Trip Report - Buenos Aires and Iguazu
Apr 3rd, 2008, 08:37 AM
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Trip Report - Buenos Aires and Iguazu
First of all, thanks to everyone who helped me with this trip both before and during. We got some great advice and had a wonderful time. I started a brief trip report while I was there since the hotel had free internet, but only got as far as the first two days. It's titled Aregentina Trip Report - Appetizer http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=6 if you want to take a loo at it.
I finished the last report prior to dinner on Sunday. After a day at the various fairs (and spending quite a bit on jewelry for me and for gifts) we went to Cafe Tortoni for dinner. Woudln't you know that was the one time I didn't take my camera. We weren't all that hungry since we had a late lunch and then ice cream, but we wanted a little something. Steak sandwiches was a great option and they were very tasty. The decor is wonderful - that's where I wished I'd had the camera. Oh well - I took pictures in my mind.
Monday we went to the Tigre Delta since we weren't able to get reservations for the ferry to Colonia. it turned out to be a nice option. We took the train from the Retiro station - very easy. We got our tickets and immediately got on the next train leaving in 5 minutes. We decided it reminded us of the CTA in Chicago. It also reminded us of Bill Cosby's sketch "A Nut in Every Car"! Of course I'm dating myself with that reference. There were guys selling bootleg DVD's, two little boys singing, and a guy playing the guitar. Very fun. The one thing that I noticed about Buenos Aires is that even when people were begging or perfoming for money they didn't get pushy or threatening in any way. Made it so much nicer to help out when I wasn't feeling "guilted" into it or harassed.
Because Monday was a holiday (not sure exactly which one), the crowds in Tigre were immense. There was a flood of people heading toward the boat docks and the first tour company we went to didn't have a boat available until 4:30. The second one had one leaving at 1:00 which was perfect.
I had expected the delta area to be very remote and unpopulated for some reason. I guess maybe the references to it being like the Lousianna bayou areas which are very rural. It is not like that at all (other than the waterways and the egrets). The town of Tigre itself is a suburb or Buenos Aires and quite a bustling area. Then lining the waterways are lots and lots of houses with boats. We decided that the area must have high water at times because the lifts for the boats pulled them up so high. Traveling by rowboat seems to be a very popular way to go - we saw lots of families and couples in their long, thin, rowboats that look like the ones used by the rowing teams in colleges. If we had more time I would have looked in to taking one out.
After our boat ride we walked along the walkway lining the riverfront and found a nice outdoor cafe for lunch/dinner. We ate at the Terraza and it was lovely. The food was very good (fabulous gnocchi) and the service was wonderful.
We had wanted to try taking the Tren de la Costa back, but had not found out where it left from and the information office at the docks was closed by the time we got done with dinner so we just took the local train back to Retiro. After dropping my husband off at the hotel, I went back out for an evening stroll to Calle Florida and to get some Freddo's ice cream before leaving BA (my favorite is Dulce de Leche Graniata - chocolate chips in it). I ran into our friends at Freddo's (great minds think alike) so we got our ice cream and went and sat on the steps of Plaza San Martin.
Tuesday was our day to travel to Iguazu and transfer to the Yacutinga Lodge. We weren't exactly sure what to expect and there was some highs and lows that day. The first low came due to my foggy early morning brain. We decided that we would check our bags since the flight was fairly full and we weren't sure how much overhead storage there would be (not much as it turned out). I thought I had pulled all of our vaulables out of our luggage, but realized that I had forgotten to pull out my iPod and our noise canceling headphones. I hoped it would be OK, but sure enough, when we got to Iguzau I found that our luggage had been opened and that my iPod was missing. We had to go to the Aerolinea ticket counter and wait for almost 20 minutes in a very short line (they were moving incredibly slow). We finally got to a supervisor who took down all of the information and indicated that someone from the airline would contact me (that was over a week ago and thus far not one has). In the meantime, the delay had caused our transport driver to not see us and so he left. We had to call and get him back which took another 1/2 hour at least.
The driver was wonderful and took us to the pick-up spot for the Yacutinga transport. We had about 1 1/2 hours to wait and wanted to get something to eat. He checked on the restaurant right at Raices Argentina and found it was closed, so he took us in to town to a wonderful restaurant called El Quincho. I had an absolutely fabulous lunch of a grilled local river fish Surubi. It almost melted in my mouth! I think it is right up there as one of the two best meals of the trip (the first night being the other one). He came and picked us up again and took us to the meeting place. Then came another low point. It turns out the Yacutinga Lodge is about 2 1/2 hours from the town. First we had a 1 1/2 hour hot bus ride. Then we got into an open truck for a very dusty ride through fields of mate bushes and manioc. When we finally arrived we were hot, dusty and thirsty. But we were greated with cold mate tea and some wonderful cheese bread puffs that took the edge off. We were also taken very quickly to our cabins and immediately headed to the pool which was very refreshing.
The grounds of the lodge are beautiful, but they are not good for anyone who has mobility issues. Things are spread out and there are lots of stairs and uphill climbs to get from the rooms to the main lodge. The ppol area is very secluded and surrounded by lovely flowers that attract hummingbirds. There is an area by the pool with hammocks that I enjoyed the next day. And there is an area near the bar with a fire pit and padded benches for enjoying an evening with fellow guests.
