Big Water

We are about to leave Iguazu and I'm a bit behind with my blogging, so I'm doing two posts in one today...

In the Guarani language, 'Iguazu' means 'big water'. A very straightforward description for these incredible waterfalls.

First off, after an overnight bus to Mercedes and a couple of hours in one of the most interesting bus stations we've ever visited (Gauchos drinking beer anyone?) we made it to the very special Estancia Rincon del Socorro http://www.rincondelsocorro.com/. It's a conservation ranch in the Esteros del Ibera wetlands - similar to the better-known Pantanal in Brazil. We were the only guests and so were really lucky to have our own personal guide, Mingo. We went on a night safari to spot vizcachas (like chinchillas - very cute), capibaras, armadillos, foxes, deer, then a trip the next morning onto the lagoon, where we spotted caiman, marsh deer, more capibaras and dozens and dozens of bird species. There were only two or three boats out on the lagoon so we were hugely outnumbered by the wildlife. Highly recommended! I think one of the reasons it is not well-visited is because it's not very accessible. To get to the next town for a bus to Iguazu we had a white-knuckle five-hour 4x4 ride. Due to the thunderstorms, the road was virtually impassable so it was an experience not to be forgotten. I think my kidneys are OK now though.

Iguazu

Made it to the famous Iguazu Falls on Sunday. It poured all afternoon so was a bit miserable but on the plus side, the National Park was not as busy as usual. They are amazing - thunderous and huge, with lots of side falls and trails through the jungle. Again, loads and loads of unique birds and wildlife, most of which we saw the morning after, once the rain had stopped. If you get off the beaten track a little or even just wait for the tour groups to pass, the birds, butterflies and critters all come out. Definitely worth the trek north to see the falls and the national park. We had been a bit worried they wouldn't be spectacular in the 'dry season' but the water level was so high that the boat trips were unable to land - so we didn't need to worry.

Bird(s) of the day...

... about a hundred in the wetlands - although Alan's vote is for the purple gallinule. In Iguazu, the black-fronted piping guan. Very rare! We also saw two toucans.

This afternoon we head south again on a long-distance bus for our last little trip - we're going over to Uruguay for a couple of nights.

Adios Amigos.