Iguazu Falls

the bus system in argentina is nothing like i have ever experienced! and definitely not like greyhound in america. not only are the comforts of the double decker buses amazing, but its surprisingly affordable. i got myself a seat that lies out flat like a bed on the upper deck of the bus. the dinner wasn't bad, and i loved that the male attendant serving us offered whiskey or champagne afterwards. in broken spanish, i struck up a conversation with the man sitting next to me, whom i discovered turned out to be a documentarian. awesome! that definitely opened up the conversation even further, and i shared with him about going to brazil and justin's documentary on the amazon.

iguazu falls was incredible. the town of iguazu itself is very small, but to be in a different part of the amazon (i had been to the amazon when i visited peru in 2005), for me, was amazing in itself. the first day i got there, the weather was crap, so the entire day was shot. at the first hostel i stayed in, my roommate, an older argentinian man, was kind enough to share his mate with me. my first mate experience! i don't know if its something i would want to have all the time, but it was definitely flavorful and potent. it's like drinking grass. if you notice in the picture, he's wearing a shirt that says "silenzi." when i asked him about it, he said "oh, my son gave this to me as a gift! it means 'be quiet'." initially, i wondered why any son would give this to their father - but after spending a few hours with him, it was starting to make sense. the guy was a talker! i mean, he was a LOUD talker. as sweet as i found him to be, it was a bit too much for me to handle. he was a really nice man, though! on a more vulnerable note, i will say that in my first night in iguacu, i was definitely feeling an acute sense of loneliness. i don't know if it was b/c of the dreary weather, or the remote quietness of the hostel i was in (sans the nutty argentinian), but in one of the very few moments that i've traveled abroad, i definitely felt it that night. what's funny is that the next day, and thereon afterwards, i was fine! as much as i didn't enjoy experiencing that moment, what was good about it was that it really put me in a place where i HAD to commune with God. after being thrown off for the past few months by certain circumstances, i've been trying to get back into that place of sharing time with Him and just talking to Him, but it's been a struggle to get back into that rhythm of prayer and reading the Word. so i suppose in hindsight, it was a good thing after all =)

i spent the next day on the argentinian side of the falls, and the day after that hopped over to the brazilian side. here's the thing - it's not just one waterfall that exists there, like niagra falls, but it's one huge river/gorge like the grand canyon, where there are tons and tons of waterfalls! iguacu forms between the argentinian and brazilian borders, and you can walk throughout the park to visit these different waterfalls. one of the falls, the devil's mouth, was an experience that makes you feel incredibly puny as you stand over it while the roar of rushing water plunges into a misty opening that you can't even see the bottom of. if you can imagine, i definitely had myself a good giggle as i clung to my flimsy little raincoat, daring to get as close as i could to the waterfalls. ah! so refreshing! hmm...what else? i saw tons and tons of butterflies on the brazil side. i'd never seen so many different kinds, and so many of them! if you weren't careful of where you walked, you'd stepped on one on the ground. here'e a really neat one i found called an "88":

the bus ride back to buenos aires wasn't as exciting as the first time, but being able to see some of the countryside while it was still light was a definite plus.

gorgeous! i love this country!

argentina

so, i realize that i told people i would blog about my south american adventures while i was gone, but that never happened. in fact, internet and email wasn't something i had too much time for while i was on the move.

i arrived in buenos aires my first week out and it was fantastic. my first two days were a bit of blur b/c i was trying to get over a combo of jet lag and exhaustion from work. as beautiful as buenos aires was, i realized when i got there that the last thing i wanted to do was be in the middle of a huge city when i had just left a huge city. before i arrived, i had compiled a list of things that i wanted to see while i was in BA, like going to see eva peron's grave, but the only productive thing i found myself doing was going to the san telmo antiques market on sunday. since BA was just about to move into wintertime, the first two days there were cold and rainy. by the time i went out on sunday to the market, the weather couldn't have been more gorgeous and perfect for people watching! i loved seeing the distinguished old men in ascots and three piece suits, and the smartly dressed ladies selling their wares in stalls. there were buskers and artists selling handmade goods galore. i was even inspired to buy this photo from this artist:
gaston was a really cool cat and when he found out i worked in film, he got really excited and told me to come back in 20 minutes while he compiled a list of foreign films i HAD to watch. i was totally fascinated by the ease in which he puffed at his pipe, and the mate he had with him while we chatted. i think you can even see his mate gourd and his thermos of hot water in the picture =)

it was definitely my favorite day in BA and a good way to leave the city! but as wonderful as it all was, i was relieved to escape BA that night and get on my overnight bus to Iguazu Falls!