Mendoza, Argentina to Iguassu, Brazil
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Today is the day of our long awaited Malbec Wine Tour. We are travelling by minibus with a group of about 12 passengers. Both the driver and the tour guide speak English. Some of the passengers only speak Spanish so the tour will be conducted in both languages.
The advice we had been given when we booked the tour was to eat a hearty breakfast because it will not be long after that we begin drinking.
We travelled out of Mendoza during rush hour this morning. It was a relief for me not to be behind the wheel. It was an interesting drive through a city we have not yet explored. We will get to that tomorrow. I can say that the road system is well developed with major highways heading in many directions. Before too long though, we were out in the countryside on a pleasant road with little traffic. Soon we pulled into our first winery. It was Trapiche, a brand that we know well from the LCBO in Waterloo. We were very excited to see where the Malbec wine originated.
The tour began In the vineyard. The grapes has been harvested last week but there were still a few hanging on the vines. We could not resist picking a few and tasting them. I have to say they were remarkably bitter, a bit of a surprise.
We were taken into the production area for Trapiche wines. We were able to see the barrels in the fermentation process through a window but we could not go into the space because the temperature and light conditions are closely controlled. The temperature in these barrels is very closely monitored because both the temperature and the length of time in the barrels impacts the fermentation process. Somewhat later (days or weeks) the grape solution (not yet wine) is transferred to one of three kinds of barrels – oak (new barrels from Britain), metal barrels or cement barrels. The type of barrel and the length of time in the barrel determines the flavour and the quality of the product. Varying the length of fermentation in particular will determine the kind of wine that is produced.
From there, many in the group chose to visit a wine museum, reflecting the history of Trapiche through artifacts, stories and aged equipment. Some of us chose to pass on that part of the tour and go straight to the tasting. Jim and I ended up in a room that had an automatic serving system. There were 8 types of wine to choose from with the choice of small, medium or large servings. A credit card facsimile slid into a slot on the device and a button could be pushed to pour the wine you chose in the quantity you wanted. Jim and I were not charged for the wine we tasted, of course, but there were people who arrived, purchased the access cards and served themselves. It would be fun if wine bars in Ontario could offer this approach to sipping wine. We have also seen a similar machine in Italy.
It was a leisurely tour but finally it was time to move onto the second winery. It was about 10:30 am and we had already consumed a fair bit of wine. We all hopped back into the bus and were transported to vineyard number two: Sinfin.
We had a similar tour there. We began an outdoor area where the initial stages of production occur. First the grapes were washed and put through a machine that removed all the leaves and other matter. The grapes then went into another machine that removed the stems but left the grapes intact. Amazing that a machine can do that. Next the grape skins were removed and the grapes were moved inside the building through tubes and poured into very large metal barrels and crushed. The fermentation rocess takes over with time and temperature determining the flavour, colour and intensity of each variety of wine.
Sinfin is considered a boutique winery as it only produces about 100,000 bottles per year. They do not export any of their wine and mainly sell it right at the vineyard itself.
We were guided to a large table and served three different kinds of wine. The guide challenged us to consider the ‘nose’ of each wine which led to an interesting discussion as we had many different ideas. We also chatted about wine and food pairings. There was a particularly delightful Sauvignon Blanc that could easily have been a stand alone wine for any occasion. Too bad it is not available in Canada.
The third winery is owned by Santa Julia. It is also a producer of olive oil. Zuelo is the brand name for the oil. It was here that we had a fabulous lunch accompanied by three kinds of wine paired with the food that was served. It was lovely to have an assortment of delicious food along with delicious wines.
After a leisurely lunch, we were taken on a short tour of the olive oil production. Then we were able to taste one of the varieties of olive oil and discuss how it could be used In food preparation. Again, a very interesting conversation. Our guide was very knowledgeable but also very personable with a great sense of humour. Jim and I ended up purchasing three different flavours of olive oil. It will be fun to experiment with each one.
It was time to head back to Mendoza. It was a quiet ride. Hot, tired and filled with wine, everyone was very subdued. Many of the group actually slept. We were dropped off at our hotel, grateful to the guide and driver for a wonderful day.
A nap was in order when we got to our room. And then an evening of writing, managing photos and planning the next few days.