When I had originally read informaiton about the lodge, everything I read indicated that they served vegetarian food. Fine for me, but a couple of people in our group were a bit concerned about what there would be to eat. Imagine our surprise when the first dinner included beef in yerba mate. It was kind of a beef wellington using yerba mate for the pastry. Unfortunately Argentinians like their beef a whole lot more done than I do, so the beef was a bit overdone for my taste. The rest of the meal was fabulous. Then after a briefing about our itinerary the next day we were off to bed. The night sounds of the jungle lulled us to sleep and suddenly it was 6:00 and time to get up.
After a wonderful breakfast we met at the fire pit and divided into two groups for our activites. One was for those of us who spoke English and the other for Spanish speakers. We walked through the jungle looking at the various plants, spiders (lots of them - don't stay here if spiders freak you out!) and listening for birds. Our guide was great at mimicking bird noises and got into wonderful conversations with the local winged population. Then we got into a raft and were paddled (and pulled in the low spots) along the San Francisco river to the Iguazu. We saw kingfishers, herons, jays, and several other birds that I can't remember now. After our boat ride we walked again through the jungle back to the lodge. Oh - and I should mention that we didn't see a single mosquito
!
After lunch we had time to relax and enjoy the area. We went up into the hanging walkway in the canopy and had great fun challenging ourselves to walk along it without holding on. Then an hour or so in the pool and some time to relax in the hammock and read and it was time for our afternoon walk.
I'll finish the rest later - I should get back to work now
!
I finished the last report prior to dinner on Sunday. After a day at the various fairs (and spending quite a bit on jewelry for me and for gifts) we went to Cafe Tortoni for dinner. Woudln't you know that was the one time I didn't take my camera. We weren't all that hungry since we had a late lunch and then ice cream, but we wanted a little something. Steak sandwiches was a great option and they were very tasty. The decor is wonderful - that's where I wished I'd had the camera. Oh well - I took pictures in my mind.
Monday we went to the Tigre Delta since we weren't able to get reservations for the ferry to Colonia. it turned out to be a nice option. We took the train from the Retiro station - very easy. We got our tickets and immediately got on the next train leaving in 5 minutes. We decided it reminded us of the CTA in Chicago. It also reminded us of Bill Cosby's sketch "A Nut in Every Car"! Of course I'm dating myself with that reference. There were guys selling bootleg DVD's, two little boys singing, and a guy playing the guitar. Very fun. The one thing that I noticed about Buenos Aires is that even when people were begging or perfoming for money they didn't get pushy or threatening in any way. Made it so much nicer to help out when I wasn't feeling "guilted" into it or harassed.
Because Monday was a holiday (not sure exactly which one), the crowds in Tigre were immense. There was a flood of people heading toward the boat docks and the first tour company we went to didn't have a boat available until 4:30. The second one had one leaving at 1:00 which was perfect.
I had expected the delta area to be very remote and unpopulated for some reason. I guess maybe the references to it being like the Lousianna bayou areas which are very rural. It is not like that at all (other than the waterways and the egrets). The town of Tigre itself is a suburb or Buenos Aires and quite a bustling area. Then lining the waterways are lots and lots of houses with boats. We decided that the area must have high water at times because the lifts for the boats pulled them up so high. Traveling by rowboat seems to be a very popular way to go - we saw lots of families and couples in their long, thin, rowboats that look like the ones used by the rowing teams in colleges. If we had more time I would have looked in to taking one out.
After our boat ride we walked along the walkway lining the riverfront and found a nice outdoor cafe for lunch/dinner. We ate at the Terraza and it was lovely. The food was very good (fabulous gnocchi) and the service was wonderful.
We had wanted to try taking the Tren de la Costa back, but had not found out where it left from and the information office at the docks was closed by the time we got done with dinner so we just took the local train back to Retiro. After dropping my husband off at the hotel, I went back out for an evening stroll to Calle Florida and to get some Freddo's ice cream before leaving BA (my favorite is Dulce de Leche Graniata - chocolate chips in it). I ran into our friends at Freddo's (great minds think alike) so we got our ice cream and went and sat on the steps of Plaza San Martin.
Tuesday was our day to travel to Iguazu and transfer to the Yacutinga Lodge. We weren't exactly sure what to expect and there was some highs and lows that day. The first low came due to my foggy early morning brain. We decided that we would check our bags since the flight was fairly full and we weren't sure how much overhead storage there would be (not much as it turned out). I thought I had pulled all of our vaulables out of our luggage, but realized that I had forgotten to pull out my iPod and our noise canceling headphones. I hoped it would be OK, but sure enough, when we got to Iguzau I found that our luggage had been opened and that my iPod was missing. We had to go to the Aerolinea ticket counter and wait for almost 20 minutes in a very short line (they were moving incredibly slow). We finally got to a supervisor who took down all of the information and indicated that someone from the airline would contact me (that was over a week ago and thus far not one has). In the meantime, the delay had caused our transport driver to not see us and so he left. We had to call and get him back which took another 1/2 hour at least.
