Summer to winter in one day

What a difference 24 hours makes. Within one day´s time, I went from needing a cold drink and some air conditioning, to needing hot chocolate and a warm blanket. Let´s back up...

On Tuesday, I went back to the park in Iguazu. There was a short hiking trail I hadn´t had time to do on Sunday, so I set out on that. I got to the park early, and was the first one on the trail. The trail ended at another "hidden" waterfall and pool. Thought about stripping down for a swim, but that was about the time someone else showed up, and I´m too much of a prude American for that. (And we really are prudes, you know.)

Afterwards, I took a boat across about 50 yards of rapidly moving water to an island in front of the falls. It was very, very hot. I got a nice shower from the mist of the falls, which felt good temporarily, but it only made things hotter once I was out of the mist.

When I had seen everything there was to see in the park, I went back to town and hopped a bus to San Ignacio. (See previous post.) I stayed in San Ignacio for the night, then hopped a bus to Posadas, where I could catch a bus to Concordia, where I could cross the border into Uruguay and catch a bus to Montevideo. Whew.

In Posadas, I had about 3 hours to kill before my bus left at 5pm. I decided to go into town and get lunch. According to Lonely Planet, I needed bus 21, so I got on bus 21. Only bus 21 didn´t go into town. It went in the opposite direction. I sat on the bus for the full loop. Luckily, it was a short route. I´m sure the bus driver thought I was an idiot, but he must be kind to idiots, because he gave me a ticket to catch another, more appropriate bus. Which I didn´t end up using, as time was ticking.

I found a paradilla across from the bus terminal. It was so hot, all I wanted was some ice cold water, but I knew that would take a miracle. I ordered a water sin gas, and the menu of the day without really knowing what it was (My, how I´ve changed!). The waiter was obviously some sort of angel, because he brought me a bottle straight from the refrigerator, along with a glass full of ice. I thanked him profusely, then ordered another. The menu del dia turned out to be a salad- with lettuce and everything!- bread, and a load of some sort of really good beef. He even offered me more beef when I had finished, but there was no way I could eat anymore. It was a good thing I ate so much, though, because I left my bag 'o food in a bathroom of the bus terminal. I´m getting sloppy in these final days...

My bus arrived in Concordia, Argentina at 1am. I couldn´t get a bus into Uruguay until 7am, so I took a taxi across the border. My taxi driver, Carlos, was super chatty. He showed me his collection of coins from all over the world. Not places he´s ever been, but from people he has driven in his cab. I didn´t have any American money on me, but I did contribute a few Chilean pesos and Peruvian soles to his collection. He actually offered me Argentine pesos in exchange, but seeing as how I had given him about 62 cents, I didn´t really think it was necessary.

I crossed the border without problems, but the bag inspection was by far the most thorough I´ve been through. The guy actually went through everything with a flashlight, taking everything out, looking through my shoes, my book, my journal, and all the pockets. This did not make me happy, since packing my bag is an exact science, and I didn´t feel like doing it again in the cold of 2am.

The first bus from Salto to Montevideo was at 6:30am, so I spent 4 hours in the middle of the night in a freezing bus station in a hard, plastic chair. It was all very glamorous, I tell you. When my bus finally arrived in Montevideo (an hour and a half late), I was starving, so I headed to the Mercado del Puerto, where they served me half a cow. (and a salad) It was definitely The Best Steak I´ve Ever Had. And that´s not because I was so hungry, it was just that good.

Here in Uruguay, it´s still winter. I went from shorts and a tank top (and hiking boots, I looked like such a backpacker!) to my jacket, scarf, and hat. But at least I don´t look like such a tourist, right?