Mar 3 Iguazu Falls, Argentina

Yesterday we saw the falls from the river.  Today we're going to explore the falls from the riverside.

Got to see the hotel in daylight this morning.  There are swinging bridges between the different buildings.  After the first day of bouncing up and down going from room to breakfast and back we found the ground level path for subsequent trips.

 Lovely swimming pool on several levels

 The locals were happy to see us

 Our long suffering guide Burna who has shepherded us on the trip to the penguins and will be with us all the way to the ship in Buenos Aires.  He's got 74 independent and absent minded geriatrics who will limp away if he doesn't keep them in line.

 After arriving at the park we take the electric "ecology" train to our first hike.  Like some American National Parks there are no personal vehicles allowed in the park.  You have to use the supplied transportation.

 Our first hike is to Devil's Throat, above the largest of the waterfalls.  We did not visit this waterfall from the boat yesterday, so we'll walk to it today.  It's one mile from train to the throat across a steel walkway with several thousand of our closest friends.  Closest in the sense of physical proximity and not friendliness.

 And this is what you get to.

 Lots of spray.  Almost as wet as the boat ride.

 We walked back out from Devil's Throat and took the train halfway back to the park entrance.  Here we walked a loop trail along the cliff edge overlooking the chasm.  We were at the level of the beginning of the waterfall drop.

 We took hundreds of waterfall pictures.  It was so beautiful you felt like you had to take 5 pictures of the same thing just to do it justice.

 The wide part of the river below is where we were on the boat previously. The walkway below will be our afternoon walk.

 Another local, who is about 4" across

 After the loop trail, about a mile and half, we walked another half mile to the Gran Melia Hotel, located in the park, where we had lunch.  Another great buffet lunch.  They also had Coke Zero.

 This is the front lawn and swimming pool of the Gran Melia Hotel.  Pretty good view.

 After lunch, those who were willing and able took another loop trail hike, this time along the lower level of the waterfalls -- sort of in between the river and the upper level.  Once again, lots of waterfall pictures.

 Each of these falls has a name but I leave that as an exercise for the interested reader to determine them.

 Here's a view of a boat entering the waterfall to shower their occupants.  They really don't get underneath the waterfall, it just feels that way.

 These ring tail raccoons, or coati, couldn't care less about us.  If we didn't offer them food, they'd roughhouse amongst themselves.

 Back to the Loi Suites hotel after another long day for a shower, dinner and bed.  Yet another early day tomorrow.