I decided to sleep until late because our first day had to be special. All the transportation was set. I was about to welcome one of the most important groups in my whole career. Karen and I know each other because I organized a tour for herself and her husband Paul in Rio and also in Recife, a city in the coast of Brazil’s north east. But the rest of the group were very old friends...they know each other for ages and they live in the same little city in Ontário, so everything had to be perfect and I put a lot of my heart and soul in it!
I had the pleasure to be with Karen and Paul after such a spectacular tour we had in Rio de Janeiro and they granted me the honor to meet the couples: Beth and Don; Lynn and Marilyn and Anne and Ross...We made a real team and we really enjoyed everything!!!
We have been planning this trip for almost one year, Karen’s group had some days off before the big turn in the Cape starting in Buenos Aires heading to Ushuaia and after turning what they call the end of the World, making the way up in the Pacific to Valparaiso.
And they gave me 3 days of total fun and the honor to provide na introduction of the Mission’s Jungle where the World’s famous attraction is located. LAS CATARATAS DEL IGUAZU.
THE FIRST DAY WAS A SHORT ONE...They need to put the luggage in the hotel, but the hotel had to be brilliant. Karen choose one lodge in the jungle close to the indigenous reserve Iriapu, a real shelter in nature called La Cantera...This place is captained by the very enthusiastic and great chap Ariel, he made everything possible to make their stay such a remarkable one. The rooms are hidden right in the bushes, protected by enormous trees and flavored with bird singing all the time!!!
I had to go to the airport of Puerto Iguazu twice, most of the group came from Mendoza in the impressive Andes range that cuts South America from south bordering Argentina and Chile ending in Venezuela up north of our Continent and two of the group came to Puerto Iguazu directed from Buenos Aires, that was Anne and Ross.
Finally I got together in the lodge all the group, and most of them was already relaxing in the pool, big green area and it was quite hot, so being in the pool for a while was not a bad idea!
But I had to do something for the rest of the day, And I took them to Guirá Ogá which is so wonderful to see, it is a private nature reserve right in the jungle where people recover endengered species, specially birds, or maybe cubs that loose their parents in illegal hunt, anyway, it is a kind of “hospital” for native species, and they need your money ir order to continue their lovely work. The Eagles Center is really amazing and the monkeys there are sooooo funny. It is a very different way to experience the jungle and doing something to help them!
As we were so tired because of the heat and also all the travelling, I decided to take my group back to the Lodge and let them rest for dinner. And our first dinner was in a typical barbecue gaúcho restaurant, at least the most famous in town called EL QUINCHO DEL TIO QUERIDO...
When you think about Argentina, you think about ADVENTURE and BEEF!!! The two things go together...the argentinean beef is an adventure for the Stomach!!
RAFAEL TORRES LOPES
Tour Guide and Travel Planner
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