Argentina Parte Dos

The second half of my jaunt to the land of Evita, tango and las Pampas, took me to Iguazu. Now raise your hand if you’ve even heard of Iguazu Falls. Yeah, I thought so… I, on the other hand, have sort of always wanted to go to the small town and its Falls that straddle the Argentinean and Brazilian borders. You see, I first learned of this mythic site when I began studying Spanish in the 6th grade. OK, but enough about me and my precocious ways, let’s get to me and my travel pics!

The town of Iguazu is tucked into a northeast extension of Argentina in the province of Missiones. It is about a three-hour jumper flight from B.A. and a 12 plus hours drive from the capital city. The only thing to do in this tiney tiny town is see the famous Falls and chillax at one of three hotels. Not ones to be chained to the inside, we took a stroll around the main Plaza area and stopped for a liter of Quilmes, the cerveza nacional.

We also hit up this cultural reserve place called the Aripuca. Admittedly, we thought it was going to be a handicraft center and in some respects it was (even still we scored big on bangles made from horn and fantastic wooden bowls), but the property is owned, preserved and operated by the same family for more than four generations. The entrance is this ginormous tree that dates back a bazillion and one years. And then there is an oversized construction of an aripuca. The aripuca is a primitive trap that was used by the native people in the area to catch food and whatnot. That woman with the small one is the head of the fam. And that’s my pal Daniel in front of the life-size one. Check out his smokin’ leather jacket that he bought in B.A.

Here I am inside the behemoth Aripuca with Juanito, our guide who has a serious crush on Norah Jones. Notice my cashmere leg warmers—totally toasty and virtually weightless. And I’ve transformed my scarf into a wrap for more warmth. *Remember: The seasons are inversed in the Southern Hemisphere. Translation: They celebrate Christmas in the hottest month!

As aforementioned, the biggest—and really—only draw to the area is The Falls. The Iguazu Falls (and town) take the name from the Guarani (indigenous folks to this region) works y, which means water, and ûasú that means big. And, um, lemme tell you—that name is right on the money! The Iguazu Falls are the second highest in the world (Victoria Falls in Africa are the tallest). But in terms of volume, they are the largest. In fact the biggest/tallest/most unbelievable area of the falls, called the Devil’s Throat, drops more than 35,000 cubic centimeters of water per second. [Writer note: Translation? Tons ‘o agua!!!]

C’est moi with Daniel at Devil’s Throat. Truth be told, I was not very impressed with the National Park of Iguazu at first. The entrance was super touristy and there were all of these overpaved roads and walkways that crisscorssed this “natural area.” Then when we came upon the Devil’s Throat (and first of the Falls that we encountered), my face literally dropped. I have never seen such a spectacular natural phenom. To-ta-lly awe-shume. On a side note, I realize this is another totally unflattering shot (not to mention that ridic outfit of two hoodies, although I looove that bball cap)—but, my dear fellow brides-to-be—I was battling a fever and a monster zit.

It is rumored that when Eleanor Roosevelt saw Iguazu she exclaimed “Poor Niagara.” And I would bet all the tea in India that every other American visitor has a similar reaction. Even if you see the smaller Falls first, it is completely breathtaking. There are rainbows everywhere. As someone who looked forward to the yearly televised event of The Wizard of Oz, I get wicked stoked every time I see a rainbow.

The highlight of our trip to Iguazu was a boat trip under the Falls. Yeah, see that? We went under there in a little tiny speedboat, just like that one, which was in front of us.

It was totally exhilirating. And a lot like riding a flume ride without the big drops. They make you wear all this waterproof stuff (which b-t-dubs totes doesn’t help you stay dry) and the safety equipment. It is crazy! Even as I was fighting the fever, I still felt like this was one of the coolest things evs. I mean at one point we sped through a rainbow that was a full circle. A-maz-ing.

Posted by Jenna at 10:33 a.m.