January 29, 2008 - Ciudad del Este, Paraguay & Puerto Iguacu, Argentina

January 29, 2008 - Ciudad del Este, Paraguay
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I did sleep well last night. Perhaps I was anxious about my bus travel to Argentina and then onto the Brazilian side of Iguassu 2 day later. I finished breakfast, paid by the hotel bill and was ready by 7:45 AM. I found that I had been charged 1,000 Guaranis ($0.22) by the hotel for requesting that my bread be toasted. I felt it was incredibly cheap on their part and I did not want to argue about it.

The front desk manager was already there and we loaded by bags onto his car. We headed towards the ITAIPU dam. We headed on the road to Asuncion before veering off towards the Brazilian side (and the dam). The dam is roughly located Northwest of Ciudad del Este.

Visiting are shown a 30-min film (in Spanish) starting with the initial planning of the dam, its construction, operation and the environmental impact it has and the protected ecological areas created on the Paraguayan as well as the Brazilian sides. The material used to construct this dam (the largest hydro electric project in the world) can be used to construct 200 MARACANA stadiums (Maracana, located in Rio de Janeiro - for those not in the know - is the largest soccer stadium in the world that can accommodate 200,000 people). There is no fee to visit the dam.

After the film, we were taken from the visitor centre on a special bus to the dam itself. The driver (my hotel manager) joins me in this tour as well. He is 31 and had worked in the hotel for 13 years. His wife has worked in the hotel for 16 years. They have 2 boys - 8 and 12. They life a decent life. Because of the power generated by the dam, Electricity is quite cheap in Paraguay. The hotel manager pays the equivalent of US$2 for his 2-bed room home. Housing appears to be cheap as well. A good ranch style house with a bit of land can be had for US$20,000. I have to seriously think of moving here. Renate (the owner of the Hotel) was born in Paraguay to German parents. She is married to an Austrian (hence the name of the hotel) and has 2 sons doing college in Germany.

The bus dropped us off at a viewing point and got our first glimpse of ITAIPU. It is quite grand. As the rainfall had been rather poor the past few years, the sluices were not opened. So we could not see the waters gushing from the dam. The ITAIPU dams the Parana river. We drove to the Brazilian side and finally over the dam itself before returning to the Paraguayan side of the Dam.

We headed next to the Salto Monday falls where the Rio Monday (Monday River) drops into the Parana Gorge. There is a 2000 Guarani ($0.45) entry fee here. The falls drop about 30 metres or so. Very nice and picturesque. Good thing that I am seeing the smaller falls before heading to Iguaçu.

Using the cell-phone of the hotel manager (my driver), I tried to reconfirm my TAM flights for Feb 1 (from Iguassu to Rio). After 10-minutes of conversation, we were getting nowhere. And this was with a representative who spoke English. I requested the drive take me to the local TAM office in Ciudad del Este. On reaching the office, I found out that I had spoken to one of the folks in this office! I showed them my E-Ticket and explaining the difficulty I had (15 minutes ago) in re-confirming my reservation, I requested them to re-confirm all my flights (all the way till Feb 27 when I head from Sao Paolo to Buenos Aires). They did as I requested.

The driver dropped me off at the Bus station and I paid him 180,000 Guaranis (US40 approx.) and thanked him. He indicated the platform from which the bus to Puerto Iguacu would depart from. Since he was planning to show a German Couple the Iguacu falls on the Argentinean and Brazilian sides tomorrow, we agreed that if we meet up late enough on the Argentinean side, he could give me a ride to my Hotel on the Brazilian side of Iguacu.

The bus arrives 10-minutes later. The fare is 6000 Guaranis (US$1.3). As there is no separate luggage compartment, I carry my large duffel bag on board and place it in the seat next to me. The bus goes through the market in Ciudad del Este and picks up many folks. It then crosses the friendship bridge and heads into Brazil. I am wondering whether I took the right bus! (as I just paid my fare and got on the bus without re-confirming whether it was the right bus). After crossing the "Puente de la Amistad" the bus does not stop. It continues along Avenida Iguacu and Avenida Cataratas and after a 30-minute ride, I find myself crossing yet another bridge and disembarking at the Argentine border! I did take the right bus after all.

