From Uruguay we took taxis across the border and it was probably the easiest land border crossing we've had so far because the taxi drivers did it all, even our luggage. Just inside Argentina we played cards while waiting for yet another lovely 12 hour nightbus (freezing cold and leaking from the ceiling) that took us to an Argentinian town that is near to the Brazilian border. From here, we then boarded a private minivan to the town of Foz Du Iguaçu - while in the process getting our Brazilian stamp for our second border crossing in less than 24 hours. We were too early to check in to the hotel so all 17 of us packed into Duda's room to quickly change and brush our teeth before heading straight out to the Brazilian side of Iguassu falls.

It was a little chilly and wet but a really picturesque 40 minute stroll around the falls. We actually saw more wildlife here than when we were in the rainforest! There were incredibly friendly butterflies which kept landing on us and big iguanas, poisonous spiders and massive millipedes. I was surprised at how big the waterfalls actually were - 275 separate falls, extending across 3km and falling over an 80m high cliff. I saw so many waterfalls that day I didn't really see the point in seeing the Argentinian side because I thought it would be more of the same thing. How wrong could I be!

The next day after crossing back into Argentina for the third time (and getting yet another set of stamps) we got straight onto a little train to a place called the Devil's Throat. This was an absolutely awesome sight where we were able to stand literally on top of the largest mass of the falls. We were so close we could almost touch it, and in fact it touched us because we were drenched by the time we got back on the train. We then walked around the larger Argentinian side of the falls. It was a hundred times better than the Brazilian side. With the Brazilian side you get a fairly decent panoramic view but on the Argentinian side you can get so close to them and there's so many to see.

In the afternoon there was an option to take a speed boat that goes right up to the falls and of course you get wet. It was so hot that it would have been great to cool off but once again it was too pricey for us. I was quite jealous of the others because I later found out they saw monkeys and a crocodile! (or maybe a cayman). Instead of the speed boat, we discovered a free ferry that takes you across to an island in the middle of the falls and then you can hike up to some viewpoints up there. Obviously by the end of the hike we were all very sweaty so it was fortunate that there was a little beach and a roped off area of the river that we could paddle in. We saw the others come back from their boat and they came to join us on the beach. When it was time to leave we all piled on the free ferry back to the mainland but there wasnt enough space for Kenneth so he ambled along the beach by himself to wait for the next boat as we waved goodbye to him. By the time we were ready to go home we were absolutely exhausted!

We barely had much time to rest before we had to start getting ready for the pool party. One of the guides linked to G Adventures usually organises a party at his house (where he has a pool) with a BBQ and the local Brazilian drink called Caipirinha. Unfortunately, just as we were leaving a huge thunder storm started and the rain poured down. When we got to the guy's house we realised that the storm had caused a power cut also. So it wasn't necessarily ideal huddled in the garage eating in the dark (or if you were lucky candlelight) but we had been so looking forward to the party that we didn't let it dampen our spirits. The food was excellent, in particular the barbecued steak. Since we were wet anyway we thought we might as well go in the pool. I tried to make sure that the lightning had stopped before I went anywhere near the pool of water but it started again after I had got in anyway! It was still amazing to watch though. Eventually the power came back on and the garage turned into a pretty cool disco so we danced away the rest of the night.

The next day was our final day and there was the option of going into Paraguay for the day to go shopping. Had we any space in our backpacks this would have been a great idea because you don't pay tax in Paraguay so everything is cheap. But all we needed was a new memory card for the camera and the money we would have saved on that would have been spent getting there. Instead we bought an overpriced memory card from town from a man who spoke little English but still managed to sincerely tell us that Jesus loves us! The rest of the day we spent in the hotel's rather freezing swimming pool. It's amazing how much fun grown men can have with a football and some water. If we didn't have to leave for a night bus I'm sure they would have stayed in until they got hypothermia!