06/06/2022 Flight to Foz do Iguacu (Argentine and Brazilian Waterfalls)

At 3:00 in the morning, we were woken up by the hotel's front desk. Phew, way too early, but luckily our internal clock hasn't adjusted yet ;-). Our flight to Foz do Iguacu was scheduled for 6:15 a.m. The people at the check-in counter were already in a good mood at that time, and what we experienced during boarding was really something new. Rows were not called for boarding, but on a monitor there were always about 10 seats displayed and these were also projected onto the floor like a conveyor belt. So the guest had to stand on their assigned number and board by walking further. It was totally relaxed and no one wanted to push or get on the plane in front of their fellow passengers at all costs... we were really impressed. The onboard service should also be mentioned. There were complimentary cold and hot drinks, various snacks, and a great entertainment program. All of this on a short-haul flight with a low-cost airline. When the plane landed, all passengers stayed seated. No one jumped up to grab their luggage from the compartment. Announcements were made for the seats indicating when each row could get up. A great system that we might also consider implementing.

We arrived at our small hotel in Foz do Iguacu at around 10:30 a.m. After a short refreshment break, we went to the Argentine national park with a driver. We wanted to see the waterfalls there. For that, we had to go through immigration in Argentina. On the way to the waterfall, we noticed large signs by the roadside saying 'Attention Jaguar'. Hmmmm, we asked the driver if that was a joke. No, they actually exist here. He had seen one just last week. Of course, I immediately asked if they eat people. I got the answer 'only small children'. Ooooh- that immediately made me think of who this could be a nice holiday destination for ;-) Monika and Gerhard, you should understand me :-)!!!

When we arrived at the park, there were more signs and guidelines regarding encounters with a jaguar or a puma! Here too, it said that parents should keep an eye on their children!!!!!

The waterfalls are located in the middle of the jungle and there are various hiking trails to several viewpoints. We walked all of them and couldn't stop marveling. Gigantic amounts of water shoot down several meters deep. Surrounding them is the jungle, so it was already an amazing sight. We could hear the rumbling of the water from afar. We had rain gear with us because we would probably get very wet on a viewing platform. When we reached it, I quickly went to the edge and took some photos. Daniela couldn't get enough, she braved the water and took numerous photos and videos. When she came back to me, she was completely soaked from head to toe. She didn't care, she said it was great to be so close.

On our way back, we saw coatis (raccoons). They scurried ahead of us and stuck their long noses into termite mounds. The animals look totally cute. We also spotted a monkey and what I found amazing this time was the sight of several toucans. Incredible, being able to experience these animals in the wild is simply overwhelming. We were both very satisfied with our visit to the Argentine national park.