Iguazu was absolutely awesome. I think it´s the only thing in South America that has exceeded my expectations. Maybe that and Pablo Neruda´s house at Isla Negra. There are things that have met my expectations, and I heard this would be pretty awesome and it is that and more, if more is possible.
First of all, the name of my hostel was Timbas Hostel y Posada, not Tombas as I incorrectly noted below. I told the guy who runs it, Diego, I would give it a good report on my blog, and I definitely recommend it if you happen to go that way. It´s down the hill from the bus station in Puerto Iguazu. A pretty great hostel, ranks right up there with the really awesome one I stayed at in Santiago once. 35 pesos (about $8) for a dorm bed (45 pesos with breakfast), but the dorm room was only about half full, and it´s the best sleep I´ve ever gotten in a dorm hostel room, but I did use a night mask and ear plugs. They had a kitchen where I cooked a bunch of pasta for myself. There were some Argentines from Ushaia in there who were cooking up a regular 3 course meal, and shared their appetizer. The other guests were really nice and friendly, and Diego was super helpful, like when I needed saran wrap to store my leftover pasta and letting me back into the hostel after I checked out to eat my leftover pasta and holding my stuff for me in a locker.
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I inadvertently got up late because I didn´t realize that there was a time change between Paraguay and Argentina, but I caught a bus to the falls just as it was leaving so I only got there a half hour after opening. I walked along a nature trail to the second train station (there is a small Disneyland style train that runs throughout the park), and found out that the next train wasn´t coming for 30 minutes and it was only 2K to Garganta del Diablo, the biggest, or at least most powerful waterfall, so I walked, which worked out great because I only had to share Garganta with about 10 people, not a trainload. I met the trainload coming back. The falls are really, really impressive. I´ve never been to Niagara, but I did remember Eleanor Roosevelt´s ´poor Niagara´ comment. There were a bunch of vultures circuling above all the big falls, I don´t know if they dive in and grab ´food¨ that accidently falls in.
Iguazu is really a series of waterfalls instead of just one, and is located in a really cool subtropical environment. I felt like I was in a Frederic Edwin Church painting the whole time (if you don´t know who he is, check him out, he´s awesome). I took a raft with some Italians down a lazy side river and got to see caimans, cormorants, toucans, turtles, and `patos reales` (literally `royal ducks` that are much larger). I´m not sure it was worth the 50 pesos extra for the Paseo Ecologico boat ride, but it fulfilled my dreams of boating through a jungle with vines overhead.
I would definitely recommend skipping the higher Cataracts trail (Sendero Superior) if you are short on time, since that trail leads you to the top of the waterfalls. Go to at least one for the awesome drop off, but you get to actually see the falls from the Sendero Inferior, or the lower trail. Then take the free boat to Isla Martin to get close up views of the falls and take a dip in the river below the falls. The water was too cold for me, but if you are like most people and like swimming in cold water when it´s hot, you would really like it.
Words can´t really describe it. I´ll hopefully post pictures later this week.
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