Wednesday, March 15, 2023
We had planned to travel through Mendoza on the Hop On Hop Of Bus today but we learned that it only runs from Thursday to Sunday. Our bad luck. But ever resourceful Jim was able to find a private guide at 11 o’clock last night who was available to take passengers today. Francisco confirmed with us at about 7 am and picked us up at 9:15 am. Jim had already gone to the bus station to confirm our travel arrangements for tomorrow and returned just as Francisco arrived.
We joined him in his very comfortable 2015 Mercedes and off we went for a tour of the city. We travelled through the centre of the city first, passing by many stores and busy cafes. There seem to be four or five cafes on every corner. Argentinians do enjoy their coffee. What impressed us about the downtown area was its cleanliness, the tree-lined streets and the frequency of parks peppered throughout. Not just small parks … there were large well maintained parks with lots of trees, benches, playgrounds, fountains and a variety of statues.
Buildings were both old and new … an interesting blend of architecture and building materials. Somehow, they all blended together into a lovely shopping district. Pedestrians plied the streets on their way to their destinations. It is a busy part of town.
Next Francisco took us past several significant buildings – government house (Mendoza is the capital of this county), City Hall, Museum of History, the oldest school, a theatre and a stadium. Every street was lined with trees throughout the main area of town. Soon we were in an old residential area. Homes here were large and elegant. Most had been maintained in their original styles. Some had been razed and new structures replaced the old. And some had been refurbished behind the original front of the house. All of them had high fences and locked gates.
Mendoza is a large city, population approximately 2 million. As with many growing cities, Mendoza was expanding beyond the original city limits. New housing developments, business centres, shops and services and the occasional shopping mall were all sprouting up on what had been vacant land until recently. The land is generally arid and not suitable for farming so there did not seem to be the issues that face development in southern Ontario.
The exception to this is the vineyards that are being planted to keep up with the wildly growing wine industry. It would be difficult to estimate how many vineyards we passed, all producing Malbec wine. Since this is such a dry area, all the vineyards need irrigation to be successful. Water is diverted from a large river and used to water the grapes. An enormous dam has been built to create a beautiful lake that is one source of water for the vines. The lake also provides recreational opportunities for residents and visitors. Today was hot and we saw people swimming and wind surfing. Some watercraft are permitted on the lake but nothing with a motor.
As we drove along on narrow country roads, we passed through several charming villages. Again, cafes dominated the street fronts with tables and chairs all along the way. It was late morning and most of the seats at each café were occupied.
We continued to travel east and soon began to climb to higher ground. Mountains soared around us but, as we had noticed on our way into Mendoza, the peaks are not snow capped as they were on the west side of the Andes. The weather patterns are quite different. It is humid and rainy on the west and dry arid on the east. Either way, the mountains soared high into the air and showed off their various hues – red, brown, orange, black, pink and more. Without snow, they still stand beautiful and proud.
Just passed noon, we arrived at a vineyard where Francisco had made a lunch reservation for us. Potrerillos Gran Hotel gate was open and we drove into an absolutely gorgeous setting. High on a hill overlooking the aquamarine lake, glistening in the sun, the landscape was spectacular. Seating areas with comfortable furniture dotted the grounds and a lovely covered eating area was waiting for us to arrive.
We invited Francisco to have lunch with us (he usually does not do this with clients) and we all sat down at a table in the shade with a lovely view of the grounds and the lake. Jim and I ordered the set meal (sometimes the Spanish menus overwhelm us and we order something simple). Francisco ordered a hamburguesa. The servings were enormous. Jim and I each started with bread and a lovely beet butter. Salads followed, large enough to be the main course. And then the mains … I had barbequed pork and Jim had a local fish dish. Neither of us could finish the meal. Dessert came next … yikes … delicious but beyond tackling. And don’t forget the wine … Malbec, of course.
To finish, we enjoyed a coffee under a portico, out of the sun, overlooking the lake. Idyllic!!!
I would not normally include this information … but each meal cost the equivalent of about $20.00 Canadian. What a bargain.
Soon, it was time to head back toward town. We had travelled on local roads to reach this destination but we returned to Mendoza by the express mountain highway that the bus had taken yesterday. Not nearly as scenic but it certainly was quicker.
Once back in town, Francisco took Jim on a very important shopping expedition. No … not for food. For underwear! Our previous hotel in Santiago had done some laundry for us but apparently not all the clothes came back to us. In particular, Jim’s underwear was missing. So I stayed in the car and finished my book while Francisco accompanied Jim into a large ‘supercentre’ style store to look for underwear. In due course, I finished my book and Jim and Francisco returned to the car with underwear in hand. We all had a good laugh.