The driver was wonderful and took us to the pick-up spot for the Yacutinga transport. We had about 1 1/2 hours to wait and wanted to get something to eat. He checked on the restaurant right at Raices Argentina and found it was closed, so he took us in to town to a wonderful restaurant called El Quincho. I had an absolutely fabulous lunch of a grilled local river fish Surubi. It almost melted in my mouth! I think it is right up there as one of the two best meals of the trip (the first night being the other one). He came and picked us up again and took us to the meeting place. Then came another low point. It turns out the Yacutinga Lodge is about 2 1/2 hours from the town. First we had a 1 1/2 hour hot bus ride. Then we got into an open truck for a very dusty ride through fields of mate bushes and manioc. When we finally arrived we were hot, dusty and thirsty. But we were greated with cold mate tea and some wonderful cheese bread puffs that took the edge off. We were also taken very quickly to our cabins and immediately headed to the pool which was very refreshing.
The grounds of the lodge are beautiful, but they are not good for anyone who has mobility issues. Things are spread out and there are lots of stairs and uphill climbs to get from the rooms to the main lodge. The ppol area is very secluded and surrounded by lovely flowers that attract hummingbirds. There is an area by the pool with hammocks that I enjoyed the next day. And there is an area near the bar with a fire pit and padded benches for enjoying an evening with fellow guests.
When I had originally read informaiton about the lodge, everything I read indicated that they served vegetarian food. Fine for me, but a couple of people in our group were a bit concerned about what there would be to eat. Imagine our surprise when the first dinner included beef in yerba mate. It was kind of a beef wellington using yerba mate for the pastry. Unfortunately Argentinians like their beef a whole lot more done than I do, so the beef was a bit overdone for my taste. The rest of the meal was fabulous. Then after a briefing about our itinerary the next day we were off to bed. The night sounds of the jungle lulled us to sleep and suddenly it was 6:00 and time to get up.
After a wonderful breakfast we met at the fire pit and divided into two groups for our activites. One was for those of us who spoke English and the other for Spanish speakers. We walked through the jungle looking at the various plants, spiders (lots of them - don't stay here if spiders freak you out!) and listening for birds. Our guide was great at mimicking bird noises and got into wonderful conversations with the local winged population. Then we got into a raft and were paddled (and pulled in the low spots) along the San Francisco river to the Iguazu. We saw kingfishers, herons, jays, and several other birds that I can't remember now. After our boat ride we walked again through the jungle back to the lodge. Oh - and I should mention that we didn't see a single mosquito
!After lunch we had time to relax and enjoy the area. We went up into the hanging walkway in the canopy and had great fun challenging ourselves to walk along it without holding on. Then an hour or so in the pool and some time to relax in the hammock and read and it was time for our afternoon walk.
I'll finish the rest later - I should get back to work now
!
Apr 3rd, 2008, 11:43 AM
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You ask, I shall deliver ;-). So, after our relaxing time in the pool and the hammocks, we went for another walk. This one ended in the cabybara research area. The Yacutinga Lodge is involved in several things. For one - it is a great example of the possibilities of sustainable tourism. They produce their own electricity (and unlike the information I had found, they have electricity 24-7 rather than the four hours a day one website mentioned. But no air conditioning). The other thing they do is reserach in many areas. They are keeping track of bird populations and trying to increase the numbers of ones that are endagered; they are doing some research regarding a stingless bee and honey production; and they are breeding capybaras to use as environmentally friendly weed control for the local plantations. They have the capybaras in a semi-wild are (it is fenced, but it is a pretty big area). At 6pm every day they bring them a treat of corn so that they can monitor them and also introduce them to their guests. We were cautioned not to approach them or try to touch them since they are not domesticated. But it was so fun to see them come wandering in as soon as we arrived and wait patiently for their treat. Oh - I almost forgot that on the way there we each got to plant a native tree - another of their projects. Hubbie and I planted a "drunken tree". I can't remember it's official name but it is the one with the pretty pink blossoms. We saw them all over BA and in the jungle and loved them so how neat that we got to plant one.
The problem with this particular walk was that we were fairly far from the lodge and we ended up staying in the area of the capybaras longer than we should have since they were also hoping that some Toucans would come in to roost (one finally did). This meant that it was almost dark before we started heading back and they set a very fast pace. My husband is not in the best of shape and I got very worried that he was pushing himself too hard and would have a heart attack. Fortunately one of the guides realized we were lagging behind and came back with his flashlight to make sure we made it back. We made it back and he recovered over a wonderful chicken dinner with chocolate cake (more mousse than cake - but wonderful: chocolate cures all!)
Our last morning there we slept in a bit and had a leisurely breakfast. Then we gathered for our "final exam". It was actually alot of fun. Our guide quizzed us about the things we had seen and learned the day before and then we all got "certificates" that included the name of our tree. We then piled in to the truck for our trek back to Iguazu. Interestingly - it didn't seem as bad going back. Maybe we had gotten a bit used to the lack of air conditioning and the constant presence of red dusty ground.
