A Return Trip to the Sunny Brazillian Side

Thursday November 25th, one month until my first Christmas in the summer.

Today I took a city bus back to Parque Nacional Do Iguacu on the Brazillian side. I wanted to return on a sunny day (1st time it rained) and spend the whole day there. I arrived at the park by 10 and stayed until 5:30.

The first thing I did was another 'maid of the mist' ride. It gives a very different view of the falls being right on the river. Luckily I wore my raincoat today in the boat because they didn't give us a waterproof bag to put out cameras in. I had left my daypack in a locker but the camera I put in my coat pocket (in my other pocket I put a camera from the Dutch guy beside me who had nowhere to hide his!). They drove the boat right into the heavy spray of the falls four times, and then on the way back as we were white water rafting we were swamped by a really large wave. I got totally drowned, even in the coat! Luckily the camera was protected in the pocket.

The rest of the day I spent wandering around the trails and stopping at all the vistas. I hope you are not tired of falls pictures. If this is not the most beautiful set of falls in the world I'd be amazed. I think they surpass Niagara, and I will be anxious to compare to Victoria Falls next month. Apparently there is a contest going on worldwide on the net to vote for the new seven natural wonders of the world, and Iguacu is in the finals. If it doesn't win I'd be surprised.

I had a very enjoyable buffet lunch in the restaurant there and had a fabulous day.

After Kristian finished work he went to visit Karolyne and his parents came home. We had a delicious parmaganna dinner and then they took me out to see some Christmas celebrations. There were lots of people in the street and they had closed down a road to make pedestrian walkway. There was a large stage where there was a live music and dance presentation underway. It was a group of dancers dressed as natives and reenacting a myth about the creation of the falls. Hardly a Christmas story, but interesting nonetheless.

Then we headed back to the house, enjoyed a couple of beers and retired for the night.