What a wonderful day this has been … and now we are back at our hotel, comfortable in the cooling air conditioning. No need for dinner. A quiet evening lies ahead, including packing for another lengthy bus ride. Tomorrow we head to Montevideo in Uruguay.
Thursday, March 16, 2023
Another early morning. Anyone who knows us well will understand that this is not our favourite part of the day. Nonetheless, if the bus goes early, we need to be on it. Francisco, our guide from yesterday, picked us up at our hotel and transported us to the bus station. He assisted us with the luggage (we always have too much) and ensured that we were at the correct bus bay (number 32) for the bus to Montevideo. We were so grateful to Francisco for the help he has provided over the last two days. It was sad to leave him at this point.
We boarded the bus and found our seats on the main floor of the bus. A second level also was filling with people. We had deliberately purchased luxury tickets as we were going to be on the bus for 20 hours. Our seats were wider than usual, softer than usual, and reclined further than usual. There was also a footstool of sorts that provided extra comfort.
We were astonished at the number of intercity busses that were pulling in and out of the station. There were 60 … yes, sixty … bus bays and at any given moment about half of them had a bus in it. Almost all busses were double decker, one more indicator of how many people travel by bus. (There is no passenger train service in Argentina.)
Luggage stowed, seatbelts on, our bus pulled out right on time. Our hostess came along to ensure that we had everything we needed. She spoke no English so the communication was a bit stilted. On occasion, another passenger would jump in and help us out.
Beverages (coffee, tea, soft drinks) were served. Movies were constantly running, English with Spanish subtitles. We were close enough to the screen that we would see and hear them without moving.
The beverages were a nice touch until the call to the bathroom. I have to describe this feature of the bus. The entire bathroom was about the size of a standard toilet stall. The door was really difficult to open. I had to brace myself against a wall and pull with all my might. Both times I used the bathroom, someone else came to my rescue and opened the door. Inside, the tiny space had a low toilet, a narrow sink, a stainless steel urinal built into a wall and a push button to flush. Toilet paper sat on the edge of the sink. Getting ready to sit and getting dressed after the operation were comical to say the least. There was not enough space to bend over and reach clothes that had fallen to the floor. It required squirming to turn around to reach the flushing button and there were no paper towels or any other means to dry your hands. And to get out of this room … I sat down on the toilet and kicked the door until it flew open. Thank goodness there was no one waiting on the other side. Naively I had brought my toothbrush and other personal sundries, thinking I would freshen up in the morning before we arrived in Montevideo. That plan went out the window!!
At lunch a hot meal with substantial accompaniments. Chicken and rice which was delicious. But have we mentioned how much South Americans enjoy thinly sliced ham and thinly sliced mozzarella cheese. We are very tired of this combination, served for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and fast food. So, along with the wonderful chicken came a tray of ham and cheese in many variations – cubed as finger food, tea sandwiches to precede the meal, scrolls in white bread topped with an olive. Yikes!!! We stuck with chicken and rice and enjoyed it thoroughly..
At dinnertime, we were offered a martini. It tasted fine but it was certainly not a martini by Canadian standards. We missed the mark on food though. We stopped for a break from the us (30 minutes) at a cafeteria. Jim noticed that other passengers were not purchasing food so he did not buy any either. Wrong decision … with 15 hours left in our journey, no dinner appeared. Fortunately we has some snacks and fruit to tide us over. We were not going to starve.
Of course, throughout the journey, we were watching the scenery and taking photos. As we left Santiago, we passed through the east foothills of the Andes. Gradually the land flattened into an extensive plain that continues all the way to Montevideo. It was richly an agricultural area with crops of corn, sorghum, wheat and other plants. Horses and cattle grazed on long, lush grass.
There were many small towns along the way. Many of them had multiple enormous grain elevators with extensive piping to transport the grains to the trucks that would carry them to their destinations. For most of the way to Montevideo, we were on a four lane divided highway. Busses and transport trucks were the primary vehicles on the road. We had not expected any of this agriculture, having spent the last several weeks in vast barren plains and rugged mountains.
