We met in the lobby at 6:30am and they had a bagged breakfast for us to eat on the bus. It included an omelette sandwich, a yogurt and a pouch of granola, an apple and a banana (I had half the yogurt and granola and took the apple and banana in my backpack for later). There were two groups, one flying out of the Domestic airport (Group 1, which was us) and one flying out of the International airport (Group 2) - the only real difference in our day was that we had only about a 15 minute drive to the airport, so we arrive about 45 minutes ahead of that group to Iguazu falls and we arrive home about an hour ahead of them later tonight (we arrive at 8pm).
They handed out our boarding passes on the bus and confirmed, several times, that everyone had their passport with them, when we arrived at the airport we simply scanned through security and went to the gate and had about 30 minutes to wait before they boarded the plane. Neither Jay or I had really thought about the plane ride, so we didn't bring anything to do for the 2 hours we would be in the air. I had my phone, so quickly downloaded a book into my Kindle app and Jay slept because he'd left his phone at home. I ate my banana on the plane and declined the cookies they handed out. When we landed at the far North end of Argentina (literally across the river is Brazil), we were about a 15 minute bus ride to the Falls, we had another snack given to us on the bus; an apple (which I ate on the bus) and some nuts, and a care package that included bug spray, sunblock, two ziploc bags and two ponchos - we'd been given packable MEC totes a few days before and been told to bring a full change of clothes, right down to shoes because we will get drenched on a boat that goes down into the mouth of the falls. Our guide recommended when we get on the boat they give you a drysack and to take our shoes off on the boat and pack them into the drysack as well so that they stay dry, and said it will be like buckets of water being poured on you.
When we arrived at the Iguazu National Park we boarded a private train (like a zoomobile) and bypassed a lot of people waiting for the big train that holds 250 people and has 10 cars (ours only had 3 for our group of approximately 20 plus 4 guides and 2 security) and took the 20 minute train ride to the area where the falls are. We then had a 1km walk on a raised platform bridge made of metal grating to walk out to the top of the falls. It was very misty, like it was raining, so we got a little bit wet - but we dried a bit on the walk back. We were so lucky with the weather because it was windy today so there is very little humidity even though we are in the rain forest, also it was cloudy so not super hot.
(At this point, a complete aside, one of the conference guests from Quebec wore platform stilettos and a lace dress...all day we were thinking she would change into flats, but no, she wore those shoes right out to the falls on the catwalk - I guess sensible shoes means something different to everyone!)
Then we got back on the train, and I ate my nuts while I waited (they really like to feed you on this conference - if you've noticed I had yogurt on the bus, a banana on the plane, an apple on the bus and nuts on the train - and its only 11:45am...and we're on our way to lunch at the Sheraton once we take the 20 minute train back to the station and walk a short distance to the hotel located right in the park.
On the train we were sitting with MaryAnne and her husband, Dave, and I mentioned that my Mom was coming to Buenos Aires in March on a cruise and asked me how spectacular the Falls are and if the day trip to Iguazu was worth the $1,000 per person the cruise line was asking for the excursion - MaryAnne said "I don't think so, I wouldn't pay that"...I looked at her and said - "Well, you kinda did, for 50 of us" She looked at me and laughed and said "Yeah, I guess I kinda did" (She's the CEO of Manulife Canada). After the lower half of the falls though and the boat ride she said it was totally worth it, I'm a little more attached to my money than her though and I don't think its worth that much.
They had a buffet lunch ready for us when we arrived and we had 35 minutes to eat and grab anything we wanted from our totes, which were in a room available for us to access. After eating we were walking down to the lower falls, which was quite a ways down, first down a concrete path and then down another catwalk and then down some sketchy stairs to where the boat launch was, but there were some photo ops along the way too.
We showed up the 30 of us and got on the next boat, which really didn't impress the people who were there waiting for a boat but was part of the Manulife Experience. We got on and had a chance to take a few photos before they said to pack the cameras away in the dry sacks and went into the falls...and I mean IN TO the falls. We got drenched to the bones, but it was so much fun. MaryAnne looked at Dave and took her glasses off and said "Is my makeup all running?" I said "there's no make up left!" at the same time he said "What makeup?!?".
After taking the boat into the falls about 6 times we sped 6 km down the river with Brazil on one side and Argentina on the other side to a different launch and walked up a series of stairs to where more drinks and snacks awaited us, along with towels to get us somewhat dry. Then they had a local group of children come out and sing a song and dance welcoming us to Argentina and they each gave us a beaded necklace which is a hope for fertility but also good providence. Jay said "I don't want fertility beads, I want the opposite of fertility beads" and someone shouted "Sterility beads!"
We went from that area to jungle trucks for a drive through the rainforest and we saw a bunch of lizards and a family of capuchin monkeys in the trees.
At the end of the jungle truck ride we were back near the Sheraton and we were given the keys to day rooms where we had 35 minutes to shower change into our dry clothes in our totes before we had to head back to the airport for our flight that left Iguazu at 5:45pm to arrive back around 7:30pm and a short drive back to the hotel. Before we hopped on the bus we were given yet another snack box, this one with a half a turkey sandwich and some chips, another apple, a pastry (which Jay said was good) and some pasta salad. I had the sandwich and a few chips and added another apple to my backpack!
When we got to the airport again we were handed our boarding passes and just had to scan our bags through security and head to the lounge. The guide said that there are only three gates at the airport but in any given day only one was operating and today we would go to gate 1. We waited about 20 minutes and then our flight boarded - Jay and I were lucky and ended up with a seat between us for this flight (or rather I moved from the middle seat to the aisle seat when no one sat there), so he relaxed stretched out and fell asleep and I finished my book and started a new one.
We went out for dinner across the street from the hotel when we arrived back and had a nice dinner. The food here has been amazing.
Now we're off to bed, tomorrow we have nothing going on in the morning so will try to sleep in and then go for breakfast and maybe go to the pool for a few hours before our wine tasting tour at noon.
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