Iguazu Falls

After a 18 hour overnight bus trip you´d think I´d be a bit tired and not overly enthusiastic about what I did that day... but no... Iguazu falls was amazing! Got to love the fact that its about 10 degrees warmer, but the falls themselves are just so spectacular, and there are so many birds and animals around that you can´t help but be astounded. Monkeys, little guinea pigs, other larger rodents, stipey creatures which I can´t remember the name of... (see photo) Birds including toucans... wow.

And did I mention just how big the falls are? There are heaps, you turn a corner to reveal more, viewing platform after viewing platform and different views of different falls. Its all boardwalked which makes things very easy, but the downside being there are so many tourists you never really have any view to yourself. And so many feel inclined to hop in boats, dress in raincoats and get driven under the falls... who wants a heavy shower?


Up the top was the devils throat, which had an unbelievable amount of water going over the edge... at the bottom it caused so much spray that you couldn´t see where it hit. There were these swallows which dived down and dissappeared into the spray. The sound too was a definite roar which you could hear for miles.

I liked the national park so much I even went back a second day to do a walk thru the forest, away from most tourists. After a day of sharing the boardwalks with others it was lovely to be on a track all by yourself... even if it was a little disconcerting to have instructions on what to do if you encounter a jaguar! (dont play dead, back away don´t run, act larger and hit it if its agressive!)

Anyway its certainly an amazing place, well worth the discomfort of a long bus ride!

Weekend Buenos Aires

I´d been told Buenos Aires changes on the weekend with people emptying out of the city centre and lots of life and markets in the nearby suburbs.

So I decided to go to Recolletta where there is a market (touristy but not bad), but its much more famous for its cemetery... and Evitas burial place. Sounds creepy, but it is amazing with these impressive mini buildings sandwiched together... so you walk along admiring the statues, the intricate doors, the marble facades and almost forget each little buidling is actually a mauseleum. Except when you get a huge fright when you peer inside a slightly ajar door and see and old man cleaning a coffin! Anyway on to a museum about Evita, and then to the suburb of Palmero to visit a clothing market. This was kind of fun... bought a badge, a beanie and fingerless mittens to keep me warm. And admired the young designer clothes/shoes/jewellery spread out in makeshift markets in cafes and nightclubs... pool table?- perfect for displaying clothes!

Sunday it was on to the area of San Telmo which has an antique market overflowing with nicknacks. And the street back into town is also covered with markets, Tango bands, buskers and more.... had to rush back to catch an bus to get myself to Iguazu falls next.

Buenos Aires

First impressions of the place weren´t that favourable... cold (6 degrees) and wet.. and I spent my first afternoon walking around in the town centre in a little bit of a daze feeling somewhat like I was still in Europe (building and people wise its very European feeling) but that someone had turned down the temperature... sure my jetlag wasn´t helping, and the usual adjusting to language and currency were also taking their toll... Felt so much better after a good nights sleep!
I went to visit La Boca, the old port area known for its colourful buildings and soccer team. Its one of the poorer parts of town, and there´s a few streets which are touristville with fresh paint, tango dancers in the streets, souvenir shops, and patrolling police. If you walk a few more blocks you are suddenly transported into a rougher delapidated neighbourhood, and are quickly advised to leave before you get mugged...

I came back to catch up with Matt, my old Richmond housemate, who´s here for a few months learning spanish. It was really nice to have a chat and find out about what he´s been up to, and more about Buenos Aires. Little things like being told that Argentinians pronounce y or ll as sh - things suddenly seem to make a bit more sense. (Earlier I´d asked for an empanada de pollo (chicken pastie) and the waiter kept confirming ¨posho?¨and I´d repeat a little puzzled ¨poyo¨ to which he´d repeat ¨posho¨... you get the picture!) We went out with a couple of Matt´s friends to a ¨afterwork party¨(as distinct to a nightclub because they don´t even open until 1am) which turned out to be in a palace... stunning building with wooden parquetry floor, marble fireplaces, intricately carved wooden seats and doors... surely drunk people dropping cigarette butts cant be doing it any good.

Yesterday I visited La Tigre, its 1 hour away by train, and is an area of river deltas - so I think more than 100 islands all separated by rivers which interlink as part of a larger delta. Unfortunetely the weather wasn´t great, but I walked around visiting museums and took an interesting boat cruise to see some of the more spectacular buildings of its heyday (casino, rowing and sailing clubs) and also see some of the current island/river lifestyle.

Leaving London

Back to London for a few days, staying with Wendy again. (Thanks!) We spent Sunday doing a walking tour with Debbie and one of Wendy´s friends, through some of the market and more ethnic parts of London - nibbling on indian food, brousing in markets, taking a breather in various parks then having Japanese for dinner - yum. It makes you realise how there are so many little pockets of London, all with a different feel, waiting to be explored. I´ll admit to having a nagging urge to pull out a monopoly board and try visiting each of the areas!

Then Wendy was off to work for her first day, looking swish as you´d expect, and starting at a very civilised 9.45! I walked around the banking district, visiting museums and admiring the architecture (love the Gerkin building and the distinctinve Lloyds of London ¨metal and services on the outside´ building). And on my last half a day I set off to see the Thames river, and some of the tourist landmarks... Buckingham Palace, the eye, Westminister Abbey, Big Ben (and a giant Dali elephant!) and I even squeezed in a brief visit to the Natural History musem which was overrun with school kids on their holidays. Then off to Luton to catch my flights to Spain then South America, leaving Wendy to adjust to her new London corporate life.