We arrived back at Raices Argentina and our driver was there to meet us to take us to the Sheraton. Talk about a switch - from ecolodge to fancy hotel! Keep in mind we have not yet laid eyes on the falls. We got to the Sheraton and walked in to the lobby and were confronted with our first view of Iguazu. Even though you can only see a part of it from a distance, it took our breath away. We took a quick shower and headed off to do the lower circuit (after a quick stop at Dos Hermanos snack bar for a sandwich). All I can say is that Iguazu overpowers both Niagra and Victoria Falls. We rapidly figured out that we were going to take more pictures in those two days than hwe had in the previous 5. it seemed like every step we wanted to stop and take another picture. I will (hopefully soon) post some of them on Kodak Gallery and will provide the link. It's taking me a while to go through them all and I have class tonight. Maybe this weekend.
After we finished the lower circuit (about 1 1/2 hours I think) we had some ice cream bars (no Freddo's unfortunately
) we did the upper circuit since the book had said to do it at sunset. Too bad the sun had gone behind clouds and it was beginning to look like the prediction for rain the next day might be accurate. But it was still neat to see the falls from above after seeing them from the side and below a bit.
We rested and went in the pool for a quick dip and then met at the lobby bar to have a light dinner. We ate out on the terrace and could hear the falls in the distance. How wonderful!
More later - I promise to keep it coming!
The problem with this particular walk was that we were fairly far from the lodge and we ended up staying in the area of the capybaras longer than we should have since they were also hoping that some Toucans would come in to roost (one finally did). This meant that it was almost dark before we started heading back and they set a very fast pace. My husband is not in the best of shape and I got very worried that he was pushing himself too hard and would have a heart attack. Fortunately one of the guides realized we were lagging behind and came back with his flashlight to make sure we made it back. We made it back and he recovered over a wonderful chicken dinner with chocolate cake (more mousse than cake - but wonderful: chocolate cures all!)
Our last morning there we slept in a bit and had a leisurely breakfast. Then we gathered for our "final exam". It was actually alot of fun. Our guide quizzed us about the things we had seen and learned the day before and then we all got "certificates" that included the name of our tree. We then piled in to the truck for our trek back to Iguazu. Interestingly - it didn't seem as bad going back. Maybe we had gotten a bit used to the lack of air conditioning and the constant presence of red dusty ground.
We arrived back at Raices Argentina and our driver was there to meet us to take us to the Sheraton. Talk about a switch - from ecolodge to fancy hotel
! Keep in mind we have not yet laid eyes on the falls. We got to the Sheraton and walked in to the lobby and were confronted with our first view of Iguazu. Even though you can only see a part of it from a distance, it took our breath away. We took a quick shower and headed off to do the lower circuit (after a quick stop at Dos Hermanos snack bar for a sandwich). All I can say is that Iguazu overpowers both Niagra and Victoria Falls. We rapidly figured out that we were going to take more pictures in those two days than hwe had in the previous 5. it seemed like every step we wanted to stop and take another picture. I will (hopefully soon) post some of them on Kodak Gallery and will provide the link. It's taking me a while to go through them all and I have class tonight. Maybe this weekend.After we finished the lower circuit (about 1 1/2 hours I think) we had some ice cream bars (no Freddo's unfortunately
) we did the upper circuit since the book had said to do it at sunset. Too bad the sun had gone behind clouds and it was beginning to look like the prediction for rain the next day might be accurate. But it was still neat to see the falls from above after seeing them from the side and below a bit. We rested and went in the pool for a quick dip and then met at the lobby bar to have a light dinner. We ate out on the terrace and could hear the falls in the distance. How wonderful!
More later - I promise to keep it coming
!
Apr 4th, 2008, 06:53 PM
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OK, I'm back. Busy days at work and class in the evening (plus gray and rain). Oh, to be back in Argentina. 
We got up the next morning to a gray day, but no rain yet. Our driver picked us up right on time and we headed to Brazil. My husband and I still had valid visas from 3 years ago but our friend who went with us for that trip had an expired visa so had to shell out over $100 for a new one. I was hoping that the trip to Brazil would be worth it and we all decided that it was. I think that had we not gone over to the Brazil side, we would not have fully viewed and experienced the falls.
Our first stop was the helicopter pad. At first just Bill and I were going to go, but at the last minute our friend decided to go also. Her aunt stayed back - she was being a trooper with bridges, but wasn't up for a flight. The short flight was just as amazing as the other flights we have taken over glaciers and over Victoria Falls. It was a great perspective of the entire series of falls. We also managed to get the flight in before the rain started. Just a drizzle at first, but then more steady as the morning wore on.
Fortunately our next stop was the Macuco Safari where we knew we were going to get wet anyway, so who cares about a little rain ;-). We changed into our bathing suits and headed off. One of the really cool things about the rain was that it seemed to be keeping the crowds down and we had the whole shuttle to ourselves! This also meant that we had the whole boat to ourselves. What an amazing experience going up to and under the falls. We really got a sense of the power of the Devil's Throat by being in the boat under it. That was definitely a highlight. We decided to buy the DVD since we couldn't take pictures on the boat (not only the spray, but also the rain).
After the boat ride and changing clothes, we got back on the park shuttle bus and our guide took us to the walking paths. Great views from the Brazil side. Again, we took so many pictures I don't know how we will sort through them. And it's hard to take a bad picture of the falls.
