So another touristy day. We started it out tired and somewhat grumpy, bumping and flying down the road towards the Minas de Wanda. We didn´t really know what they were going to be or how much fun they would contain... so they didn´t really have to live up to any expectations. They weren´t more than a few small tunnels where miners were looking for crystals and other precious stones. They were interesting to see and it was fun to watch the miners get all excited showing the different rocks.. but that was about it.
From there we FLEW as fast as our driver could go 240km down to San Ignacio, the ruins of a Jesuit mission, that was swallowed up by the jungle. Now there are lots of craft stalls and some restaurants, but it is still fascinating to see the jungle all grown up around the ruins, one tree actually completely swallowed a column.
Last night we ate out at a parilla, stuffing ourselves to the max.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Puerto Iguazu: The Neverending Day
Two marathon bus rides later, and we are in Puerto Iguazu. It took 18 hours from Pto. Madryn to Buenos Aires and then another 18 hours to Pto Iguazu.
It is amazing what 36 hours of driving can do to the scenery. We are again in JUNGLE! It is hot and humid! And, the vegetation is totally different. Pto Iguazu is lush! And it smells like summer here.
Because we are masacists, we headed right out to the falls today. After checking into our hostal, we went back to the bus station and jumped a local bus out to Parque Nacional de Iguazu. We spent the entire day walking around, fighting the crowds and attempting to get to the front of the catwalks for the unabstructed views of Iguazu Falls.
As the travel book said, from certain points you get a very good understanding of what earlier sailors thought when they believed that the earth was flat and you could sail off the edge of the planet. The falls were very pretty, and very picturesque. But, it was a long day.
Some would say our trip is completing itself as Justine´s sharp eyes spotted a capabeara, which elluded us three months ago in Rurre. We also saw an armadillo a week ago on our way to Puerto Madryn... so we are now happy campers.
We have a strong desire to be back in Buenos Aires and spend at least 6 days there exploring the city. With that in mind, we are going to see some of the Jesuit Missions that remain as ruins here in the NE corner of Argentina tomorrow. Then we are back on the bus to Buenos Aires on Thursday Feb. 22.
It is amazing what 36 hours of driving can do to the scenery. We are again in JUNGLE! It is hot and humid! And, the vegetation is totally different. Pto Iguazu is lush! And it smells like summer here.
Because we are masacists, we headed right out to the falls today. After checking into our hostal, we went back to the bus station and jumped a local bus out to Parque Nacional de Iguazu. We spent the entire day walking around, fighting the crowds and attempting to get to the front of the catwalks for the unabstructed views of Iguazu Falls.
As the travel book said, from certain points you get a very good understanding of what earlier sailors thought when they believed that the earth was flat and you could sail off the edge of the planet. The falls were very pretty, and very picturesque. But, it was a long day.
Some would say our trip is completing itself as Justine´s sharp eyes spotted a capabeara, which elluded us three months ago in Rurre. We also saw an armadillo a week ago on our way to Puerto Madryn... so we are now happy campers.
We have a strong desire to be back in Buenos Aires and spend at least 6 days there exploring the city. With that in mind, we are going to see some of the Jesuit Missions that remain as ruins here in the NE corner of Argentina tomorrow. Then we are back on the bus to Buenos Aires on Thursday Feb. 22.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Puerto Madryn: Sad to Go
So today we leave Puerto Madryn. The weather held for the last few days so we finished up our PADI course.. or sort of. We wrote the final exam today and just have to pass that.....
Yesterday we went to Punta Tombo to see the Magallanic penguins there. They say there are close to 1,000,000 penguins in the colony, and the most of any colony outside the Antarctic. It was a long day on a tour bus, just to get an hour and a half there, but it was great fun dodging penguins on the path, laughing at the feather shedding babies and watching the lines of penguins entering the water.
We stopped in Gaimen, a Welsh settlement, on the way back to Puerto Madryn and we decided to splurge on some Welsh tea. We dined with some South Africans and chatted about our future travels as we ate pastries and biscuits until we were stuffed and downed it all with REAL TEA and milk, WITHOUT HAVING TO ASK FOR IT.
Tonight, after we get our exam checked with leave for Buenos Aires. It is close to an 18 hour haul and then we hope to catch a bus immediately for another 18 hours to Puerto Igazu. Our time is cut a little short so we will be there only a few days before we have to return to Buenos Aires and then go to Canada....
Time here in Puerto Madryn has been kind of fun as the people at the dive shop are pretty fun and when the weather is down we spent time drinking mate outside the shop and just chilling.. It will be kind of sad to leave today...
Yesterday we went to Punta Tombo to see the Magallanic penguins there. They say there are close to 1,000,000 penguins in the colony, and the most of any colony outside the Antarctic. It was a long day on a tour bus, just to get an hour and a half there, but it was great fun dodging penguins on the path, laughing at the feather shedding babies and watching the lines of penguins entering the water.
We stopped in Gaimen, a Welsh settlement, on the way back to Puerto Madryn and we decided to splurge on some Welsh tea. We dined with some South Africans and chatted about our future travels as we ate pastries and biscuits until we were stuffed and downed it all with REAL TEA and milk, WITHOUT HAVING TO ASK FOR IT.
Tonight, after we get our exam checked with leave for Buenos Aires. It is close to an 18 hour haul and then we hope to catch a bus immediately for another 18 hours to Puerto Igazu. Our time is cut a little short so we will be there only a few days before we have to return to Buenos Aires and then go to Canada....
Time here in Puerto Madryn has been kind of fun as the people at the dive shop are pretty fun and when the weather is down we spent time drinking mate outside the shop and just chilling.. It will be kind of sad to leave today...
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