Buenos Aires
We just landed in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina or otherwise known as the Paris of the South
Iguassu Falls
Iguassu falls is considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Iguassu Falls isn’t just one waterfall, but a collection of over three hundred waterfalls each pouring huge amounts of water onto the rocks below. The cascade’s impact creates huge clouds of mist that can raise as high as 500 feet into the air, moving and breathing like a living creature. To get to the falls you have to walk on winding paths which you share with numerous animals. The most common inhabitant of the park is the Coati. They look like a raccoon crossed with a badger with a longer tail, a mostly tan and black color and a long snout. They are as common as squirrels in the United States. Our first morning at our hotel we saw one approach us and it didn’t mind us. We saw a whole family of them run across the street. After a few minutes, there were about 40 – 50 coatis in the area about the same size of a classroom running and climbing palm trees. My favorite thing to do on the Brazil side was Macuco boat tours. The boat tours took us up the lower Iguassu river up to the Three Musketeers Waterfalls and into the downpour, drenching everyone. Before we boarded the boat they passed out rain ponchos and I didn’t take one but my family did and found out that they did not work too well. We were given a small hint on how wet we would be when the boat driver stopped the boat for a couple minutes to put on a dry suit. Both countries national parks have boat tours that take you into the falls but the Brazilian tour is more frequent and organized. On the Brazil side located inside the park is the Belmont hotel. We stayed in the Belmont and could walk across the street any time and see the falls. We were warned not to walk around at night because there were Jaguars and Pumas that stalk the trails at night. On the Argentine side is the Melia hotel. Many of the rooms, like ours, have a view of the Devils Throat, the biggest waterfall in Iguazu Falls. Like the Belmont, you can walk to the park from the hotel. The trails take you to the many winding paths that give you excellent views of the numerous waterfalls. In the food court at lunch time, monkeys and coatis looking for food climb tables and attempt to steal anything edible.
Trying to steal lunch.
The Argentine side has a trail that will take you to an elevated metal catwalk that extends for more than a kilometer across the Iguassu River to the Devils Throat, or as it is called in Argentina, Garganta del Diablo. To get to the trail you have to ride one of the slowest trains in existence. It was so slow I thought I could walk faster. It rained for almost the entire day except when we were inside eating lunch.
Garganta del Diablo
The Monkey Forest
Bali was great, and it is a shame that we were only able to stay one day. In the short time we were here we went to a place I would recommend to anyone that comes to Bali, the Monkey Forrest in Ubud. It is a small forest with paths and statues that is home to more than six hundred wild monkeys. When you go through the main entrance you go into a small tunnel that takes you above a small road. From there we got our first view of the Monkey Forest and about 5 of the native monkeys. From there we looked down the path and saw monkeys running and sliding down the handrails. At the bottom of the small path, there were people selling bananas to feed the monkeys. We decided to buy some, and I am glad we did. At the nearest Banyan tree one of the workers there, equivalent to a park ranger in National Parks, showed us how to attract monkeys onto your shoulder. You would hold your arm out straight and strong and a monkey would run over and jump on your arm knowing that you would give it food. Maile got a monkey on her first and she enjoyed it. Next, I got one on me that was a sloppy eater. He ate the banana while on my head and dripped a fourth of it on my hair. My dad tried it at a different place and got two monkeys on his head. My mom was the only one that didn’t get a monkey on her because she said she would flinch and scream. When we tried to take a family photo a monkey climbed on my dad while he was sitting next to mom, and she sat still, at least until the picture was taken. After that, she walked away quickly.
The Monkey Forest, Ubud Bali
Australia is Awesome!
Australia is amazing! There are so many fun things to do here that I would do again on short notice. The first fun thing we did was climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge. It was nice because when up there you could see for miles and see the Sydney skyline from a different perspective. The next fun thing we did which was my favorite was diving the Great Barrier Reef. It was so amazing seeing all the fish and the huge and small turtles swimming in and around the colorful reef. Next, we took a helicopter tour of Uluru and Kata Tjuta and sunset. It was amazing because from up there you can see the colors of the rock in a way that you can’t get from looking up from the ground. Finally, to end the trip to Australia with something to remember, we swam in the numerous waterholes of Litchfield National Park. The swimming holes were filled with crystal clear water and numerous fish. Australia has many more fun things to do that we couldn’t do because I wasn’t old enough. Two that I really wanted to do were skydiving Uluru and swimming with crocodiles in The Cage of Death. Maybe next time when I am a little older.
Another interesting thing about Australia is the food they eat. Because Australia has many unique animals they have a very unique menu. One item which you can find at every breakfast buffet is the terrible substance known as Vegemite. It has the consistency of butter, the color of motor oil and tastes like &!@#$. If you ever try it have a gallon of water to wash away the taste. My favorite thing on the menu was kangaroo, it tastes like beef not chicken. There are many ways to prepare kangaroo including but not limited to, kangaroo burgers, kangaroo loin, kangaroo steak and kangaroo jerky. I have tried the first two options and am planning on taking the final option home with me. Other animals that were on the menu that I didn’t have the time to try were emu drumsticks, Asian water buffalo steak, camel hump and crocodile tail.
