Iguazu Falls

Iguazu is spectacular! And so is enjoying it with the Wickhams! Madi, Lily and Kate are all terrific conversationalists! We have so much to talk about and catch up on. We are having so much fun being together in such a beautiful place. Fun to have Dan and Kurt be able to speak Spanish, but the Wickhams aren't shy about practicing either! Also lots of laughs today with the crazy wild Coatis!

We started first thing taking a short bus ride jungle tour to board the boats for Iguazu. Unfortunately Kate wasn't old enough -- you have to be 12 years old to ride the boats at Iguazu. She and Tiff walked around seeing the falls from above.

Still dry -- heading out to see the falls! 

The falls are bigger than I could have imagined (even though everyone said they were bigger than Niagara) and the boat driver got us close to some of the smaller falls and we got drenched several times! 

Drenched!

(Captured with an iPhone 5se -- water droplets!)

 After we walked up from the boats along a path for various other views of the falls. 

(And we dried out pretty quickly!)

We had lunch at a crowded park restaurant with a choice of Subway (yes, the American Subway sandwich shop) or empanadas. We all chose empanadas! And fortunately we got seats inside the restaurant because the picnic tables were being invaded by Coatis! A large wild animal that weren't afraid of humans one bit! They were scavenging everywhere and not afraid to jump right on people. And apparently they bite too! Yikes! 

"You've been warned!"

We took a train ride and then followed the groups over paths and bridges. I was having so much fun talking to Tiff, I didn't even realize where we were walking until suddenly we came right up to the falls. They were spectacular!

I'm not even going to try to describe it because you can't with words. 

But I would love to go back some day!

So many butterflies! I pointed out a particularly vibrant blue one to Courtney and she stepped on it! Accidentally, of course, but it was hilarious! "Look at that one!" "Where?" "Ahhh... You just stepped on it!" And then she moved her foot and there it was!

Not the stepped on butterfly.

We had another boat ride to see more wildlife along the rivers -- a turtle, birds and even a crocodile!

During our walk back to the hotel, we were looking forward to a relaxing afternoon at the hotel before we flew to Buenos Aires. We discussed swimming at the pool but decided first we all needed a late lunch. We went back to the patio to relax and had just placed orders for food. I was looking forward to watching the spectacular sunsets I had heard about but missed the night before. 

Suddenly Kurt ran out of the hotel and told us to pack it up quick. The airline had just called and apparently changed the flights two hours earlier! We had a very short window to make it to the airport! (Supposedly they'd sent out an e-mail a few weeks prior, but neither us nor the Wickhams received it! Also apparently it's common for the airlines to change flights! Found out our flight for the Bariloche had also been changed!)

We made it just in time and watched the sunset from the plane window. Off to BA!