We had a great hotel in buenes aires. Our minor complaint (as the thoroughly spoilt always have) is the strange key system they have for their doors. Kate, being in business systems mode asked the concierge why they would use this different system, wondering what the benefit could be. He said without blinking, 'because the owner is a moron.' Love that front-of-desk frankness. We have had a confusing time getting used to the money exchange. You do get a sense that Argentina's money is in chaos. The official rate differs to the unofficial rate - or the 'blue market'- which is offered at restaurants, hotels and shops and then there's the black market where you will be offered even better rates by badly dressed guys on street corners. Rates vary from seller to seller - all you can be sure of is that the banks will rip you off! So it's a touch of home:) So we've been dealing in pesos and US dollars and US dollars all look the same so I am rather upset at giving some $100 tips instead of $1! Ouch - an expensive lesson.
Anyway got up at 3am this morning to catch our flight to Iguazu Falls into 38 degrees (from sleeting on Tuesday). Mums a trooper and keeping up with it all and sometimes we've had to be the disciplinarians and get her to slow down- no easy feat but she is pretty exhausted now and planning a quiet day tomorrow with 2 beautiful small guided tours.
We are staying right in front of the falls. We went for a decent walk today and saw its tremendous power through canopies of rainforest and past cute beaver like coatis - cute and cuddly unless you have food then they'll take a sizeable bite of it and your hand.
Iguassu is not just one waterfall but many strung together and here are a few stats-niagara falls horseshoe drop is 790 metres wide, Victoria falls is 1079 metres (and technically the biggest because of its drop) and iguazu falls are a whopping 2.7 Kms- get your head around that! and they are all pretty spectacular but there is a big band of them at 2 locations-with the most impressive one - in fact described in lonely planet as one of the world's most extraordinary sights- called the devils throat. We have not yet been there but seen it in the distance and it looks truly terrifying and breathtaking.- tomorrow's excursion.
A gentle boat ride this afternoon was really a little unnerving as you are pushed downstream by the current and can see in the distance the lip of the falls as the water gets a little whiter and the guide paddles a little harder and the falls sound a little louder. We saw some of the wildlife and fauna- a baby toucan, some turtles and gorgeous electric blue and pale yellow birds.
I must add here Kate has been brilliant with her Spanish- dredging it up from 30 years ago when she was thrown in the Spanish depend in Costa Rica. She's just been great with taxi drivers and negotiating prices and a whole range of stuff to do with money and exchange rates and so on. What a gal! We recommend her as a travelling companion to anyone!
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