Wild Things

I want to share with you a few of the really cool wild things I saw when I visted the Iguazu Falls a few weeks ago. First up we have the cute (maybe not-so-cute) coati that looks like a part raccoon, part opossum mix in my opinion.



I was minding my own business walking along a path near the waterfalls when I decided to munch on a banana. I peel my banana, take a big bite, and all of the sudden, in the flash of second, I am surrounded by coatis. They wanted some delicious banana and jumped up on the railing right next to where I was walking. I thought they were going to bite me. Eek.


Three guys from Europe also saw the coati and were scared too. Every time the coati crawled closer they took big steps backward all together. Haha. I couldn't help but laugh. City boys.


There were some pretty flashy neon orange mushrooms on a log in the woods.


Some gorgeous butterflies.


Lots of butterflies.


Lizards sunning themselves on rocks, trees, and trails.


And pretty birds. Bird watchers would be in bird-watching heaven.

Fellow Fulbrighter Run In

Did I mention that I happened to run into another Fulbrighter at the Iguazu Falls while I was there? It just so happened we were on the same trail at the same time on an island. Freaky. Stephen was kind enough to send me this photo we took with the Argentine flag. Awesome photo no? It has to be one of my favorites.


Later that evening we had dinner together--mmm spinach cannelones. A good day it was indeed.

Foz do Iguaçu

The Brazil side of the falls was perhaps not as large as the Argentine side, but the vistas were just as breath-taking. Foz do Iguacu is known for being the more panoramic side.
Unfortunately, I picked a rainy day to cross the border. A rainy Sunday to be more exact. And of course on Sundays the buses only run once every hour and lo and behold the bus dropped us off at the immigration office and drove away. Thanks for waiting for us. Thanks. It was just me, a girl from Ireland, and a guy from England waiting in the rain for the next bus that would come in hour to go to the bus station to catch another bus that would leave in another hour. Great. We eventually decided to all chip in for a taxi that would take us right to the falls. That was a smart decision that we probably should have made 20 minutes earlier.


All the hassle was definitely worth it. I ended up meeting a really cool person who had lived in Pennsylvania for some years and now works as a insurance investigator in Brazil. He was really interesting to talk to, and I think he wanted to practice his English so we ended up getting coffee, which led to a little tour of the city, which led to a scrumptious dinner at a soup buffet. I have found Brazilians to be very friendly people.


And Brazilian landscapes? Can't beat those.

Puerto Iguazu

The Iguazu falls were all I could have imagined them to be. Spectacular. I ended up spending more time there than I expected because I really enjoyed myself in the Puerto Iguazu.


The entrance fee to the park is a bit steep for foreigners, 60 pesos or about $20, but it was worth every penny. There are many trails you take to explore the falls, local wildlife, and nature.


On the Argentine side of the falls there are trails, the upper and lower circuits, the Macuco trail, a boat ride to San Martin Island, and a train ride to the "Devil's Throat." You really have to see it all and you can't really fit that all into one day. You need at least two at a minimum just at the falls, just on the Argentine side.


If I had to pick my favorite part, it would probably have to be the Garganta del Diablo (picture above) which was a train ride followed by a trek on catwalks over the river to see the largest part of the falls up close. Word of advice? Bring a rain coat and plastic bag for your camera whether it is raining or not. You'll thank me later.