After a quick breakfast at the Aldebaran, Monica and driver pick us up for the 45-minute drive to the Bariloche airport. This is transit day. It’s a 2-hour flight from Bariloche to Buenos Aires and a short layover at the airport before our flight (again 2 hours) north to Iguazu on the border of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. The skies were very clear as we approached Iguazu. The pilot pointed out the massive Iguazu Falls below and circled them so passengers on both sides of the isle could get views. Even the crew was excited.
Our arrival is at the ‘Cataratas del Iguazú International Airport’ on the Argentina side where our driver for Iguazu picks us up. We are staying on the Brazilian side of the border near the town of ‘Foz do Iguacu’ at the wonderful ‘Hotel das Cataratas’, a Belmond property. It’s nearly an hour drive from the airport to the hotel that requires a border crossing and immigration control for both Argentina and Brazil. Brazil also requires that we show our original COVID-19 vaccination records. It’s a real plus that our driver is shepherding us through the process as it’s quite elaborate.
There is a special queue for tourist vehicles at the border so our wait isn’t long. For regular folk the line is huge and dominated by Paraguayan vehicles. We’re told it could take them hours to clear the border. The value of the Argentine peso is so bad that folks travel from Paraguay to Argentina on a daily basis to do their shopping as goods are so much cheaper. Supposedly, many grocery stores in Paraguay hire vehicles to raid Argentinian stores, bring the goods to Paraguay where they stock their own shops at local prices then make a killing on the price differentials.
Our hotel is the only one located inside Brazil’s Iguazu National Park. Access to the park is strictly controlled with no private vehicles allowed entrance. Our driver escorts us to the gate and we are transferred to a private shuttle for hotel guests. Upon arrival at the hotel we are offered a very refreshing beverage during the quick check-in. Our room is awesome – one of only twelve on the property that has a view of the falls. It was quite late when we arrived. We skipped dinner and enjoyed a drink at the bar. It’s quite lovely with a very classic old-time club vibe and open doors to a patio overlooking the falls. There is a piano in the bar and one of the guests has decided to play some music. She was a very accomplished pianist.
Nice piano music, a fine local IPA for Dick, a nice Sav Blanc for Mary, and a beautiful sunset. A good finish to a long travel day.