2014 Brazil Puerto Iguazú (9/9/2014)

Tuesday, September 9, 2014 (continued)
At Brazilian customs, we caught the Rio Uruguay bus for BR$4 each, and headed across the bridge to Argentinian customs. The bus stopped and, unlike what happens at the Brazilian side, everyone must get off the bus to have his passport checked. As U.S. citizens, we needed visas or a reciprocity tax to enter both Brazil and Argentina. We were able to pay the reciprocity tax online, and had the paper to show it was paid, as we entered Argentina. The bus pulled through the gate, and we all reboarded. We went to the bus terminal in the "sleepy" town of Puerto Iguazú, Argentina.
We first went to have lunch at the Aqva Restaurant, a couple blocks away.

Bread basket

"Fresh Fettuccine with shrimps,
Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce & Grilled Zucchinis"

Grilled Surubi (local river fish) with
Mandioc/Yuca Fries

The restaurant gave us a nice 8"x10" photo of the falls, which we would now have to protect from waterfall mist for the rest of the day!

Photo of the Garganta del Diablo/Devil's Throat

We walked back to the bus terminal to purchase round-trip tickets to Parque Nacional Iguazú/Iguassu National Park. The Iguassu Falls are located on the border between Brazil and Argentina. Since they speak Portuguese in Brazil, and Spanish in Argentina, the falls has different spellings of its name.
Not being clear on which the gate the bus departed, we missed a bus and thought we had twenty minutes to wait. But 10 minutes later a bus pulled up, and left right away. The bus ride was about 25 minutes, and we figured we needed two hours to return to the hotel in Brazil.
Once we entered the park, we spotted a lizard.

Tupinambis merianae/Argentine Black-and-white Tegu

We boarded the propane-powered Tren de la Selva/Jungle Train.

Tren de la Selva/Jungle Train (KSS)

The boardwalk trail to the Garganta del Diablo/Throat of the Devil, was closed. They had massive flooding in June, 2014 and are still rebuilding. Normally the South American winter (our summer) is dry and now the water flow would be at its lowest.
We first followed the Superior/Upper Circuit trail, a boardwalk that led across the tops of several of the Cataratas Iguazú/Iguassu Falls, each with its own individual name.

Looking up the gorge across Salto Mbigua/Mbigua Falls (KSS)

Looking across two levels of falls to St Martins Island (KSS)

Bossetti Falls with a viewing platform below

Since we still had time, we thought to do half of the Inferior/Lower Circuit Trail. We ended up doing the whole trail.

Looking back (from the left) at Bossetti, Eve, Adam Falls and others

Panorama of Argentinian falls

We didn't have time to take the optional boat ride into the mists of the falls.

Boat heading into the mist of St Martin Falls

Boat below St Martins Falls

Here comes the boatload of a couple dozen soaked passengers!

Bossetti Falls from below

Tamiko at Bossetti Falls (KSS)

Kent at Bossetti Falls

Salto Dos Hermanas/Two Sisters Falls

Stopped at a snack bar for a water break, and the area had several Nasua nasua/Ring-tailed Coatis nosing around.

Nasua nasua/Ring-tailed Coati 

Iguazú tower

Now for the trek back to the hotel; catch the gas-powered train to the visitors center, catch a local Rio Uruguay bus to the Puerto Iguazú terminal, catch a bus back to Brazil, stop at Argentinian customs and reboard the bus, get off at Brazilian customs, where the driver gave us a re-boarding pass for the next bus into town. After Brazilian customs, we walked up to the main intersection to catch a bus to the hotel, where we retrieved our bags and got someone to drive us the 1 km/.6 mile to the airport by 18:30.
We tried pão de queijo/cheese bread at the airport, light fluffy croquet-ball size breads with cheese inside. Our flight left at 17:40 and we arrived in São Paulo about 21:20 and were met by a transfer person who accompanied us to retrieve our luggage from the locker, and call a driver to take us to the Novotel Morumbi Hotel, a 45-minute drive.
Next: São Paulo Centro.