A bit of a long bus journey had to be endured for Floripa to Foz, 16 hours in total in took. You get used to journeys like that though, you don't even think about closely missing out on a full day somewhere. Leaving at 6pm and arriving at 10am the following morning is a great way to go about long distance travelling, sher what else would you be doing during those hours?
We arrived at the rodoviaria as I said around 10am and got a taxi the short distance to our hostel costing us 13.80 reais, remember this price. The hostel was called Green House and sure enough it was painted a manky green colour. Nice hostel and all but horrible shade of green. We had only planned one night there so it was imperative to get going early but that morning at the next to so both side of Iguazu Falls in the two days. Off we went and caught the local bus that would bring us the 30 mins or so that it would take to get to the national park. On arrival, the park is like Disneyland, large entrance area, walkways everywhere, optional boat rides that aren't in the price, bird sanctuaries, souvenirs galore, special bus that bring you back and forth from the falls, the really have thought of everything and done it the American way. The price of the ticket is around 40 reais if I remember correctly, €20 thereabouts for a day out in one of the new natural wonders of the world.
The falls is peculiar in that it is actually the border point of two countries, brazil and Argentina, with the city of ciudad del este of Paraguay not too far down the road either. All three countries are marked within park by a monument where the triple border lies. Some folk say that the Argentinian side is better, more impressive. Their right, I believe so too, much more too see, better views etc, but what the Brazilian side has over the other is the chance to get up close and personal with the big guy, gargantua del Diablo. The walkway pretty much brings you through the mist and into the mouth of the waterfalls there as you look in amazement up at water powerfully dropping before you.
There are some view points there but the majority of them are over growing in some spots so not necessarily a good spot to take photos unless you want a hape of trees in the way! Nevertheless, we got some good shots even if it had to mean racing to the vantage point getting the shot taken and then running to the next one nearly. It was beginning to get busy so we had to be on our toes if we didn't want hoards of people in our way.
Surprisingly, after three hours or so there, it seemed like we had seen and done all of the Brazilian side sober decided to get some overpriced food at the restaurant there. They have these animals there that run wild and cause havoc to the visitors there called coate's. They're animals with thebfacevpf a possum and the tail of a raccoon, that's the way I'd put it. But what they are most famous for it for being naughty thieves. They scour the park for food or anything that looks like food. If you hand gets in the way, your gonna be scratched. Don't feed the animals! One of the guys we met there was having his little box of chicken nuggets, turned his head for a moment to speak with someone and then woosh, the swipe of the coate's hand comes in and nicks his food. The sign posts told ya so!
Later on back at the hostel, it was still bright so we chilled out at the pool with a few beers, having the chats with fellow travellers that were staying there also, a mix of Canadians, English, Americans and French made the up the complex conversationalists. We got the BBQ going that night and dined for half the price that we would pay at a restaurant, and its always nicer when you cook it yourself, isn't it.
The following day, we checked out after breakfast. The more further south I was getting with the exception of Floripa, the breakfasts were getting considerably worse. Brekkie was now consisting of miwadi, coffee you'd tar a road with, bread, bread and more bread and the sweetest thing I've ever had for the morning feast, a caramel spread, Ni butter or marmalade, called duche du leche. They crazy!
We left the hostel and got on another local bus, when I say local, it had Argentinian plates as we were easing across he border. So this is how it went for anyone who wants to do it.
Step one: get bus from Foz to Brazilian border, hop off at border, get Brazilian exit stamp. Wait.
Step two: get on next bus from Brazilian border to Argentinian border, get off bus (it waits for you), get entry stamp for Argentina, get back on bus which drops you too the bus station there, estacion d'onibus.
Step three: get pesos from ATM if you don't have them already or have USD's on you to change off the cambio dudes in the street. At the time it nearly double the price of the peso.
Step four: return to the bus station and buy a ticket from one of the office there, I think it cost 60 pesos, roughly €6 which brings you to the Argentinian side of the park. And boom your there.

It sounds horrible but its actually not. Hopping on and off the bus and having to wait for the next one could be a pisser and you might have to wait longer but it's easily done. Doing this systematically, from door to door,'Brazilian hostel to Argentinian park with no delay will take two hours. Give yourself that as a gauge, any amount of time less than that is a bonus.