After our walk we grabbed a quick burger at the snack bar and headed back to Argentina. We had hoped to take the train out to the Devil's Throat walkway, but got back a bit too late and it was still drizzling a bit. So the other three rested a bit and I went out to the upper circuit again and walked along the top of the falls. I had several "Zen" moments as I threw my anxieties and stress into the rushing water and sent them over the falls. Some followed me home still, but I think I left a few there. I got back to the hotel in time for sunset and our jungle view room was superbly located to take full advantage of it.
For dinner that night I sort of wanted to go into town, but the rest decided they just wanted to stay at the hotel and we went to the Garganta restaurant. We all ended up having the buffet which was rated not so good on some posts here. I should have paid attention. The rest thought it was good, but I think in retrospect I would have been better off getting a meal. Oh well. Next time ;-).
The next morning we got up to fog, but I told everyone that it would burn off. We had breakfast and headed out to catch the first train to the Devil's Throat walkway before our flight home. Sure enough, the fog had lifted by the time we left for the train. It turned into a brilliantly blue and steamy day. The views of the top of Devil's Throat were amazing. What a great finale to our trip!!!
After we got back we had just enough time to take a quick shower and finish packing up. After almost leaving my jewelry in the safe (thank goodness for 2 people doing checks of the room!) we met our driver in the lobby and headed to the airport. I'll share some more about the trip back later - it was definitely a trip and I learned why we had a 5 hour connecting time in BA - we needed every bit of it! I'll also summarize some of the high points. But suffice it to way at this point that the trip was amazing and I want to return to Argentina to see more.
We got up the next morning to a gray day, but no rain yet. Our driver picked us up right on time and we headed to Brazil. My husband and I still had valid visas from 3 years ago but our friend who went with us for that trip had an expired visa so had to shell out over $100 for a new one. I was hoping that the trip to Brazil would be worth it and we all decided that it was. I think that had we not gone over to the Brazil side, we would not have fully viewed and experienced the falls.
Our first stop was the helicopter pad. At first just Bill and I were going to go, but at the last minute our friend decided to go also. Her aunt stayed back - she was being a trooper with bridges, but wasn't up for a flight. The short flight was just as amazing as the other flights we have taken over glaciers and over Victoria Falls. It was a great perspective of the entire series of falls. We also managed to get the flight in before the rain started. Just a drizzle at first, but then more steady as the morning wore on.
Fortunately our next stop was the Macuco Safari where we knew we were going to get wet anyway, so who cares about a little rain ;-). We changed into our bathing suits and headed off. One of the really cool things about the rain was that it seemed to be keeping the crowds down and we had the whole shuttle to ourselves
! This also meant that we had the whole boat to ourselves. What an amazing experience going up to and under the falls. We really got a sense of the power of the Devil's Throat by being in the boat under it. That was definitely a highlight. We decided to buy the DVD since we couldn't take pictures on the boat (not only the spray, but also the rain).After the boat ride and changing clothes, we got back on the park shuttle bus and our guide took us to the walking paths. Great views from the Brazil side. Again, we took so many pictures I don't know how we will sort through them. And it's hard to take a bad picture of the falls.
After our walk we grabbed a quick burger at the snack bar and headed back to Argentina. We had hoped to take the train out to the Devil's Throat walkway, but got back a bit too late and it was still drizzling a bit. So the other three rested a bit and I went out to the upper circuit again and walked along the top of the falls. I had several "Zen" moments as I threw my anxieties and stress into the rushing water and sent them over the falls. Some followed me home still, but I think I left a few there. I got back to the hotel in time for sunset and our jungle view room was superbly located to take full advantage of it.
For dinner that night I sort of wanted to go into town, but the rest decided they just wanted to stay at the hotel and we went to the Garganta restaurant. We all ended up having the buffet which was rated not so good on some posts here. I should have paid attention. The rest thought it was good, but I think in retrospect I would have been better off getting a meal. Oh well. Next time ;-).
The next morning we got up to fog, but I told everyone that it would burn off. We had breakfast and headed out to catch the first train to the Devil's Throat walkway before our flight home. Sure enough, the fog had lifted by the time we left for the train. It turned into a brilliantly blue and steamy day. The views of the top of Devil's Throat were amazing. What a great finale to our trip!!!
After we got back we had just enough time to take a quick shower and finish packing up. After almost leaving my jewelry in the safe (thank goodness for 2 people doing checks of the room!) we met our driver in the lobby and headed to the airport. I'll share some more about the trip back later - it was definitely a trip and I learned why we had a 5 hour connecting time in BA - we needed every bit of it! I'll also summarize some of the high points. But suffice it to way at this point that the trip was amazing and I want to return to Argentina to see more.
Apr 6th, 2008, 01:49 PM
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You absolutely need to go to Argentina! It beautiful, safe, welcoming, and the people are so wonderful. I would have to say that the only "bad" parts of the trips had to do with the airlines and airports. And isn't that usually the "bad" part of a trip in the US? I just went through all of our pictures (I think about 1200 in all !) and we hot some great shots. I'm also enjoying wearing the funky pants I bought there and remembering BA. Tell DH to take you there ;-)! He won't regret it. Mine knew he wanted to go to Iguazu, but wasn't sure about Buenos Aires. I convinced him and he was quite glad that I did.
