every walk is a sort of crusade
After some rockstar partying, serious bus rides, fantastic trips, awesome bottles of wine, and a delcious steak dinner, at 3:50am this morning our buzzer rang and a car took Molly away to the airport. She will be traveling around Bolivia for the next week and a half and will be stopping back in BA for one night before she flies back up to Canada. We miss her already.
So, since our bus was 2 hours late coming back from Iguazu, Drew had to wait outside our apartment for about 2 hours. But he is a good sport and we all managed to find each other.
Welcome, Drew!
Though it’s a day trip from Buenos Aires, if you ever have an opportunity to go see Iguazu Falls, DO IT.
The four of us arrived at Iguazu after a (not so bad) 18 hour ride to the Northeast part of the country along the Uruguayan and Brazilian border. The falls sit in a national park in between Argentina and Brazil. We stayed on the Argentine side in Puerto Iguazu (largely because crossing into Brazil costs US citizens $130.) We got to our hostel around 9am and (without even showering…gross) set out to catch the bus over to the falls.
Even though it’s technically late fall/early winter here, the weather in the rainforest at Iguazu was high 70s and humid. Sweaty. We took the bus ride to the site, which is a maze of metal bridges that take you over (like, literally, RIGHT over…or in some cases, under) the falls.
The rainforest is full of crazy flora and fauna, including an enormous variety of butterflies, which are EVERYWHERE. (Due to a lack of salt in the area, butterflies are attracted to the salt on your skin, so they fly around trying to land on you and lick your skin…which is weird.) With the mist from the falls obscuring the ground below the bridges, the weird coatis walking right up to you, the butterflies landing on you…the place is surreal.
The biggest falls in Iguazu is La Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s Throat). Words really can’t describe, so I won’t waste my time. It’s just something you have to see for yourself.
The next day we had a few hours before our bus left, so we walked to Las Tres Fronteras, a point where the Paraguayan, Brazilian, and Argentine borders meet over the Rio Iguazu and Rio Parana.
Our bus ride back was not quite as easy as the one there. But we made it back safe and sound (if a little tired) to find our next guest waiting for us at the front door.
For more pics of the trip to Iguazu (and the rest of our time here), visit here.
Dear Expreso Singer Bus Company,
Thank you for the cold congealed egg-quiche thing for dinner in both directions. It was delicious and almost made up for the fact that we got in 2 hours late. Also thank you for showing: Brigada Explosiva: Mision Pirata, Time Cop 2: The Berlin Decision, and The Shephard with Jean-Claude Van Damme. Fat old men ogling former porn stars while they chase around a person dressed up like a monkey is not only quality entertainment, but also super appropriate for the small children on board. On that note, discouraging families with multiple children under the age of 6 on trips exceeding 15 hours might not be a bad policy to consider. Also, the military personnel boarding the bus, searching through our bags, and waking up said children (and us) in the middle of the night–twice–seemed a little excessive. But again, the 2.5 hours of pre-pubescent vocals from La Banda Ruta 66 concert at full volume made up for any and all inconveniences.
P.S. Two thumbs up on the company motto (“Disintegrating an atom is easier than a prejudice”). Catchy.
Molly, Jesus, Paul, and I will be heading out to Iguazu Falls this afternoon until Thursday. It’s an 18 hour bus ride north to the Brazillian border, though the buses have “camas ejecutivo” (executive beds) which are basically huge lazy boy seats that fold completely flat. Apparantly they serve you food, wine, and have bingo games where you can play for alcohol. Will let you know how that goes.
Be back Thursday!
The national food. I was super excited to give it a try, since there was so much hype around it, and then was a little (but not really) disappointed when it turned out to be plain old caramel. (Because really, how disappointed can you be when you discover that you just landed in a city where it is considered completely normal to eat caramel straight out of the package with a spoon?)
Thank you to Paul for the really flattering picture.
It’s also a town, we’re going there later this month.
After being told that his passport was too damaged to be let out of the country at the airport (they finally let him through), a late departure (problems with the plane), a missed connecting flight, 24 hour layover in Texas, 9 hour wait in the Houston airport, Jesus arrived in Buenos Aires this morning…with strep throat. A trip to the pharmacy, hospital, a health clinic, and another pharmacy, and we are ready to roll.
Welcome Jesus!
As some of you probably know (and as every man, woman, child, and unborn infant in this city knows) the World Cup starts the week after next. This is a big deal for Argentina because:
This World Cup team has been dominating the news, with hours devoted to discussing what time the team bus is expected to arrive at the practice field, how many fans are there, goodies that the Argentinian football federation has sent to the team in South Africa, and what the team eats before and after games (mostly meat and dulce de leche, if you were wondering). There are 20 page inserts to the Saturday paper devoted solely to stories on the World Cup. Headlines like “The Road of Dreams” and “Cristiano (Ronaldo) Ready for Battle” (with a picture of Ronaldo in military fatigues, face paint, and perfectly coiffed hair…apparently the Portuguese National Team held a pump-up practice where they all dressed in fagtigues and Ronaldo was dropped onto the field from a military helicopter…seriously) abound.
This is going to be awesome.
Rambulatory Ambulatory 
