Iguazu Falls and Buenos Airies

Iguazu Falls and Buenos Aires

Well this is a photo of the day I wrote the last blog

and this is taken at breakfast the following morning, lovely sunny day in store........

Our hotel in Iguazu is right in the Brazilian side of the falls and a really up market, the Belmond and this is the view from the front entrance.

We walked along this side 

to the Devils Throat where there was an opportunity to get quite wet and yes thanks to my trusty poncho I did get out along the misty walkway.

Next morning it was off to the Argentinian side which has the grander views, crossing the river which is the border between the two countries with Paraguay in view too.

and catching a train to the upper part of the Falls.

Walking along the top of the falls we could see our hotel before walking back through the forest.

Some spectacular shots of the water rushing over

Walking over a walkway with gallons of water underneath quite something

There were many beautiful butterflies (some from the bird park below)

along with the local scavengers coati from the raccoon family

and a trip through the local bird park included not only some very colourful birds

and one arty shot

but also an anaconda and a boa constrictor, safely behind glass!

and a sleepy lizard

I'm glad to have seen this extraordinarily impressive geographic phenominom.

Back across the border for an internal flight to Buenos Aires with the sun still shining, long may it continue.

Landed in airport by the River Plate not that you'd know it was a river as can't see the other side.

The hotel is near both the clock tower donated by the UK to mark the 100^th anniversary of Argentine independence

and the memorial to the Falklands which was pertinent as many families are going to visit after DNA testing identified many unnamed graves as I write this, just half here, all the names of the dead, (not sure where ours is in UK.)

set in a lovely park

Some interesting use of old buildings, note the ceiling in this shopping centre a former station I think

I passed a small church on my quick evening stroll, no agreat photo but flash not appropriate(!)

as you can see standing room only, Church of England eat your heart out............

City tour during which saw the famous Casa Rosada of course, balcony not as high as I expexcted

and the cathedral where the current Pope used to be Archbishop

He instigated a memorial to the holocaust, one of the only such cross faith artifacts within a church, a series of letters and next to a fine picture

Like many countries the difference between the haves and have nots is huge, these children begging by the cathedral which is full of gold

and also the Grandmothers memorial to the disappeared

We then drove further out to Boca which is a very colourful

and has a large sculpture by Ai Wei Wei (nothing but the best)

Much street art to admire as well

A trip to the grave of Eva Peron expected and she lies in her family crypt 

Quite small compared to many

and this lovely lady with her dog.

We then went on to not only learn how to make empanadas but make some ourselves, very tasty they were and with a fair amount of alcohol a very jolly occasion, before, both beef (pasty shape) and cheese

and after, but not for long, as very enjoyable with some other nibbles.

Bit of a lie down (!) before off to tango lesson, as you can see got the moves!!!!!

Lovely stained glass representation of the place where we had the lesson and then they performed after a

very good steak dinner. 

Some pipes to get us in the mood for the Andes

What I should have been doing.....

Good day......

Pampas day, (no hangover either) so visited an estancia with gauchos no less, wagon ride then more steak though not quite so good,

another dance show with some fairly impressive use of the boleros, though moving so fast difficult to get a photo.

You can just see the line of the wires below

Lastly watched the gauchos trying to get rings on pencils not always successfully

Final day started with a trip to the Tigres delta where the channels are the road and houses built on stilts

with service boats for provisions and as no clean water many collect it from the city leaving bottles to fill up before going home

Finally went to a wine tasting with one of my travelling companions, was much taken with a 100% Petit Verdut which is a Bordeaux filler wine but the different temperature and altitude make it a lovely wine here.

So Patagonia and Chile next.