Dec./Jan 2006
Matt, Jill, Amy and Kalani came for 10 days around Christmas and we went to the famous Iguazu falls in the north east and a few other places.
This is at our arrival at the park, just before we started a tour. I think we were confused.
The tour included a boat ride below the falls. Note the people on the catwalk above the falls.
This is before we got wet.
The rest of the time there we walked around to various view points. The left side is Brazil, the right Argentina. This is pretty much the southern most edge of the Amazon jungle.
It was really hot but we got to get wet a few times to cool off.
Double rainbow anyone?
They really are an amazing set of water falls.
This iguana was about 3 ft. long.
We were not alone, there were about a million people there. It is a popular place.
This is Garganta del Diablo (devils throat). The roar was really something.
Why are these people smiling?
Look carefully, there is a monkey in the tree.
We also took an overnight bus from Buenos Aires to Mendoza and then a two day tour up to Valle de la Luna and Talampaya national park. Both are in the desert, it was over 100F when we arrived.
However, luck would have it that there was a huge rain storm that night. Yes in the desert. Talampaya was closed as was 2/3 of Valle de la Luna. And we were cold. Go figure. The part we got to see of Valle de la Luna is in the background.
Here is a washed out road to prove it.
So we went back to Mendoza a day early. On the way back we stopped at the Difunta Correa shrine, this is the woman who died following her husband through the desert during the war for independence. Supposedly she was found with her baby still alive at her breast. In Argentina she is considered a saint and is the patron of travelers, especially truck drivers. People come here (and other places) and leave water, license plates and thank you notes for answered prayers or good luck.
Normally the overnight bus rides in Argentina are great, the seats fold out almost flat, there are only three seats to a row, there is food, movies, sometimes they play games (bingo). But somehow we got on an older bus to make the trip back to Buenos Aires which turned into the ride from hell. We are still pretty fresh in this picture, only 5 hours in but it turned into a 17 hr ride. Ouch! Amy must have had advanced warning, she flew out of Mendoza and so missed the bus ride.
Back in Buenos Aires we had the day to do some more tourist stuff (this is in La Boca) before everyone left on their respective night flights.