!) and we hot some great shots. I'm also enjoying wearing the funky pants I bought there and remembering BA. Tell DH to take you there ;-)! He won't regret it. Mine knew he wanted to go to Iguazu, but wasn't sure about Buenos Aires. I convinced him and he was quite glad that I did.
Apr 6th, 2008, 05:41 PM
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Jen - I enjoyed reading your trip report. Thanks for sharing.
My family are going to Iguazu in two weeks and we will also stay at Sheraton hotel. I have a few questions about Iguazu and I wonder whether you can help me out.
(1) Which side's boat tour you like the better? You mentioned you did the Brazilian side, did you also do the AR side?
(2) At Iguazu Sheraton, what're the costs of dinners? Breakfast is included in my reservation and I guess I might skip lunch or grabing something ready-to-eat inside the park.
(3) I plan to rent a car at airport. Are there lot of hills in Iguazu area? Only manual cars are available and I am afraid of stopping at uphill crosses.
Thank you for your help.
My family are going to Iguazu in two weeks and we will also stay at Sheraton hotel. I have a few questions about Iguazu and I wonder whether you can help me out.
(1) Which side's boat tour you like the better? You mentioned you did the Brazilian side, did you also do the AR side?
(2) At Iguazu Sheraton, what're the costs of dinners? Breakfast is included in my reservation and I guess I might skip lunch or grabing something ready-to-eat inside the park.
(3) I plan to rent a car at airport. Are there lot of hills in Iguazu area? Only manual cars are available and I am afraid of stopping at uphill crosses.
Thank you for your help.
Apr 7th, 2008, 05:50 AM
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I can definitely help you with your questions.
1. I did not do the Argentina boat/jungle experience (the similar one to the Macuco Safari would be the Grand Adventure), but I watched where the boats went. The advantage to the Macuco Safari is that it goes further up into the Devil's Throat. This leads to a bit more whitewater experience (we went over some 6 foot drops that were lots of fun!) It also starts farther down the river so you see more of that.
2. The meals at the Sheraton were a bit high. We ate one night in the Terrace Bar and it was not too bad, but a burger ran about 30 pesos (about $10 US) and the menu was pretty limited. They did have wonderful deserts, though! The restautant dinners were all in the neighborhood of about 65-90 persos which puts them about $25-30 US. And it's pretty much al la carte. For lunch, you can grab a sandwich at the take out place at the top of the Lower Circuit. It is called Doa Hermanos and a sandwich there was about 15 pesos ($5 US). It was also quite tasty.
3. There aren't a lot of hills so renting a car shouldn't be a problem. Do you plan to take it to the Brazilian side? If so, you might need to check on the logistics and legalities of doing that. Also, if you drive to the Brazilian side, you will end up parking at the park visitor's center and then hoping on the park shuttle buses that run frequently. You can then hop on and off for the Macuco Safari. Very easy to do.
Enjoy your trip to Iguazu. It is definitely amazing.
1. I did not do the Argentina boat/jungle experience (the similar one to the Macuco Safari would be the Grand Adventure), but I watched where the boats went. The advantage to the Macuco Safari is that it goes further up into the Devil's Throat. This leads to a bit more whitewater experience (we went over some 6 foot drops that were lots of fun!) It also starts farther down the river so you see more of that.
2. The meals at the Sheraton were a bit high. We ate one night in the Terrace Bar and it was not too bad, but a burger ran about 30 pesos (about $10 US) and the menu was pretty limited. They did have wonderful deserts, though! The restautant dinners were all in the neighborhood of about 65-90 persos which puts them about $25-30 US. And it's pretty much al la carte. For lunch, you can grab a sandwich at the take out place at the top of the Lower Circuit. It is called Doa Hermanos and a sandwich there was about 15 pesos ($5 US). It was also quite tasty.
3. There aren't a lot of hills so renting a car shouldn't be a problem. Do you plan to take it to the Brazilian side? If so, you might need to check on the logistics and legalities of doing that. Also, if you drive to the Brazilian side, you will end up parking at the park visitor's center and then hoping on the park shuttle buses that run frequently. You can then hop on and off for the Macuco Safari. Very easy to do.
Enjoy your trip to Iguazu. It is definitely amazing.
Apr 7th, 2008, 06:06 AM
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Jen, Thank you for the replies, they are very helpful.
We only have half day at the Brazilian side and that's why I am considering take a boat ride at the Argentina side. Maybe you can comment a bit on my itinerary.
Day 1 3PM arrive at Brazil's Iguaçu airport from Rio. Rent a car and drive to Sheraton. Do the upper circuit.
Day 2 AM do the boat ride at AR side and do the lower circuit. Check out hotel and move to a hotel (TBD) at Brazil side.
Day 3 AM tour the Brazil side. At noon getting ready for flying back home via Sao Paulo.
Thanks again.
We only have half day at the Brazilian side and that's why I am considering take a boat ride at the Argentina side. Maybe you can comment a bit on my itinerary.
Day 1 3PM arrive at Brazil's Iguaçu airport from Rio. Rent a car and drive to Sheraton. Do the upper circuit.
Day 2 AM do the boat ride at AR side and do the lower circuit. Check out hotel and move to a hotel (TBD) at Brazil side.
Day 3 AM tour the Brazil side. At noon getting ready for flying back home via Sao Paulo.
