Iguazu Falls

I am sitting by the hotel pool enjoying (rewarding myself with) a pisco sour. Those of you who have traveled to South America know it is a kick-ass drink (that will kick it if you don't watch it . . . I’m watching it!). I kept smelling a very subtle egg smell (NOT like sulfer!) and realize that the foam on the pisco sour is from slightly beaten egg whites. Ah, what we won’t drink with our alcohol!

Mate is next on the list. Not sure exactly what it is, but it sounds like a tea that people here drink like coffee. I am assured that it has no mind altering properties, but I have not quite been convinced. You see people around all drinking it from beautiful looking wood goblets--that look like coconut shells—through "straws" made of silver and very ornate. If it isn’t mind altering or illegal, people nevertheless talk about it and drink it in public like it is at the very least, sacred. Hmmmm . . .

Had a great today. Woke up this morning to the sound of gallons of water crashing on rocks. Right across from our pink hotel (pictures) is the view of the waterfalls from the Brazilian side. Spectacular, but my views and experiences were just beginning. My taxi driver picked me up at the hotel and took me to the Argentine side where I spent 5 hrs walking around. The place is magnificent. I’m attaching a number of photos of the falls which are quite extraordinary. In some spots it felt like what it would be to stand over Niagra Falls—if it were 5x larger! The main sight on the Argentine side is “La Garganta del Diablo”—the devil’s throat. It is a “U” shaped fall that goes down about 300 feet. You’ll notice in the photos, the top of la garganta and then another view that shows more of the force. Tomorrow I’ll be on the Brazilian side which will provide a fuller view of it.

Also got to see some wildlife. There’s a photo of a toucan and one of a monkey swinging through the trees (yes, trust me, it’s a monkey!). Don’t confuse it with the photo of me. I actually got someone to take a photo of me . . . I usually forget to get myself in at least on of the photos I’m taking.

Had a great dinner tonight at the hotel and now I am ready to go to bed and get some zees.