Twelve hours after we had boarded the bus, dark began to fall. It was time to settle in for a long nap. The bus grew quiet and sleep came. A few hours later, we arrived Uruguay border. Time to get up again and stretch our legs. Documents at the ready, each of us was processed for entry into Uruguay, our third country on this journey.
Once the bus was loaded again, we began the final stretch to Montevideo. Jim and I both slept but not necessarily at the same time.
As a new day began to appear, we passed through several little towns and the traffic increased as we neared the big city. The day was just getting started for most people. There were crowds at the bus stops and many cars on the road. We saw an occasional person out walking their dog and a few on bicycles. Everyone seemed to be moving with purpose.
At exactly 8 am, our bus pulled into its bay at the Montevideo bus terminal. 1651 kilometres. 20 hours on the bus. It was time to begin a new part of our adventure in Uruguay.
Friday, March 17, 2023
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!
We left the bus station by taxi and travelled a short distance to our hotel, The Days Inn. Sound familiar? Our room was not yet ready so we went to have breakfast on the 10th floor. The menu was familiar … drinkable yogurt, lots of ham and cheese, a variety of buns and other bread items, orange juice and peach marmalade. Fresh fruit of some kind was always available, watermelon today, and, of course, Jim has his coffee.
We lingered in the breakfast room overlooking the amazing view from this height. It was a panorama of Montevideo, reaching from east to west to the limit of our sight and north to the Atlantic Ocean. More than half of Uruguay’s total population lives in Montevideo, including most ex-pats. From the 10th floor of this building, it is easy to see business areas, residential areas and, like Santiago, a wonderful canopy of trees. Clearly, being green is a high priority here.
Once our room was ready we settled in and immediately had a nap. The fatigue from the journey was catching up on us.
Once again, I am working on photo books and our blog. Somehow, they seem to have gotten ahead of me this trip. I am constantly playing catch-up. My goal is always to have books and blog published by the time we go home. I may have to modify that goal this time.
Jim is putting the final touches on our last days of travel. We have not yet booked out flights home but we guarantee we will be there before the end of March. We will finish this trip in style … at Iguazu Falls!!
Saturday, March 18, 2023
After a lovely breakfast this morning, we set out on an adventure. We boarded a bus for a city tour of Montevideo. We were picked up right in front of our hotel. We shared the bus with people from Brazil (Portuguese), people from Argentina (Spanish) as well as the UK, USA and of course us, the Canadians. The tour guide actually spoke all three languages and dazzled us all day long with her fluency as well as her facility in flowing from one language to the next with hardly a breath. Very impressive.
The day was beautiful and the tour of the city was fascinating. The tour guide emphasized the history of Uruguay (she spoke with such pride); the efforts put forth by the Portuguese to prevent takeover by the Spanish in the 17 and 1800s. The initial buildings on the land were a fortress to prevent attack from the Spaniards. Clearly, the Portuguese held their ground and Uruguay was not joined with Argentina.
The guide also spoke of papal visits (1987 and 1988) and the decreasing commitment to religion by the growing population. She also described the importance of football (soccer) in the culture of Uruguay. As we drove from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, the importance of football was very clear. Not only were there many, many football fields, several of them were filled with games in progress – little league teams of all colours, pick-up games that were less organized but more rugged, teams practising. Football is indeed a national sport.
The population of Montevideo is 1.25 million and growing. More than 40% of the country’s population lives in this city. We passed through many neighbourhoods; each one had a name. The style of housing varied in each neighbourhood, ranging from very poor to very wealthy. The main housing is apartments but the style, condition and size of the buildings in each area told the tale of monetary security. More green space around the building; the quality of building materials and the maintenance; the presence of balconies were all indicators. Some of the most impressive apartment buildings were quite old and had been refurbished, adapted from their original purpose.
We passed by government buildings, sports complexes, shopping centres, universities and hundreds, yes, hundreds of monuments in honour of people or events. It was quite astonishing.
When we came to the central area of the city, it felt very odd. Stores and businesses are open from Monday to Friday. Some of them also open on Saturday morning. This was Saturday afternoon and almost the entire central business district was closed up tight. The streets were empty of people. Storefronts were protected with rolling metal doors. The traffic was negligible. Occasional cafes and greengrocers were the only exceptions. It was a very strange phenomenon, being from a culture where stores open their doors early and close them late seven days a week.
