Off to Iguaçu Falls

Monday, Jan. 10

I was uncomfortable last night. I should have taken a shower. I was warm and sticky. The night was the hotest so far. I haven´t used the fan at night before, but last night I had it on me and still felt warm. It never cooled down the way it has on privous nights.

I reorganized my luggage, had breakfast, and went to town to a cybercafe. It took 2 hours to deal with e-mail and updating my blog. On the way back, I stopped at a local place with a self-serve buffet. I had chicken, pork chop, brown beans, rice, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, and some stalking green vegetable with a light cola to drink. It was well prepared.

It was hot, hot, hot as I made my way to the Metro with all my luggage. And I made a wrong turn that took me at least two blocks out of my way. But I made it and am now at the bus station waiting to leave in 35 minutes on my long, long journey.

I´m surprised that Arne has been on my mind as much as he has since I left Denmark. I guess it is because I am alone with lots of time to think. Last night I dreamed that I felt a movement in the bed and that Arne had rolled over and raised himself on an elbow and was looking down on em. I instinctively knew it was a dream and that he was dead, but I enjoyed every moment of "being with him" again.
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I just had an experience that was so nice, but was too short. As I took a seat to wait for the bus, I noticed a young Brazilian man who was with two older women. He smiled at me. Then he smiled again and made a motion of understanding when he saw me take out my hand fan and start using it to try to cool myself off. I didn´t expect him to speak English, because so many Brazilians don´t. But I was uncertain about something related to my ticket. I got the impression that I might have to change buses and wanted to see if I was right or not. When I asked, I found out he speaks excellent English. In fact, he teaches English and Portuguese and has traveled throughout the British Isles. He was with his mother, who is a professor of didactics, and his aunt. They were traveling home to Recife. I found myself wishing they lived in Foz do Iguaçu, because it would have been so nice to visit with him longer and to get to know him better. His name is Wesler (Wes) Rocha. We exchanged addresses. Maybe I will be in Recife or he will be in Texas someday. I am sorry I didn´t think to take out the camera and get a photo before I left.

Oh, I forgot to mention about the abandoned case on the Metro. I had noticed the beat-up satchel setting on the floor and figured that it belonged to one of the people standing or seating nearby. When the train stopped at a major station, however, everyone who was around the case left the area. Of course, the first thought through my mind was that it might be loaded with explosives with a remote-control opr timer detonator. I thought about trying to move away from it, but it would be awkward to do so with all my luggage. I donly had 4 stations to go, so I turned my back and tried to get my mind off it. I am writing this, so it obviously didn´t explode. I wonder what was in that bag and how it came to be abandoned? Or could it have been a Candid Camera setup just waiting for someone to be curious enough to open it? Or could it have been a detonator set off by opening it?

It´s 8:30 and we have stopped at the same place we stopped the last time I went to Iguaçu. I remember the curving wall in the toilets. And I remember what I bought last time--some coconut candies. Today I bought two salgados (snacks) and 3 pieces of the same coconut candies.

Walking: 11,306 steps (7258 aerobic steps), 477 calories, 7.68 km (4.6 miles)

Tuesday, Jan. 11 (Part I)

Well, the long bus ride is over. It will be a while before I have another one that long. Most of the upcoming ones are no more than 4-6 hours in length.

It is HUMID here! It is the rainy season, so the rivers will be up and the water will really be flowing over the falls. The guidebook suggests wearing a swimsuit and raincoat. Since I have seen them before, I will just avoid the areas that provide the wet experience.

I am on the Brazilian side today. I will stay only one night here before heading to Argentina tomorrow. As soon as I got into my room, I took a shower. The air conditioner is working overtime to keep up with the heat and humidity. I will just stay inside for a while and rest.

I am not pleased with my room. For what I am paying, it should be bigger. But the bed is good. And there is a TV, although probably nothing is in English. Not even CNN broadcasts in English in South America.

I have no idea what has happened in the world during the past week. I can see why there were backpackers in Asia unaware of the tsunami. It is easy to know nothing about what is happening. And it is kind of nice, too.

Planned Itinerary through Argentina and Uruguay

Puerto Iguazu--2 Nights
San Ignacio Mini--1 Night
Posadas--2 Nights
Resistencia--2 Nights with a day trip to Corrientes
Salta--3-4 Nights
Tafi de Valle--2 Nights
Tucuman--1 Night
Cordova--3-4 Nights
Alta Gracia--1-2 Nights
Mina Clavero--1-2 Nights
Villa General Belgrano--2-3 Nights with a day trip to La Cumbrecita
Santa Fe--1-2 Nights
Paraná--1-2 Nights
Victoria--1 Night
Rosaria--2-3 Nights
Buenos Aires--Approximately 7 Nights
Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay--2-3 Nights
Montevideo--4-5 Nights

After that, I will head back into Brazil.