The Argentinian side is I suppose more grander that its neighbours. Bigger capacity for more tourists, etc. the cost there I think was 170 pesos, which is the guts of €25 I suppose, converting it off the blue market. We got on a little train they have there that brings you around the park, just like the monorail in Disneyland. They have many walkways there that can be done quickly but we were unfortunate arriving on a Saturday morning just before the throngs of buses arrived with OAP's. this considerably packed the park and slowed it up but with some quick movement of the hip and less talking tea and cake we were able to manoeuvre through the crowds as quick as we could. No one wants to be walking at a snail pace behind hundreds of people all wanting the same thing at the same time, I don't care, I'm getting there before ya! It's the same on this side of the park with all the coate's but what they have but we didn't see we're pumas, now that's something I want to see. They also HSE an abundance of butterflies, all over the place! I'm not sure if it was the old ridin'season for them, but they were everywhere, beautiful to watch.
The most impressive part of the park is of course at the end, where the train ends. It's the viewpoint from the top of el gargantua del Diablo, which gives you fantastic views all the way down into its mouth and far off in the distance from where the river approaches the park. I must say a very very impressive day or two was had there and I'm glad I came, even if it was a long 16 hour journey back and forth to civilisation. However, this is my blog and I can say whatever I want, so I will. I thought that
Iguazu Falls are impressive and of course their famous, but their famous for a reason I believe, and that's down to their location, suitability for all ages and the attraction that goes with it all.
For me, when I make a comparison with Angel Falls, there is no comparison. Perhaps I'm biased about it, as angel falls was always on my bucket list and Iguazu was not up there, we'll not up, up there anyways. Iguazu has a wow factor but angel falls manages to force your to skip breaths before you realise what's above you. This I call the WOW factor. You can rock up to the park at Iguazu after taking a local bus or you can fly into the jungle, take a river boat for a day to the falls and then camp out underneath. I'm sorry, but there is no comparison. You are thousands of people at Iguazu and 25 people at salto angel. It's so much more of an experience there to be at one with nature than to be ferried around Disneyland amongst the bus loads that visit each day.
Please please please, I cannot spell this out any better, go to Venezuela, go to the jungle, go to the falls and understand why this should be known, understand why I am so passionate about what I saw there. One of the most remote places in Latin America with no connecting roads that has something like this to offer.
Now that's a natural wonder of the world.

Back to reality, with a bang.
We got the buses back to Foz in the reverse order that I described earlier and to our hostel in jig time for the bus later that night. We had no tickets yet purchased so we thought we be okay getting there roughly and hour and a half before hand. Instead of getting the bus, we asked the reception could he order s taxi for us. No problem he said, binge actually motioned towards the guy working on the tour desk, asking him would he do the run? Of course he said. f*** him, he caught me on the hop, I doesn't happen often but it did then. It was nearly six and stupidly I thought, well sher maybe he's doing us a favour or for the hostel, he might be finishing work at six and lives close to the station. It all became clear when he pulled out his big minibus and then spoke on the phone to his boss, lets say, about doing a transfer to the station. The word transfer to me, screams $$$$$ and it did. When we first arrived, I paid 13.80, but this lunatic wanted 50!! Fifty!! I nearly had a heartattack! I wasn't able to reason with him more than a discount of a few bob but it was atrocious that a guest was being treated and ripped off like that. I was f***ing ripping for an hour after that, mad with myself that I didn't ask him the price beforehand, but sher why would I, the station is only 5 minutes away. Scumbag hopefully got what was coming to him after I spoke with the management! p****
The evening was to come in threes if you get me. Up to the counter we go, two tickets for Porto Allegre please. Only one left, bollox. That was to be number two.
I had remembered that there was another company that goes to a place called cascavel two hours away, where there has connecting buses to Porto Allegre. We got the bus to cascavel but bought the wrong time for the connecting bus to Porto Allegre. This was getting bad to worse. Now we were on a bus heading to our connection point with no time to spare in between and we were already late.
Arriving at cascavel, we were indeed late and I had thoughts of spending the night there. However, our strikes were already down and we had a new batter on the pitch. The kind lady at the counter then told me that there was a later connection heading Porto Allegre, so all we would have to wait is another 30 mins. Sweet! Eventually it all worked out well in the end. If we were able to get on that first bus and the difference to when we actually did arrive in Porto Allegre, the time difference was only two hours! A lot better than being holes up in some bus station, albeit a nice one, for the night!