) and went in. We boarded a boat which took us down the river, through whitewater rapids, and to the falls.
The falls were something to behold. The amount of water that falls over them every day is enough to supply water to the city of London for a year. The falls are three times bigger than Niagra Falls in New York. Not in height but in length. Here's a small section.
See that spray off to the left? Yeah, right there. The boatmen took us under the falls right there. They also took us under this section as well. Needless to say, by the end of it, we were soaked. But I was cheering for more.We did not, however, go into this section of the falls. This is the Devil's Throat, or "Gargantua del Diablo". Yeah, they don't take you in there. Cowards! :-)
I'm going to be out and about for the next few weeks so my postings will be completely sporatic, but here's a video from my recent trip to Iguazu Falls. More about the trip later!
One of my friends said, "I learn Spanish one mistake at a time."
So I feel it is my duty to provide your laugh of the day. I was at the hairdresser the other day and the subject of my sister-in-law came up. She's pregnant. But I couldn't remember how to say "She's having a baby". So I said, "My cunada esta haciendo un bebe." (Direct translation is "My sister-in-law is making a baby.") The hairdresser and his male client laughed at me, and the hairdresser said, "No, honey, you want to say 'Ella esta embarrasada.'" That's "She's pregnant." I was embarassed, and quickly corrected myself and went out of the shop.
So five minutes ago, I was telling this story to my friends and they started to laugh uncontrollably. I said, "I know that was funny, but..." They were laughing so hard they could hardly breathe enough to explain that what I had ACTUALLY said was "She is in the act of making a baby". In other words, she's....oh, nevermind. Just laugh!
And finally, here's a look at the calm before the storm. The water is so slow-moving and peaceful, you would never know your impending doom. 
Unless, of course, you were observant enough to notice the spray.
On the Argentine side, you get closer to the action. You can experience it up close and personal (ie. get wet)!
Here's the Devil's Throat.
The falls were something to behold. The amount of water that falls over them every day is enough to supply water to the city of London for a year. The falls are three times bigger than Niagra Falls in New York. Not in height but in length. Here's a small section. 
Yeah, right there. The boatmen took us under the falls right there. 
They also took us under this section as well. Needless to say, by the end of it, we were soaked. But I was cheering for more.
We did not, however, go into this section of the falls. 
This is the Devil's Throat, or "Gargantua del Diablo". Yeah, they don't take you in there. Cowards! :-)