Thanks again.
Apr 7th, 2008, 11:25 AM
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On the whole it all sounds good. I am not sure if you will actually be able to do the upper circuit on the first day. It will all depend on whether your flight is on time, how quickly you are able to get your luggage and car and then how quickly you are able to get through the two borders. If all goes smoothly you should be able to get to the Sheraton by about 5pm. Here's the tricky part, though. The park (and the circuits) close at 6pm. So what I would suggest is that you pretty much drop your stuff off and head right out to do the upper circuit. It only takes about 5 minutes to get to the start of it from the Sheraton lobby and the whole thing will take you about 45 minutes or so (you can take longer if you stop a lot and take lots of pictures, but the walk itself is not long). If oyu don't get there in time, then you should be able ot tack on the upper circuit the next day after you have done the lower circuit. The books I had suggested doing the upper circuit in the late afternoon for the lighting anyway.
The boat and lower circuit sounds great for the next day (again, you could tack on the upper circuit if need be) and then back over to Brazil. You have not indicated doing the train and walking out to Devil's Throat. That was an amazing view because you are right next to the Devil's Throat and can feel the power of the water coming over it. I don't know what time your boat trip would be, but if there is a way to include that, it's well worth it. You need about 10 minutes each way to walk to the train, 15 minutes each way on the train and about 45 minutes to walk out and back including a short stop at the end for photos and gawking.
The path along the Brazilian side will probably take you at least an hour - longer if you stop a lot. And if you aren't staying in the park hotel you will need to factor in time to get from your hotel to the park and then ride the shuttle to the walkway (I think that was about 10 minutes from the visitor's center).
Hope this all helps. As you can see from what I have indicated here, you could spend three full days and not run out of things to do.
The boat and lower circuit sounds great for the next day (again, you could tack on the upper circuit if need be) and then back over to Brazil. You have not indicated doing the train and walking out to Devil's Throat. That was an amazing view because you are right next to the Devil's Throat and can feel the power of the water coming over it. I don't know what time your boat trip would be, but if there is a way to include that, it's well worth it. You need about 10 minutes each way to walk to the train, 15 minutes each way on the train and about 45 minutes to walk out and back including a short stop at the end for photos and gawking.
The path along the Brazilian side will probably take you at least an hour - longer if you stop a lot. And if you aren't staying in the park hotel you will need to factor in time to get from your hotel to the park and then ride the shuttle to the walkway (I think that was about 10 minutes from the visitor's center).
Hope this all helps. As you can see from what I have indicated here, you could spend three full days and not run out of things to do.
Apr 7th, 2008, 12:07 PM
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Jen, Thank you again for the detail information and reminding me of Devil's Throat. We definitely will fit it into our schedule, day 2 probably. We will also do the Upper Circuit the first thing we get to Sheraton (and check in later).
Apr 7th, 2008, 12:55 PM
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Final Chapter of the Trip!
When we left our heroes, they were headed to the airport (after recovering the "crown jewels" from the hotel safe)!
We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare - luckily! As we were checking in at Aerolineas, the gentleman checked in the first person and then moved on the second one of our group of 4. She commented to me that she was in a different seat than we had expected, so I quesitoned the agent. he indicated (rather rudely) that she was on a different flight and went back to checking in the second person. We stopped him and after much debate back and forth and insistence that he "see our e-tickets" (fortunately we had followed instructions and had our paper receipts for the flight in our possession) he grudgingly changed her boarding pass, but put her in a totally different seat. He also had to send a baggage handler out to change the tag on her checked bag. We asked about having her sit next to her aunt (who doesn't like to fly) and he said that seat was unavailable. We figured we'd deal with it, but as it turned out there was no one in the seat - he just didn't want to change it again. Needless to say, I am not thrilled with Aerolineas after having the theft on the way to Iguazu and now this on the way back. But, the flight was on time both times, so I guess we were lucky there.
We arrived in BA on time and a driver was there to transport us from the domestic to the international airport. It was nice to have some last glimpses of BA as we drove down Ave 9 de July. We arrived at EZE with plenty of time, abd once again we needed every minute of it. We wanted ot get something to eat, but first figured we'd check in and get our airport tax paid. it was a bit slow getting checked in since the American desk wasn't ready to do so yet. Once they got ready it was a rather slow and cumpersome process that involved first finding our flight information in a stack of printouts (I guess e-tickets are not fully integrated yet) and then having us go to the counter individually (my husband and I got to go together to check in since we were a "family, but our friend and her aunt had to check in seperately). While they were checking Vickie in the agent hit the wrong computer button and froze the whole thing up so couldn't print her boarding pass. We finally go that settled and got all of th airport taxes paid and went to get a bite to eat.
After eating we headed up to go through security. One more problem occurred - apparently when I paid the airport tax for my husband and me the woman put a sticker with the wrong date on mine and the correct one on my husband's. So it showed me as having paid my tax the day before. I showed them my receipt indicating that I had paid for 2 taxes on that day, but it still took about 15 minutes to straighten that all out. Yikes! I had doubted our travel agent when he said we needed close to 5 hours to make the connection in BA, but we really did need all of it. Oh - one last caution for people flying out of EZE: we had bought and/or filled water bottles INSIDE of security (like we do here in the States) expecting to be able to take them on the plane only to have them confiscted upon boarding. No problem for those of us who just filled empty ones, but those who spent good money for a bottle of water to take with had to throw it out.
