Part 31 Covering Ground to Iguazu Falls
(Click on a photo to enlarge it)
Visiting Bolivia’s Lagunas Route was
a highlight of the trip. The stunning, surreal scenery had been unforgettable. Re-visiting
Salar de Uyuni was a new experience because of the salt flat’s flooded condition. We had been lucky, getting three windless and
clear days. Out first visit to the salar had been five months earlier, during
the dry season. It featured long distance riding over the dry lake and camping
on Isla Del Pescado.
It was time to say goodbye to the
highlands again. We were headed east, eventually to Buenos Aires where we
planned to ship the bikes by air to Miami. There was a lot of ground to cover. Ahead
of us lay the first leg, a journey of 4000 kilometers from Chile to Iguazu
Falls via Paraguay. We still needed to save money to pay for the air freight
but we had already reserved and paid for our personal air fares to Miami.
Highlands Desert
Nafta (gasoline) is very
expensive, about $2.30/L for premium grade in most of South America. Fuel costs
for this leg would be an unavoidable, $1000. In order to stay on budget, we stayed
away from restaurants, instead finding supplies in towns and villages along the
way. We also camped for free whenever possible. The first night however we
stayed in an overpriced hotel in freezing Susques after descending to 4000m
elevation.
Highland Salar
The day had begun with an
immediate climb from San Pedro de Atacama in Chile which sits at 3600 m
altitude. The highest we reached was 4850 m, almost 16,000 ft. It was below 10
degrees up there when the sun was shining, downright freezing after dark. No
one lives in that cold desert. There were no houses or towns and no signs of
agriculture. Even vicunas are scarce, we saw only two groups of the deer-like
creatures in 300 km. Paso Jama, the international border, was deserted and we
were through it in 15 minutes; such a change from border crossings in Central
America!
The following morning, the lady
at the hotel kindly volunteered that there was news of a detour ahead for us. A
series of derrumbes (landslides) beginning 100 Km east of Susques had resulted
in the closing of the only paved road in the region. With air tickets
bought and our return home getting closer, we had resolved to lower our risk
tolerance, hoping to avoid more broken bones. This detour would mean crossing hundreds
of kilometers of Argentinian ripio.
We talked about our options,
including staying at the overpriced hotel until the road was open. An hour
later, our emotions were raised a few notches. The hotel manager approached
saying she had made some phone calls. She went on to confirm that the road was in
fact open again. Relief was visible on Isa’s face.
Snow pellets fell in the two-degree
air as we left the hotel. A flashing red light on my dash warned of possible
black ice. Snow covered the ground in places. Knowing that it takes days and
weeks of cold temperatures to freeze the ground, we felt comfortable leaving
before the next derrumbe.
We climbed back up to 4850 m but
the temperature didn’t drop any more. The sun felt powerful as it rose in the
sky. Spectacular scenery began as we made our way toward Jujuy. There were multi
coloured mountains and pointed steeples of rock visible as continuous
switchback corners brought us down, out of the highlands. The temperature rose
25 degrees. People seemed much happier in Jujuy than in Susques. They struck up
conversations with us at each traffic light, wanting to know, “De donde son?” and,
“A donde van?”. There were thumbs up and well wishes were shouted, “suerte!”. Yup,
we were back in Argentina.
Switchbacks
Signs of Life in the Valley
Majestic Seniors
That night we camped at the “Camping
Municipal”. It was the first of many low priced or free campsites for us.
Others included wild camping and camping at service stations in remote areas.
It is common to camp at these in rural Argentina, indeed concrete tables and
asado pits are often provided. One service station employee looked puzzled when
we asked if we could put up our tent for the night answering, “naturalmente,
por que no?”
On Good Friday in the farming village
of Taco Pozo there was a night parade that began festivities lasting well into
the morning hours. Fireworks, loud engines being revved and intoxicated people
could be heard everywhere. It was the first of many sleepless nights on our way
to Iguazu. We asked around and checked the internet. We think the festivities
had something to do with burning or blowing up effigies of Judas.
Days later, we crossed over a
bridge into Paraguay. One hundred meters later the border official informed us
that as Canadians we had to pay $150 USD each to enter Paraguay. The price was
unexpected and high, too high for the three days we had planned to be in the
country on our way to the falls. We thanked the official, turned and rode back
across the bridge. Although not checked into the country we had technically set
wheel and foot on Paraguayan soil.
Back tracking a few hundred
kilometers added time but not visiting Asuncion saved it. We found ourselves
ahead of schedule by the time we reached the town of Iguazu. We probably should
have taken Easter Monday off and stayed still. Holiday traffic was atrocious
and peoples’ tempers were high. There was aggressive driving the likes of which
we hadn’t seen since Lima. The difference was, where Peruvians simply
and routinely disregard the rules in a carefully orchestrated and understood dance,
some of the holiday weekend crowd in eastern Argentina sped and passed with an impatience
bordering on mean spiritedness.
It was April 4th, the one-year
anniversary of the beginning of our South American adventure. To prepare for this day's visit we had re-watched the move, "The Mission". We visited Iguazu
Falls from the Argentinian side. It is known as the “Tri-border Area” and the
falls can also be seen from Brazil and Paraguay. Iguazu Falls sit in the once huge, Misiones Rain Forest. Argentina has a system of
raised trails here just like the ones installed at the Perito Moreno Glacier,
in Patagonia. We walked at least 10 Km on the trails and enjoyed spectacular
views of the whole area from the best vantage points, without disturbing a
single blade of grass. Iguazu is one of the most visited sites in South
America. The infrastructures of trails, rest areas, cafes, restaurants and
shuttle trains are capable of handling huge numbers of people per day. In the
off season the place seemed deserted. It was often possible to find a bench
to just sit and enjoy the sounds of moving water and birds in the tropical rain forest.
Guarani Highway
Butterflies
The falls area is extensive,
containing 275 individual water falls. Niagara is impressive, Iguazu is something else.
The Argentinian trail system puts the visitor “inside” the ecosystem with
plenty of possibilities for one to be drenched by the spray. The thundering
power and immensity of the site combine with the lush flora and fauna of a
tropical rain forest to create an atmosphere of beauty and majesty. We were not in a hurry to leave. We spent the entire day in the park, they locked the
gates behind us when we left.
Butterfly Jewelry
275 Individual Falls at Iguazu
The Misiones Rain Forest is presently
one tenth its natural size. It once covered huge areas to the south and into
Paraguay and Brazil. Deforestation has caused soil erosion on a massive scale.
Rain water that normally would not make it to a rain forest floor now strikes
and washes away the thin top soils. The soils colour the Iguazu river brown. Forty
years ago, the water was clear. Today, fish can’t see to hunt or to spawn. The
entire ecosystem is changing. A rain forest contains biodiversity that holds the
potential for unknown “wonder-drugs”.
Permanent Rainbow Seen from Here
Suspended Soil Particles
Displays within the park describe
the problem of deforestation and support the idea of putting a halt to further
destruction of habitat. The same museums have displays on changing land uses in
the area and the economic developments they bring. Huge patches of single
species exotic hardwoods are farmed alongside food crops. Mills and furniture
factories provide jobs in the towns. Riding south the next day through rich, producing
lands and pleasant towns, past prosperous farmhouses and neatly painted rural
schools one finds it hard to imagine a convincing argument in the rain forest’s favor. Local agriculture and commerce will surely win, and the Misiones Rain
Forest will disappear in all but non-arable places.
Beauty in the Jungle
They Locked the Gates Behind Us
Coati
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