Ambitious plans for an early morning hike along the Macucu nature trail in Iguazu Falls National Park this morning fail to materialize as our-conditioned double-room is just too good to leave. Only very reluctantly do Christi and I pack yet again and then ask the staff at reception whether there are any private rooms available or whether it’s back to communal living tonight. Christi and I may live in San Francisco, but hippies we ain’t. I don’t mean to knock the whole dorm experience, but been there, done that. Now I crave a little privacy and as much comfort as my limited budget can manage. In any event the Gods are smiling on us. The staff at reception do have a double-room available for the next 2 nights and we jump on it. Yippee!
Return to Iguazu Falls National Park with renewed enthusiasm. Arriving at mid-morning is much more low-key than yesterdays early morning escapade. Today there is no race for the train or Garganta del Diablo. Our main aim today is to hike the Macucu nature trail; it’s an easy 2-mile walk, best undertaken in the early morning. By the time we find the trail and begin to hike it’s approaching midday, which is bad news for animal spotting and for hiking in general. You won’t be surprised to learn that it is very hot and humid; the sweat is just dripping off Christi and I. Christi in particular says she dislikes high humidity. There are also a fair few bugs and not wanting a repeat of my nighttime disasters in the Esteros del Ibera we cover up and use liberal amounts of bug spray. Mind you, DEET is not exactly a healthy alternative to mosquito bites. Nevertheless it’s a pleasant amble well away from the huge crowds visiting the falls themselves. Supposedly, the Macucu nature trail is a wildlife hotspot, but sensibly all the critters are sheltering from the oppressive heat and humidity. Our only encounters are a coati and a miniature scorpion. The end of the trail overlooks the Arerechea waterfall. We paddle in the splash pool above the falls while eating lunch (in the company of friendly lizard) and then wander back to the trailhead. The jungle is dense either side of the trail, but we do manage to spot a woodpecker and some capuchin monkeys.
We are unbearably hot and sticky when we finally stagger back to the service area just beyond the trailhead and are glad to indulge in some delicious air-con and cold drinks. Later we retrace our steps along the Circuito Superior. The crowds have thinned appreciably and we take our time and enjoy the moment. The wildlife here is actually more abundant than on the nature trail – mostly, I think, because the tourists feed the animals. More pretty butterflies and a kumquat-eating iguana are the pick of the wildlife encounters.
Take the public bus back to the Marco Polo Inn and check-in to our third (and last) different bed. Shower and air-con (when it’s switched on at 7 pm) are utter bliss. Have dinner at a poor man’s parrilla tonight; the meal is only memorable because a lot of it ended up in a cat that Christi befriended.
Blog post by Roderick Phillips, author of Weary Heart – a gut-wrenching, heart-wrenching, laugh-wrenching ride.
Speak Your Mind