January 29, 2008 - Puerto Iguacu, Argentina
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There were no issues at Argentine Migration. The customs official decides to gives my bags the special treatment. Of all the things in my bag, she picks up my 4-port USB Hub and my dual-USB Charger as electronic items and asks to see the receipt for these two. She ignores the $3000 Camera, $1200 lens, $500 flash, $200 IPod, $100 cell phone, the 2 portable hard drives which cost $200 and decides instead to charge duty on items that cost me less than $50 cumulatively!

I told her that these items were all purchased in the US several months ago and I was not in the habit of carrying receipts for such items. She lets me go. Weird experience! By this time, my bus had already left. There were a few taxis waiting near the customs station and I take one to my Hotel (10 mines away - Puerto Iguaçu is not a big place). I declined the taxi driver's offer to drive me to the Iguassu falls for A$50 (US$17).

I check into Casa Blanca Iguassu and am given a 4-bed room for myself. The cost is still 110 pesos a night (US$37). I dump my bags and head down to the reception. I obtain a local map and the directions to the bus station. I jump on a bus to the falls just as it is leaving. The cost is 8 pesos (less than $3) roundtrip! The ride to the park entrance takes 30 minutes.

The park charges an entry fee of 40 pesos. Entry on a second successive day (as I intend to revisit this place tomorrow) is 50% off. 2 days at the park for 60 pesos (US$20) is great. I pick up a detailed map of the park at the visitor's centre. Is it a little after 3 PM and I stop to have lunch. I have a Pizza and a soda for 15 pesos (US$5). Rather expensive.

Post lunch, I take the train (running inside the park) to Devil's throat. I am quite impressed by the grandeur of it all. On reaching the Devil's throat (Garganta del Diablo in Spanish) station, we have to walk on a wooden walkway (built over the River Iguassu) for 1 kilometre. IGUASSU is GUARANI for BIG WATER.

The Garganta del Diablo is truly magnificent. The waters drop 100 metres and there are frequent water sprays and rainbows. I spend close to an hour here. I spot an elderly couple and request them to take my picture. He replies "no" even without turning to look at me. I am offended because he thinks I am a local asking to take their pictures for a fee. I tell him (in English this time) that I am not SELLING anything and all I want is for him to TAKE a picture of me with my camera. He gives me a sheepish grin and does it.

The couple are Canadian. I am not sure why people comes to these places and bring their inherent prejudices as well along with them. Maybe if I had not been sunburnt and was whiter, he would have listened to me! Damn Norte Americanos. They don't even make an effort to learn or speak the local language. They assume everyone knows English and talk to everyone in English. A-holes.

I take the train to the Upper Trail. The Iguassu falls on the Argentine side has 2 trails. I decided to the Upper trail today and will do the lower trail tomorrow morning. My walk on the upper trails leads me over Bossetti and San Martin falls. My joy knows no bounds. I am still yet to take the lower trail on the Argentine side and view the falls from the Brazilian side. Iguassu is simply GRAND. Eleanor Roosevelt was correct when she visited Iguassu and said "Poor, Niagara". There is just no comparison. I noticed numerous rainbows and hopefully have some good pictures.

I take the train back to the park entrance. I get my ticket stamped for the 50% discount tomorrow. I take the bus back to the hotel and rest for a bit. I head to a nice restaurant and have a Vegetable Gnocchi for dinner. It was a good restaurant but I was given indifferent service. I did not tip. I walked back to my hotel, wrote my diary and went to bed.

I will visit more of the Argentine side of Iguassu tomorrow and head to Brazil late in the afternoon. I will have the whole of Thursday to explore the Brazilian side of the falls before I head to Rio on Friday afternoon.