Well it's been a few weeks since we left Paraná and although it feels like months, we would be remiss not to mention this quaint city on the banks of the Rio Paraná. Juan and I were confronted with perplexed looks and questioning stares as we told our new Argentinian friends in Bell Ville our plans to head to Paraná, but we were stubborn and went anyway...it was worth it. We ended up staying 4 nights in Paraná soaking up the relaxed atmosphere of the plazas, restaurants, pedestrian streets lined with shops and unusual museums (the maté museum is a must see with thousands of mates from all over the world). For a change of scenery we hit up Thompson Beach. Finally a beach! We had been in Argentina over 3 weeks and had yet to let the sun kiss our white Winnipeg winter flesh - it felt great! With dance music playing in the background and a cold Quilmes or two, we soaked up the scantily clad beach scene. It was a great stay in Paraná.
We then headed back down to Buenos Aires just in time to meet Kelly's dad Wayne and his partner Lenore, who were escaping the Winnipeg winter for 3 weeks. Ahhhh BA...it actually felt like we were coming home as it's the only city familiar to us on this adventure. We love the graffiti, the dog walkers, the cafes and the fact that we know where we're going...sometimes. On the day of their arrival it was Wayne's birthday, so we celebrated with a parilla (BBQ) dinner in fashionable Palermo Soho, near our hotels. We certainly can consider ourselves fortunate. It is not too often a family can come together to celebrate a birthday in a country on the other side of the world. It was very bizarre to see Wayne and Lenore and probably more so for them as they just traveled 24 hours by plane from Winnipeg and the first people they see are us! The next day we visited Plaza Dorrego in the San Telmo area, which treated us to talented buskers, such as the "Invisible Man", Indian musicians, tango dancers, marionette shows, and a group of amicable youths giving out "free hugs", which Kelly, Lenore and Wayne all took advantage of. The huge street market kept us interested for blocks and blocks, but too many antiques from times gone by and the humid heat quickly led us to an Irish pub for refreshments. After all, we needed some down-time before heading off to Iguazu Falls the next day, a mere 20 hour bus ride away.
Yes, a long haul indeed! At least Dad and Lenore had a couple of days to adjust before doing another long stretch to Iguazu Falls. We took an overnight bus (which was much better than I expected) and arrived around 1pm the next day (Tuesday morning). When we arrived at the Sheraton, which is the only hotel in the park, it took my breath away...not the hotel, the view. The hotel has a perfect view of the falls, which are an incredible sight and definitely make Niagara Falls look small. It felt so good to be in a jungle atmosphere, with toucans, wild animals and few cars. We had lunch and relaxed at the pool, getting ready for two days of hiking and adventure around the falls. 
The park is set up very nicely so that you can slowly approach the falls through a series of trails. The inferior trail gives you a glimpse of the falls from a lower vantage point, allowing you to see the beauty and get totally drenched if you want. Then there is the superior trail which gives the entire majestic view of the endless falls, which go on for about 2 kilometres. The final trail can only be reached by train and takes you to Garanta del Diablo (the Devil's Throat) which is the most incredible Fall of them all! I don't think any of us were quite expecting this spectacular sight. The best part is that the trail allows you to get incredibly close to the falls...almost hanging off the edge in a way. The thunderous noise of the water and constant spray of water was invigorating on such a hot day. We all went away with a sense of awe.
The next day we went on a tranquil hike through the Sendero Macuco, which led us to a comparably tiny waterfall called Salto Arrechea. Throughout the hike we were welcomed by several creatures, including a small green snake, a 2 foot long lizard, capybaras (picture an oversized tail-less hamster), a couple of toucans, a family of coatis (friendly racoon-like beasts), several spiders on their huge webs, and best of all a large group of Mono-Cai monkeys showing off their aerial acrobatics. Wayne kept us safe with a long, thick walking stick he found. I celebrated the end of the journey by dunking by head under the cold waterfall. Nothing else is soooo refreshing.
Two nights were not enough at Iguazu Falls, but eventually we had to say good-bye. We had a final cocktail on the lounge terrace overlooking the amazing falls and then it was off to Puerto Iguazu for more adventures.
To Be Continued....
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