On to Igassu Falls - November 14, 2016

Early morning on our way to breakast. The question is, what is the woman in the photo doing? Maybe some form of oriental exercise? Actually she is breaking trail so to speak, using her best anti-spiderweb form. The rain forest requires one to move out of their normal comfort zone.



Just a couple of steps further she suddenly stopped. She stooped down and came up with this deceased cicadia in her hand. She won't touch raw meat, but thinks nothing of picking up a huge bug. Just another reason why man will never understand woman. Befuddled Bob.



Breakfast was a lonely affair this morning. But even so, it meant that all the food at the buffet was mine if I wanted, well, except for what Linda took. We are at Yacutinga Lodge and they say the food is gourmet regional cuisine. Whatever they called it, thes r were the best meals we had on the trip, and in the rain forest of all places.



Butterflies were everywhere this morning.



Linda works hard to take these photos. I know I posted a photo of this species a few days ago, but marital bliss oftentimes requires inconveniences for the male mate. Well Trained Bob.



On our walk yesterday morning, some orphan orchids that had fallen from the trees were picked up by our guide. Linda had spied an unusual one, which turned out to be an orchid and cactus whose roots were intertwined. This morning they were to be "planted". Planting meant attaching them to a tree trunk with a narrow piece of nylon stocking. Linda had fun planting her find.



Success. Over time the roots will grab onto the tree and they should live a happy and productive life. It may not look like the kind of orchid and cactus we are familiar with, but that is exactly what they are. Green Thumb Linda.



It was a cramped van leaving the lodge with luggage piled high and filling the aisle, plus every seat was occupied.



A wild papaya along the road. Birds, monkeys, coati and other creatures eat the fruit and then spread the seeds with a natural dose of fertiziler.



Lunch on the ride. Freshly made empenadas, something we are really going to miss. We both just love thee beef ones. Linda especially likes the fact they have pieces of egg white in the filling.



Linda saw a dirt mound in a tree. Luckily the van was stopped for the moment. It turned out to be the nest of the national bird of Argentina with the bird sticking it's head out to see who the paparazzi was.



He roads are of three kinds. The highways and major streets in towns are asphalt. They are very few. Another type of "paved" roads and parking lots are the ones paved witth the local volcanic rock which has a flat surface. Everything else is red dirt. Anything that moves has a reddish tint to it to varying degrees, footwear included.



Woman's restroom at a Shell service station we stopped at for a bano break. Linda couldn't get over how the toilet was at a right angle to how it should be. There was barely enough room for a lady to drop her dainties and perch on her throne. Banging her head on the wall was a coming going experience. The only thing Linda could figure out, was that maybe the door wouldn't have closed if the toilet was oriented in the normal direction. In the end we decided it was just another of the many head shaking mysteries we have enountered in Argentina where things just aren't the way we are accustomed to them being.



Plenty of room here. The purpose of the photo was to show the artistic nature of things in Argentina. Beyond the red and yellow Shell colors on the trim work in the men's retreat, the plastic dissipaters in the urinals were also Shell red. The Argentinians have out sophisticated the French. Art Critic Bob.



We finally made it to the falls. Let's get one thing clear right now. No photo can possibly do justice to the falls, simply because it is literally impossible to see all the falls from one location, they are so massive. There is only one thing that can be experienced everywhere, the sound of the water that never ceases. What follows today and tomorrow is a tiny glimpse at what is here. It truly is a, you need to experience it to appreciate it, kind of place.
Impressed Bob and Linda.



The other thing that is here is people, lots and lots of people. It is hard to imagine what it will be like in high season, come a few months. Most visitors are naturally from Argentina with Brazil second. Overseas visitors come mostly from the US, followed by Great Britain and Europe, though the Chinese have now discovered it and are starting to arrive ever increasing numbers. All the shops take Argentine pesos, Brazilian reales, US dollars and Euros.



Another small section of the falls.



Some sections have more water cascading over them than others.



Coati, they are everywhere. They are nasty wild scavengers that will steal the food right off your table. There are signs that show the terrible wounds they can inflict on your hand with their claws or teeth. The park approaches it as a people problem, not a Coati problem. They were here first and it is up to we humans to avoid them, not the other way around, where the park traps them and relocates them as in the US. Another country that runs their national parks right. And the facilities were also second to none. It's a shame our national parks are so poorly managed.



Taken at the moment we passed the border while the bus drove across a bridge between Brazil and Argentina. If you don't know which side is which, check out their flags.



Photo of a beautiful Brazilian babe in the lobby of our hotel. Maybe not technically corrrect, but she was in Brazil today and she is most definitely a "babe". Appreciative Bob.

Disclaimer: There are only so many photos of the falls I could post before they become meaningless. The best way to appreciate it is to visit it. For those who can't, more photos tomorrow as we spend the day up close and personal with the falls on the Argentine side. All of today's photos were taken from the Brazilian side.