We stopped at a beautiful and historic market building that has been transformed into a tourist mecca. The indoor market was lined with small specialty shops and cafes. Broad aisles were peppered with tables and chairs, souvenir stands and frequent benches. Of course, we were given time to browse and enjoy a beverage. It was no coincidence that several busses of tourists were roaming the aisles while the tour guides also took a break and gathered together in one location. Thirty minutes later, we were all back on our busses.
The most beautiful part of the tour was along the waterfront. The Atlantic Ocean meets with the Uru River in a protected strait. The brown water from the river flows into the blue water of the ocean and forms stripes of brown and blue. It is fascinating to see the waters merge in such a gradual way. Of course, ultimately the blue waters dominate. There are miles of sand beach along the shore.
It being a very warm day, the beaches were well populated and many people were actually in the water. Our guide told us that this is unusual this late in March as the fall and winter seasons approach. (Yes, we are still south of the equator.) It was a beautiful and well developed stretch of the city.
Similar to Mendoza, there is clearly an emphasis on green culture in Montevideo. Even the oldest streets are lined with trees, providing a canopy from the hot sun. Parkland is abundant with wonderful facilities for children and adults. Playgrounds, exercise equipment, eating areas, trails are available throughout the city. It makes Montevideo a beautiful place.
Passengers on our bus were all dropped off at our hotels. We were the last two on the bus and our hotel was in quite a different area of town. We had a long ride, seeing things we had not previously noticed. After four hours on the bus though, it was good to be ‘home’.
Pizza with tomato, mushrooms and cheese toppings for dinner (please no more thin ham and cheese).
Writing and planning filled the evening. Then, sweet dreams in preparation for another day.
Sunday, March 19, 2023
It was a lazy Sunday morning in the breakfast room on the tenth floor. Munching on fresh crusty rolls, sweet watermelon, pulpy orange juice and, of course, coffee for Jim. Large windows enabled us to see wide swaths of the city in two directions. Lots of trees in the old section of town.
Towering buildings in the distance as the city has expanded.
The wide, wide Uru River hosting the docklands where we will catch a ferry tomorrow In one direction and the busy bus terminal with 50 bus bays awaiting busses and passengers. Many homes have rooftop decks and are clustered together with virtually no green space around them. Today seemed to be the day for deck cleaning and laundry. We watched from above as several households used brooms and hoses to tidy their meagre outdoor space. Laundry was hung on lines on the flat roofs. The sun was struggling to shine as the parkland at the beach prepared for a major music concert featuring only female artists to acknowledge International Women’s Day (albeit a few days late). The sky over the wide, wide river looked ominous. As the staff tidied the breakfast area and patiently waited for the final lingerers to leave, we made our way back to our room.
We did not have any specific plan for today. Shops are closed; the city tour done; books awaiting to be read in our room. So we settled in and relaxed. Of course, Jim was reading about our next stop, Buenos Aires, and I was writing this blog and adding photos and captions to our photo books.
The day was quite hot and humid. On our bus tour yesterday, the guide talked about the weather in Montevideo, describing it as chilly in the winter and pleasantly warm the rest of the year. A dry climate, rain was a rare event. Well, the rare event happened today. Thunder rumbled, lightening flashed and rain bucketed down from the sky. We felt quite happy to watch the rain rattle our window from inside and glad that we had chosen to have a slow start to this day. The rain lasted for a long time.
When the sky cleared, we opened our window and enjoyed the fresh clear air. Not long afterward, we could hear the music from the beachside concert. It was great that the rain did not cause the event to be cancelled. We lingered in our room, napping in the afternoon and puttering and repacking to leave in the morning. It seemed no time and the day was done. Jim went out to find some food for dinner and I continued to fight with my computer and the internet.
Jim returned from a successful search for food, difficult on a Sunday when most places remain closed. He had found a barbeque takeaway at the bus terminal and came back with two delicious sausage on a bun. No ham and cheese for us tonight!! A good ending to a relaxing day.
Off to Buenos Aires in the morning.
PS It is 4:30 am and lightening is flashing and the thunder rolling again. Maybe there will be more rain.
Monday, March 20, 2023
We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and then moved all our luggage to the lobby of this hotel (Days Inn) as we were leaving Montevideo this morning en route to Buenos Aires. A small taxi came to pick us up. Doubtful that our luggage would all fit, we watched as the taxi drive masterfully completed the puzzle successfully and we were off to the ferry dock. We were taking a ferry across the Uru River to B.A. where the Atlantic Ocean meets the river. We were also going back into Argentina for the fourth time. We have a country stamp in our passports from each nation we have visited … all except Argentina where passport simply do not get stamped. (We have given them four chances to change the policy but still no stamp.)
