My trip 3

I finally have a little time to update you (I assume you've already read parts 1 and 2). Isn't this beautiful? I actually saw that with my own eyes. It is AMAZING. I cant even begin to explain to you the wonderful day I had. This was taken on our first day in Iguassu. We went on a raft ride, which took us under the water fall, or as close as one can safely get to underneath it. The water was falling off the rocks and onto us. needless to say, we were drenched at the end of that adventure, but it was a rainy day, so that was bound to happen anyway. The rain was nice and warm too. From the raft ride, we hiked along the side of the river--right through the wilderness! It was beautiful and lush and green. It is a protected forest, so there aren't too many people who get to go deep into the wild. Just the rangers, (and probably really rich people). as we were hiking our guide pointed out some interesting plants (like the monkey's ladder), and told us about the red mold growing on some trees. Random Fact of the Day: Red mold will only grow where the air is clean, so red mold=good mold.

I don't know if you can see it in this picture, but there is a walkway that allows you to walk out to the edge of one set of falls, and look up on another set. It is quite an experience. One of the great things about going here on a rainy day was that there were very few people there. And maybe that's why I liked the Brazil side better. It was like a personal adventure, rather than a tourist zoo. There were still people around, but we didn't feel like sheep being herded through the corral, like on our day in Argentina, which was bright and sunny. And by the time we got to this point, it was after quite a hike, and there were only a handful of us who were willing to continue in the rain: my friend and I, the couple we met from Orange County, and a Spanish speaking family who were leaving as we arrived....that was about it...another group arrived shortly after us, but we were almost alone. I don't know about you, but I'm not really a big fan of groups of people...they kinda irritate me. (Don't get me wrong, I mean, I love to people watch, and I like meeting new people, I even like parties, but...) So it was wonderful to be able to focus my attention on my surrounds, and not on the avoiding the annoyances.

We also went to the Bird Zoo. It was just a regular zoo, but it was pretty cool to think that these birds could be seen wild there. At home we see...seagulls, pigeons, and crows...that's about it. and they aren't the most attractive birds. But while I was in Brazil, I heard parrots in the trees in the parks, and saw lots of colorful birds flying around. It was also fun to meet Alex the Bird Guy. He is a biologist who works in the cage where you can walk. He was kinda like the body guard for the birds. at first we were told that we couldn't hold the birds...but after a bit of convincing, (aka flirting) Alex let me take a picture with the birds that are on his shoulders. It was kinda exciting. :-)

Oh ya, and you cant forget the
random footbal--I mean, soccer team we saw running through the streets. I'm sure that the locals know who they are...but since I'm really bad at recognizing celebrities, and even worse at knowing who players are...I have no clue. but hey, it was a real Brazilian experience, because they are soccer fanatics!