The flight back took off right on time and was pretty uneventful. Decent movie, OK food (for airplane food) and only a little bit of turbulance. We got to Chicago right on time, breezed through immigration (it was 5am so no crowds) and picked up our car and were home by about 7. I did discover a hitchhiker later that afternoon when I took a shower. I had felt a pinch on my side when I changed into my long sleeved t-shirt on the plane, but didn't think anything of it. Later I discovered that a tick had managed to somehow hide out in my clothes and latched on when I changed clothes on the place. I'm sorry to report that he didn't survive.
Now one week later we have gone through our 1200 pictures and whittled it down to about 650 that we showed some friends last night. They were SO impressed with everything we saw and it was so great to relive those wonderful days. All I can say is that the trip was fabulous and except for the annoyances of air travel (which is always the annoyance on traveling these days) everything went very smoothly. I can't wait to return to Argentina to see more of the country. We have just scratched the surface in this short visit.
To everyone who helped out with the planning of this trip - thanks. To those of you planning a trip to Argentina, you will love it. Please feel free to e-mail me if you have specific questions. I try to get to Fodors as much as possible to see if there are questions I can help answer (as a way to "give back" to those who helped me), but I don't always get a chance. I love to talk travel with fellow travel junkies!
When we left our heroes, they were headed to the airport (after recovering the "crown jewels" from the hotel safe)!
We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare - luckily! As we were checking in at Aerolineas, the gentleman checked in the first person and then moved on the second one of our group of 4. She commented to me that she was in a different seat than we had expected, so I quesitoned the agent. he indicated (rather rudely) that she was on a different flight and went back to checking in the second person. We stopped him and after much debate back and forth and insistence that he "see our e-tickets" (fortunately we had followed instructions and had our paper receipts for the flight in our possession) he grudgingly changed her boarding pass, but put her in a totally different seat. He also had to send a baggage handler out to change the tag on her checked bag. We asked about having her sit next to her aunt (who doesn't like to fly) and he said that seat was unavailable. We figured we'd deal with it, but as it turned out there was no one in the seat - he just didn't want to change it again. Needless to say, I am not thrilled with Aerolineas after having the theft on the way to Iguazu and now this on the way back. But, the flight was on time both times, so I guess we were lucky there.
We arrived in BA on time and a driver was there to transport us from the domestic to the international airport. It was nice to have some last glimpses of BA as we drove down Ave 9 de July. We arrived at EZE with plenty of time, abd once again we needed every minute of it. We wanted ot get something to eat, but first figured we'd check in and get our airport tax paid. it was a bit slow getting checked in since the American desk wasn't ready to do so yet. Once they got ready it was a rather slow and cumpersome process that involved first finding our flight information in a stack of printouts (I guess e-tickets are not fully integrated yet) and then having us go to the counter individually (my husband and I got to go together to check in since we were a "family, but our friend and her aunt had to check in seperately). While they were checking Vickie in the agent hit the wrong computer button and froze the whole thing up so couldn't print her boarding pass. We finally go that settled and got all of th airport taxes paid and went to get a bite to eat.
After eating we headed up to go through security. One more problem occurred - apparently when I paid the airport tax for my husband and me the woman put a sticker with the wrong date on mine and the correct one on my husband's. So it showed me as having paid my tax the day before. I showed them my receipt indicating that I had paid for 2 taxes on that day, but it still took about 15 minutes to straighten that all out. Yikes! I had doubted our travel agent when he said we needed close to 5 hours to make the connection in BA, but we really did need all of it. Oh - one last caution for people flying out of EZE: we had bought and/or filled water bottles INSIDE of security (like we do here in the States) expecting to be able to take them on the plane only to have them confiscted upon boarding. No problem for those of us who just filled empty ones, but those who spent good money for a bottle of water to take with had to throw it out.
The flight back took off right on time and was pretty uneventful. Decent movie, OK food (for airplane food) and only a little bit of turbulance. We got to Chicago right on time, breezed through immigration (it was 5am so no crowds) and picked up our car and were home by about 7. I did discover a hitchhiker later that afternoon when I took a shower. I had felt a pinch on my side when I changed into my long sleeved t-shirt on the plane, but didn't think anything of it. Later I discovered that a tick had managed to somehow hide out in my clothes and latched on when I changed clothes on the place. I'm sorry to report that he didn't survive
.Now one week later we have gone through our 1200 pictures and whittled it down to about 650 that we showed some friends last night. They were SO impressed with everything we saw and it was so great to relive those wonderful days. All I can say is that the trip was fabulous and except for the annoyances of air travel (which is always the annoyance on traveling these days) everything went very smoothly. I can't wait to return to Argentina to see more of the country. We have just scratched the surface in this short visit.
To everyone who helped out with the planning of this trip - thanks. To those of you planning a trip to Argentina, you will love it. Please feel free to e-mail me if you have specific questions. I try to get to Fodors as much as possible to see if there are questions I can help answer (as a way to "give back" to those who helped me), but I don't always get a chance. I love to talk travel with fellow travel junkies!
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