Foz and the falls

figs growing out of the trunk

We already knew a Brazilian hour was normally 3, but we hadnt quite applied it to bus connections. The second bus to Foz we were told would depart at 10.30pm, but it transpired this meant 1am, bugger! Found a bar and watched the local youth hanging out on bikes like a cool, modern day red hand gang. All the kids play out late as its the only time the temperature is pleasant. The girls get croggies on the back wheel axle pegs, older kids on a phutter of mopeds , looks like a fun place to be young. We like the feel of Brazil already, sweet music too.

15 hours later........

Camping again, under a mango tree, too hot for it really but we have the essential pool and its a decent size. The campsite is lush: surrounded by a catus fence & fig trees, with houseplants growing up them! Different kinds of orchids grow on some of the trunks, one we are lucky to see as it only flowers for 2 weeks in the year. Many of the trees here are painted white round the bottom of the trunks, to protect from flood or insects? anyone know why this is?


Orchid ..................................Cheeseplant doing what it should

Tree near the zoo

The site is lovingly cared for by a loud German lady, lots of Germans in this part of Brazil & we wonder if they are descendants of war criminals as Paraguay (just over the bridge) was famous for being a nazi hideout just after the war.

Our first shopping trip is thwarted by us discovering its Sunday, this keeps happening. Its way too hot to be a mad dog in this town and we stagger back to the safty of camp via a stop off at the petrol station for a beer. Yes drivers can take a break here (if tried) and have a beer & fag under a parasol next to the pumps before safley continuing their journey.

Back at camp a pool party is in progress with all the teenagers of town present (well over 100 of them!). This seems to be the way in South America and we did have it to ourselves for the morning so C`est la vie! Dave tries to have a swim but finds there is acually too many people in the water to do more than 2 strokes, so we drink in the shade and watch them frolock.

Top tip: Fresh pinapple juice frozen into a lolly is the business on a baking day.


our new neighborhood


the last breakfast?

The earth here is so red, it seeps up all the trucks & walls, & makes sunsets sublimely golden.


To the falls...

All public buses have these very badly designed small turnstyles near the driver that you have to pass infants and luggage over the top of. Quite ridiculous when the bus we were on was also heading to the airport. The 2nd shuttle bus into the park sped through the dense canopy "Dont feed the Racoons they could have rabies, have a nice day!" a pleasant voice over concluded.


the rabid marsupial


millie

After a cool & quiet walk to the first sight of the falls we couldnt help but feel a little disappointed, although it was indeed beautiful we were expecting something grander with a larger volume of water. Eleanor Roosavelt had aparently said "poor Niagra" on seeing Iguazu. We knew there hadnt been much in the way of rain so assumed she had come in a wetter season.


our first view

We walked on round the canopy covered path and suddenly a view appeared that made us catch our breath. Previously we had only been looking at a small part of the falls and the daddy was now in sight.

At last a propper context for the word awesome!


The grandest thing we have ever seen.

30 rivers converge on the plain above and 275 falls cascade down for about 80 meters. Peak flow has a surface area of about 400,000 square metres, its big!



Legend has it that a god planned to marry a beautiful aborigine named Naipí, who fled with her mortal lover Tarobá in a canoe. In rage, the god sliced the river creating the waterfalls, condemning the lovers to an eternal fall.

As we got nearer a fine refreshing mist covered us. We watched the local swifts darting through permanent rainbow falls & hanging on the wet rock walls behind. Cormarents sat patiently waiting for stunned fish to appear in the temporarily placid pools, difficult to imagine a nicer place to live for a bird.



Butterflies also in abundence and by this point hordes of people but its to be expected really.




walkway, as near as we get to the devils thoat

The view from the Argentinian side is supposed to be much better than this, at the moment thats hard to belive. Wonderful day!



Day trip to Paraguay:

Foz is on the edge of Brazil and you can get a 20min bus to Paraguay or Argentina. If you want the cheapest electronics in the Americas a trip tp paraguay is not to be missed. I had had my eye on a camera before we left that had a x10 zoom (the only compact that has this) and desperately wanted it for those tricky animal shots.

Not sure about now but in 2002 the New Yorker wrote: "This Triple Frontier has earned its reputation as one of the most lawless places in the world. It is believed, the Frontier is also the center of Middle Eastern terrorism in South America. "

Below is the river that divides Brazil from paraguay, aparently the smugglers wait till dark to cross. Its rather pretty with the little island in the middle and diffcult to imagine its darker side.


From the begining of the friendship bridge.

We walked across the friendship bridge spanning this river with hordes of other shoppers. Contrary to feeling any menace or danger there was an excited bargin shopper high in the air. Impatiently we oggle the shoppers on the other side of the road returning with their booty in big boxes high on shoulders or heads.

One woman is walking across with live fowl, very slack border!


the other side

Its hectic and full of desperate touts sporting mostly plastic crap and quite a lot of big pants for some reason? After almost giving up on finding the camera we find perhaps the last model, faff about getting cash and get the hell out of there, chuffed to bits.

Short lived as back on Brazilian soil we find he`s given us the wrong charger and have to go back to that tranquil shopping mecca the following day.


Puppy shots (for mum & Julie x).

So after returing to get the charger & fending off the pant sellers a 2nd time we left for Argentina.

We can say offically that we have been in 3 (rather large) countries in one day!!!!!

Dave had a mad experience by the pool before we left, while relaxing on a lounger he heard a crashing noise behind him. A large iguana scurried under his seat, sprinted across to the pool & jumped in. He went to look & saw him swim from the bottom and climb out, well it was a hot day.

more photos here