The ferry, a catamaran, provided a very smooth ride about 3 hours in length. The river is so wide at this point that it was not possible to see the shore. Just as well because a catamaran causes a huge spray that really diminished the view out of our window. We read; I slept; we had a small lunch … and then we were there. Once again, we had to load all our stuff into another taxi. And this one was even smaller than the one in Montevideo. Nonetheless, everything was stuffed in. Jim and I were both relegated to the back seat and Jim even had a bag on his lap. It was quite remarkable.
We had a lengthy ride to our hotel which gave us a chance to take a look at the city. I had been reluctant to come to B.A., mostly because I am tired of moving from place to place. But, as the taxi took us through many areas of the city, I saw why it is considered one of the great cities of the world. Old and new buildings were intermingled. Neighbourhoods featured shops, homes, cafes … and more cafes. By the time we reached our hotel, I was delighted to be here. Our own street has at least 12 cafes and restaurants and is really a pedestrian corridor.
We settled into our new ‘home’ (a small apartment on the 4th floor with windows overlooking the street). Quite charming, actually. We headed out to explore the community but it did not take too long for us to succumb to the myriad of invitations to have a drink at one of the local establishments. We enjoyed our Campari orange beverage while we also enjoyed watching the throng of people who were walking along the street. Colourful, entertaining, enlightening and fun.
Jim and I sauntered down the street until we saw a Freddo’s shop, an ice cream chain that we have seen in most cities we have been in. We have never indulged until tonight but I can say that that was likely a good thing because the Freddo’s treat was good enough to entice us back for more. We will wait until tomorrow to do that.
Now, back in our room, we are organized for tomorrow and about to say good night. Refreshing sleep will make tomorrow another great day.
Good night.
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
While everyone at home is celebrating the first day of spring, south of the equator, it is the first day of autumn. Depending on where you are in South America, that can represent a relief from the hot days of summer or the beginning of a frigid and windy season. Happily, we are coming home on Sunday so we will celebrate the arrival of spring when we get there. (I am sorry to hear that there is still snow on the ground.)
We have only one day in Buenos Aires, far too short a time to even scratch the surface. We hopped on the Hop On Hop Off bus at its first run this morning for a 3 hour tour of the city. It is amazing what you can see from the upper level. Fortunately the audio component of the tour worked well so we were able to hear and understand the commentary. In three hours we covered a lot of territory – historic sights, new business district, residential areas, parks (there are many) and monuments (there are more!). We enjoyed the plethora of public art,
the emphasis on green space and tree-lined streets, the jungle of roads and the traffic on main corridors. We could see that Buenos Aires offers a blend of history and progress. Tiny, traditional shops still outnumber the new ones although some international names are certainly part of the mosaic (McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway, Apple) and shopping malls are springing up throughout the city. There is a café on almost every corner, some with enticing window displays of pastries and other baked goods. Most cafes have outside tables, some under cover and some in the bright sunlight. Argentinians seem to love their coffees.
Sports is a huge obsession in BA, especially soccer (oops, football). There are 59 soccer stadiums in this city as well as a myriad of playing fields and open parkland where pick up games occur. As you know, Argentina won the recent FIFA World Cup and there is celebratory evidence of that all over the city. The main square in central BA is similar to Times Square in New York. Huge neon signs hand around the area, including one devoted to the Argentinian success of their soccer team. On a more local level, some neighbourhoods have even painted their football stadium in the team colour. The one we saw was vivid yellow and blue (similar to a university football team we follow in the USA). Not only was the stadium painted in the team colours, but homes and businesses also sported those colours throughout the community. You talk about team loyalty!!
After the tour ended, we returned to our room for a rest and then headed out onto our local street which is filled with little shops and lots of restaurants and cafes. It was fun exploring our own little community on a pedestrian walkway. Our suitcases are already full so we refrained from adding anything more to them.
Dinner tonight was at a restaurant called Clark’s. Not sure where the name came from but the food and service were superb. We started with a Campari orange and then we ordered dinner – I had a sirloin steak and Jim had roast of lamb. Both were delicious. We also had a bottle of Malbec to sip along with our meal. We decided to indulge in dessert as well. We sat for a long while enjoying the clear, warm air and watching the array of pedestrian traffic that passed by our restaurant. A young woman works there as a hostess enticing people to eat at Clarks. She is remarkably good at her job. The restaurant was totally full until about 10:30 pm. She clearly had a gift for the role.
