Well, we made the bus trip from Sao Paulo to Foz Iguacu then got ourselves across the boarder to Puerto Iguacu in Argentina.

Bus trip was 16 hours but flashed by in pretty comfortable buses, although Anni was contemplating the quiet slitting of snorting man's throat in the middle of the night (not me I hasten to add)! IguacuFalls are incredible.

From the Argentinean side of the falls the national park stretches for mile upon mile and the falls define the border with Brazil and Paraguay. We did one of the many walks that allow you to see the falls from different perspectives...bloody hot it was too, with the thermometer on that day peaking at 37 degrees.

The falls in the photo above are just one part of the overall falls...this is the Diablo Falls, (Devil's throat) where the Iguacu river roars over the precipice and crashes down three levels of sheer rock, cutting ever deeper into the canyon below. The water vapour soaks you to the skin and makes camera work tricky. Photos capture some of the power and majesty, but most has to be retained in the minds eye....sadly with my lack of memory now renowned, it will fade soon enough....must be all that damned aspartamine!

Yesterday we crossed back to Brazil to see the falls from that side. Geographically the Brazilian side is higher and view points have been built that stretch out over the canyon to allow you to see the full vista of the IguacuFalls. It was 38 degrees yesterday, so the soaking from the falls was welcome. The views were worth the effort and hopefully some good photos have been captured. The river running into the falls seems placid and tranquil above the falls and is over a kilometre wide as it picks up pace for the massive drop ahead.

The scenes from the lookout areas are just stunning. The roar of the falls is constant. The walks along side the falls are good also with loads of forest to waters edge and loads of bird life, iguanas and various reptiles scuttling around. Just as fascinating was our 1st view of a tarantula, just next to the pathway. I had wondered earlier what all the`rabbit holes´were in the banks nearby! Seeing just the front legs of the tarantula in residence in such ´rabbit holes´was pretty compelling to suggest they are not rabbits....or at least are no longer. We did not see the full tarantula, but its front half (four legs and mandible things!) were half the size of a lunch plate, so I guess the rest of it was pretty damn big. I was not about to reach in and tease it out of its hole, but a local confirmed it is a tarantula...apparently common here and in Brasil. Kind of made me think that wandering through the forest in my flip flops was perhaps just plain stupid!

The snakes I am assured are a lot more dangerous and just as common....fortunately both only strike if cornered and unable to escape....so I shall watch my step a little closer for future. We are off to Buenos Airies on an 16 hour bus late today and over night, due to arrive 7.00am tomorrow. We intend to hit out in town on Thursday night and soak up some of the local night culture....it will be good to get clothing laundered etc as well.

Iguacu was definitely well worth the bus ride and has got to be a must see aspect of Brazil (or Argentina) for anyone with the time to make the trip....they dwarf Niagara and both the Argentinean and Brazilian sides of the falls are worth seeing as they differ from each other. Fab.Not long to Christmas now, but it does not really feel like it here...too hot for reds suits and beards, although they are about the place.