Around 9am we arrived in Las Posadas where we boarded a smaller bus to shuttle us to an estancia, or the equivalent of farm, more or less. There had been a lot of talk about getting an incredible breakfast, so we were all excited to avoid the bus food. We were welcomed by the "lady of the estancia" who brought us to a large patio dining area. They already had the parilla going for lunch later on. For breakfast, we were served maté cocido (the tea-bag form of maté usually drank from a gourd), and some homemade sweet-potato-like pastries which were covered sugar crystals. Some were more flaky and crispy than others, but they all had a fabulous wood-fired oven taste.
After breakfast, we were introduced to the gauchos who led us to the cattle stables. They demonstrated a bit of their daily activities with the cows which included wrangling, giving vaccinations, weighing, and washing. I guess I had never thought about cows needing to bathe before, so it was quite a surprise to see this actually happen. There was a trough filled with non-potable, soapy water. The cows followed the path leading to the trough and then kerplunked their massive bodies in to the water, very unhappily, I might add. Some of these cows tried everything they could to run away from bath time, but the gauchos had designed a maze so tightly that there was literally no space for them to turn themselves around once in line.
Lunch was served all too soon after breakfast, and it was none of than asado. Now, it's safe to say that I've had my share of asado in my time here, but I have never tasted meat so fresh as this! There was definitely still a cow flavor to most of the pieces, and there is no doubt in my mind that at one point, these cows had bathed with the ones we saw that day. The estancia we were at was not a slaughter house, but I do think they get some of the meat back once it has been sent away. Aside from asado, we had some chorizo, salad, and fruit in typical Argentine fashion.
After a little time to enjoy the land of the estancia and a quick wave to Paraguay across the river, we hopped back in our bus and headed to see the Jesuit ruins. It was pretty cool to walk in such an ancient civilization. Unfortunately, I didn't hear much of the history of it, such as the decline of the people and the end of the era. I think our group in general was still exhausted from traveling all night before and had not gotten the chance to shower yet.
From Posadas we had a 4 hour bus ride to our hotel in Iguazu, and I think we slept the whole way there, dreaming of a hot shower and a change of clothes. I was really excited to experience an Argentine hotel, and I was definitely not disappointed. As we waited in the lobby to check in, we were served a refreshing fruit smoothie. Melanie and I had a room together, and from what we heard from our other friends, we apparently got some special treatment! Two beds, somewhere between the size of a twin and full, a cute living area, big tv, clean bathrooms, and a tea/mate kettle. I don´t know why we were all so excited to be staying in a hotel, its not like we live in trashy places in Buenos Aires. I guess there was just something about being treated a step closer to royalty. We enjoyed a buffet dinner, unlike the buffets I´ve been to in the US. This one had plenty of meat choices and more appetizer like foods than actual side-dishes. Our program director suggested we get to bed a little earlier as the following day we would be out all day. She didn´t need to do much to convince us about that however, we were really looking forward to sleeping in those slightly larger beds!
We had been told the breakfast buffet was an "American" breakfast, complete with eggs, bacon, pancakes, waffles...the works. Well, maybe our minds got ahead of us, but I do know for a fact we were promised eggs. And we did get eggs, just not the scrambled ones I thought we would be getting. As for the bacon, pancakes and waffles, well, that didn´t happen either. But enough about food.
We took a short bus ride to the Iguazu National Park, which is apparently larger than Buenos Aires itself, but there is only a small portion open to visitors. The waterfalls in Iguazu Park are shared with Brazil, but Argentina has the majority of the falls on their side. Brazil supposedly has a great view of all of the falls, but other than that, we got the better end of the deal (and I´m also jealous that I don´t have a visa to cross over to Brazil).
I can´t tell you the exact number of falls that were located in the park, because there were a ton. Each lookout was carefully planned and marked by a stamped path, giving the park an overall feel of an amusement park. As the day progressed, more and more people came, filling up the prime picture-taking spots. But despite this, the falls were absolutely incredible. I have never in my life seen water falling in such a capacity, with such force, and in such a majestic manner. And to think, this water never stops flowing! Its not something that can be turned on and off, it is just constantly running! Some of the students in the group opted to take a boat ride directly into the falls. They said it was a certainly a thrill, but it was impossible to see anything as they were blinded with water spray.
The mother of all water falls was La Garganta del Diablo, The Devil´s Throat. It was a long bridge walk out to see this, all surrounded by perfectly calm water. Suddenly, the water opened up into a giant crater allowing thousands of tons of water to be pulled by gravity into a deep abyss. When the wind picked up just slightly, any bystander on the bridge inevitably got soaked by the excess spray.
To travel is to understand a bit of God´s artistic workmanship. Man can do his best to imitate what he sees, but only God can put these paintings to life. Only He can add movement, can add true texture. God´s artistic endeavours are the inspiration for every other artist, whether they admit it or not. Looking at these waterfalls, I was overcome with how great, how mighty, and how powerful the God I serve is.
After a long day at the park, we headed back to the hotel for an early dinner. Later, Melanie, Sally, Molly and I took a walk down the city center to a little pizzeria for a couple of drinks. Melanie and I ordered a glass of wine, and we were shocked to find out that a glass of wine, at this pizzeria, meant half a bottle each. I guess their glass sizes are just a bit larger! Needless to say, we hung out there for a while before turning in before midnight (those beds were truly magical!).
On Sunday we had the great opportunity to visit the Gurani tribe, which is one of the indigenous people in Argentina. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip because it exposed me to an entirely different people group of the country. To get to their community, we had to take a sand dune truck, similar to the one I took in Uruguay. Getting off of the paved roads and into the dirt, the first sign of the Gurani community was their bilingual school. Here, the kids learn in Gurani and, a recent addition, Spanish. We also passed a small pond area where some of the women were washing clothes and some children bathed.
One of the tribe members served as our guide. Although he wore a t-shirt and shorts, he was not without tribal characteristics, including jewelry and bare feet. Our first stop was at a typical house/hut, where a local woman had prepared a typical potato snack for us. Next, our guide showed us several traps the tribe used to use for animals. I was amazed at how functional these traps were for only being created out of natural material. We were then treated to a performance of several songs by some of the community kids. The band was comprised of rainsticks being pounded into the dirt, one guitar, and a couple maracas. Although I understood nothing of what they were singing, it was definitely a unique experience. At the end of our visit, we were invited to shop in their market, which was filled with handmade items the women work on daily. These are my favorite kinds of shops!
For the three days we had in Iguazu, we certainly were able to cover a lot. I was extremely thankful we did not have to take a 20 hour bus ride back to Buenos Aires, but instead got to take a short, 2 hour plane ride, arriving in plenty of time to finish my homework...ha!
I have two days of down time before I head out on my last trip in Argentina. This time I will be going to the Northwestern provinces of Salta and Jujuy.
Until then!
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