Back to our hotel for one last night’s sleep in Argentina (there have been many). We fly tomorrow to Iguazu Falls for the last adventure of this trip. It promises to be pretty special. See you there!!
Wednesday, March 22, 2023
We left our hotel, bags packed and headed to the airport for the next leg of our journey. As the taxi made its way through the traffic, we once again marvelled at the size and diversity of Buenos Aires. We were traveling through a part of the city that we had not seen before. Buenos Aires is definitely a city that requires more than our two days to explore. So unfortunate that we have run out of time.
We arrived at the airport in plenty of time to catch our plane. Good thing we did as it was at that moment that the taxi driver told us he does not accept credit cards as payment. Jim had managed to diminish his Argentinian cash supply as we were leaving the country in a couple of hours. Now what? The driver was very clear … no cards. So Jim left me, the luggage and the taxi and entered the very crowded airport to find a Cambio where he could get some cash. No cambio at this airport. Next try was an ATM. When he found it, there was a repair person working on it. No cash from that source either. He finaly found a bank that happily would accept Canadian cash at a very low exchange rate. At this point, Jim had to take what he could get. He finally arrived back with enough cash to pay the driver and rescue me and our luggage from the taxi. Whew!!!
Entering the airport, right away we felt that the chaos that was in front of us would make Pearson (Toronto) look organized and efficient. So many people; so many check in lines; and, of course, ours was at the far end of the terminal. So we fought the crowds and finally made our way to the Jetsmart lines. There were at least 150 people ahead of us. Yikes. But a young man pushing an empty wheelchair came past us and I stopped him to ask for help. First of all, I use a wheelchair in airports due to the distance required to walk to board a plane. He had what I needed and he realized that. Within two minutes, I was sitting in an old dilapidated wheelchair but at least it would get me to the plane. Then this wonderful young man persuaded a Jetsmart agent to open a new line and let us be the first to check in for our flight… ahead of all the people waiting in the long line. Wow!!! That meant we had almost an hour to spare before heading to our gate. The same young man agreed to meet us at a particular place and he would take us through security and ensure that we were at the right gate and would be able to comfortably board the plane (that is another story). We wondered if this plan was too good to be true but, indeed, he came to find us and took us all the way to the gate. What a gift this was for us!!
The flight took off on time and we were on our way to Puerto Iguazu. A couple of hours later we had a very smooth landing (the passengers applauded the pilot) and we were met by a prearranged taxi driver who would take us to the Iguazu Falls National Park to see the Argentinian side of Iguazu Falls. Sadly, we were just a few minutes too late as the park was closing for the day. So, we headed to the border and slowly left Argentina and entered Brazil. (We are so fortunate in Canada to be able to cross into the US quickly and smoothly.) In most South American countries you actually have to exit your vehicle and go into an office to both leave or enter a country. That means at any border crossing, you have to stop twice and get your passport and other documents approved. What a slow process.
In due course, we were on our way again heading to Iguacu National Park (Brazilian spelling) where we will spend the last three days of our adventure. What a lovely way to end the journey … a luxurious hotel, delicious food and incredible scenery.
We can see the falls from our room .... and sunset; we enjoyed a fabulous dinner; the maid offered a turn down service; and we found some delightful sweet treats in our room as a welcome gesture. We are very happy to be here.
Thursday, March 23, 2023 (Jim’s birthday)
Jim rose early this morning to go on ‘before the crowds arrive’ hike through part of the adjacent rainforest and to catch a first view of the falls. It was a long and somewhat arduous hike and he was happy to rest when he got back. The highlights were seeing several species of birds, including toucans, and capturing some of them on film.
We met at the breakfast buffet which proved to be plentiful and delicious. Hot dishes, cold dishes, fresh fruit and of course, ham and cheese. The several varieties of bread are all made in house, and amazing spread of food. After breakfast, we spent some time outside, enjoying the walkways and benches and more birds and coatimundi, a somewhat vicious animal that is always looking for food. The advice is not to carry food with you because the coatimundi will always win the argument, whether you want to give him the food or not. We actually watched him take food from another woman’s plate. She had left it beside her lounge chair for a snack later. She stepped away for a few minutes and the coatimundi moved in. There was nothing she could do until he left … with the food.
