Subject: Las cataratas del Iguazu y rio Iguazu son maravillosos!!!
Date: Sat, February 13, 2010 9:54:44 PM
Buenos dias,
I'm in Iguazu National Park, Argentina this weekend. It's another UNESCO world heritage site (I want to go to all of them now!) and everything I had ever heard, seen, or read about these waterfalls is absolutely true! These falls put Niagara to shame... and now I can't wait until I see Victoria Falls too!! I think this is my blessing and my curse -- the more I see, the more I yearn for... the more I want to see!
Before I get to the falls themselves, I want to write a note to all you Californians out there... The Sierra Nevadas have fresh snowfall from last week, and Southwestern Utah is GORGEOUS!!! If you've never been to Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks in the winter, NOW is the time to go! My flight was from San Francisco-Dallas-Buenos Aires international airport-Buenos Aires domestic airport-Iguazu. The SFO-DFW flight goes directly over Bryce Canyon and although I was sitting on the "wrong" side of the plane to see the canyon this time, I recognized the town of Panguitch, UT and Hwy 89 (and "good ole I-15") -- and later the Colorado River and Lake Powell... so I could trace the flight path mentally in my head... The white snow on the red rocks looks magnificent right now. So if you've got the time, take advantage of this long weekend and drive out there! :)
My connection time in Buenos Aires was scheduled to be the minimum required 3 hours, but the DFW-EZE flight was about 1/2 hour late, then the line through immigration took another 1/2 hour (and $130 USD "reciprocal fee"). Fortunately I stopped at the information counter and asked where to take the bus to the domestic terminal (even though I kind of remembered where the buses depart from -- from my last visit here). The lady behind the counter asked me what time is my domestic flight, and I replied "a las doce" (12:00pm -- the few Spanish words I remember). She said there's not enough time to take the bus because it goes through the city first before going to the domestic airport. I'd have to take the taxi which would be faster but more expensive. "Faster" is good, but I don't like "more expensive", especially after just shelling out ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY BUCKS for "political reasons". Oh well. I went to the pre-paid taxi counter and coughed up another 115 pesos (approx. $30 USD) for the 45-minutes ride to "Airoparque Jorge Newbery" (the domestic airport). This bypassed the city and reached the airport at 10:30am, and I checked in for my flight to Iguazu.
The plane was almost 1 hour late (I could have taken the bus!!!) -- but this gave me time to go celebrate "International Pie For Breakfast Day".
After landing in Iguazu it was another pre-paid cab ride (70 pesos = $18) to my hotel inside the national park. There's only one hotel THIS CLOSE to the falls and it's a Sheraton. :) When I checked in, I got upgraded to a "falls view room" ... :) FINALLY, SOMETHING FOR FREE!!! (sort of)
My room has a view of about the top 1/10th of about 1/10th the length of the waterfalls. Oh yeah, and the mist rising up.
All of the above was from noon California time till 3:00pm Iguazu time. It's now almost 10pm Iguazu time, and these past 7 hours have enough in them for another email... stay tuned. I'll go through my pictures first and then send that email.
Until then... adios,
-yo.
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| Contents | Feb 13 |