We arranged for a driver to take us to the main Brazilian falls this afternoon. It was breathtaking to see this waterfall, taller than Niagara. We were able to view the falls from several levels as there was an elevator and ramps that took us down the cliff. The camera was very handy, to say the least. And the souvenir shop, was very happy to see us at the end of our visit.
Back at the hotel, we were enticed into the bar by the sound of piano music. We chose a table on the covered porch and ordered a drink and a snack. Both were delicious. We are very impressed by the innovative offerings that appear on every menu. What a treat to order something you have never even heard of before. Happily, English language descriptions are included on the menus as well as Portuguese.
The day was very hot … and it was time to return to our air conditioned room. There we found a lovely birthday card for Jim from the hotel and a small cake to mark the occasion. What a treat. We actually did not eat it because we were still nibbling at the welcome treats. Tomorrow we will eat cake.
We had dinner at an outside table at the formal dining room tonight and once again thoroughly enjoyed everything that was put in front of us – a basket of several small portions of locally made bread; a salad that featured beets and peaches; Jim ordered a rack of lamb; I had fettuccine with a black squid sauce accompanied by several kinds of seafood. A glass of wine accompanied our food. We both indulged in dessert and enjoyed a cappuccino to complete the meal. Needless to say, we waddled back to our room.
And yes, the maid had been in to turn down our bed. Tomorrow is our last full day in Brazil. We are excited to be heading home but will leave this place with many incredible memories.
Friday, March 24, 2023
Our last full day began with another scrumptious breakfast beside the pool. An array of fresh breads, fresh fruit, various cheeses and hot foods as well. Staying here, we will never starve.
It promises to be a very hot day so we have planned our activities accordingly. Since we have a lovely view of the falls right from the window in our room, we spent the morning in air conditioned comfort reading, chatting and always planning what the future might hold. We already have a few destinations in mind. It is now a matter of which trip comes first.
We always forgo lunch preferring to enjoy a late breakfast which sustains us until dinner. Instead of lunch, today we had booked a boat cruise on the river under the falls. Iguazu Falls extends for more than 2 kilometres with water plunging over a precipice high above rive level. One of the claims to fame for Iguazu Falls is that they are actually higher than Niagara Falls although they do not have nearly the same volume of water going over the edge. Like, Niagara, the falls are divided by several pieces of land so they are not contiguous but stretch along their width. Some of the falls are broad and powerful; some are much narrower with a smaller flow of water. All of the flows drop far into the river below which is extremely turbulent along the whole expanse of waterfalls.
We arrived at the boat launch, donned our life vests and listened attentively to the safety rules. Then we stepped into the boat with the help of the staff. It was a long step down and I am timid in such situations. Yes, timid. Settled in our seats, the driver headed out on the river, fairly calm where we started but increasingly turbulent as we moved in among the various falls. It was remarkable to be at the bottom of the streams of water and watch them plunge into the river. No wonder the river is turbulent. The driver was masterful at managing the boat safely although he did do a couple of deliberate 360’s just to add to the thrill of the ride. We were on the river for about 45 minutes, stopping at particularly scenic places for the predictable photos, and lingering in a few calmer bays to watch the water sparkle in the intense sun. It ended all too soon. We would have enjoyed being under the falls for much more time.
Enticed by the water, when we returned to the hotel we went for a swim. Due to the heat of the sun, there is not shiver when entering the pool. It was a lovely temperature. Even Jim stayed in the water for a very long time. Surprisingly, there were only a few people in the water. Most were lounging on the chairs that surrounded the pool.
Back to our room to get ready for dinner and relax at the window again. We were treated to another glorious sunset as day changed to dusk.
Throughout the day, we had enjoyed sighting several beautiful birds and some wildlife as well.
Thanks to Sharon Spall we have been able to identify many of the birds although they are very elusive when it comes to picture time. We saw a deer and more coatimundi around the hotel grounds.
Dinner was again a panorama of delicacies and we both indulged in small portions on many dishes. We will not be eating like this when we get home. Of course, a glass of Malbec accompanied our meal.
Some packing, some reminiscing and some writing completed our day.
Tomorrow will have several flights and patience in airports. But the memories of this whole adventure will sustain us for a very long time.
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