Mon 0914 On bus at Terminal Transporte Urbano waiting to go to falls. All pretty slick actually, paid guy at entrance to bus terminal and he pointed out the bus waiting here. Did hurry round to front and *think* it's a 120 but didn't like to linger in case missed it. Don't have paper tkt, he said didn't need one, and you can't get in terminal without paying at tkt booth so makes sense.
Didn't sleep great but not terribly. Phone did manage to get up to 100%. Super sweaty night tho. Got up a bit after 8am alarm, one person left in dorm - woman on my lower bunk. But showered, put same clothes back on (not ideal but feeling need to conserve) and tried to ignore her as shuffled belonging between bag and daypack - wanted to bring daypack out (mainly for water plus my waterproof clothing as forecast has thunderstorms, would hate to lose it but no point having it if don't carry it) but it had other stuff in as was hanging it on end of bed with lesser-valuables like toothbrush in instead of locking away.
Not exchanged word with lower bunk woman today.
Got some biscuits at supermarket just north of terminal, as suspect food will be pricey as hell at falls and with my irregular diet last few days can't assume I can say "never mind feeling hungry, going to eat tonight" , not to mention not certain how/where will eat tonight.
Seen a bus going to Iguazu Dam or similar; if that is a literal dam may be worth a visit if it is a tourist thing, perhaps have a look tonight. No free booze tonight so get back maybe 6ish, find somewhere to eat and perhaps a couple of beers then back for a shower and an early night.
1837 It's Itaipu Dam BTW. At small restaurant near hostel, in Av Brasil (just down from pizza place), getting chicken with chips and salad and so on and a diet coke for BRL17+whatever coke costs. Feel quite hungry but this is at least cheapish. Not touched biscuits yet. Popped into supermarket for water after Falls (which were good, BTW) then dropped stuff off at hostel - naturally woman on bunk under mine was there, as well as one other chap.
Waiter here seems to speak a little English and menu is bilingual.
1856 Wow, that was a substantial meal, much better than had feared. I am stuffed. Salad undressed, even some no-sauce noodles on plate. Hope this isn't a scam and it's USD17 not BRL17. Place is Cantinho da Brasil. May stay for beer then go for earlyish bed. Quick poke on web suggests is a vistor centre at Itaipu Dam, tour lasts about 2h, and tho haven't checked on web given I first learned about the place from seeing buses going there suspect I can near-trivially get a bus from TTU just as did to IF today. Will write about today in a bit.
1916 Getting litre of Brahma, no price shown but will trust them given checked menu and food price is in BRL. Then back for early night, if not too late may get USB OTG cable and card reader out and see if can backup/upload today's photos - went bit nuts, practically filled 2GB card (mostly due to video) and could poss have taken more had had a bigger card, but really I didn't have to hold myself back significantly. If can't do it tonight can do tomorrow morning as I think tomorrow will be less "packed" - eg Itaipu Dam is a couple of hours there, not like Falls where (perhaps milking it slightly to get value for money, but not really) I stayed there for about six hours.
1933 So let's write about today. Not that much to say; I took a billion photos, there are several trillion more of other people's on the web and per J K Jerome, no point writing about scenery.
So bus went via airport (as warned by web) and got dropped off at national park soon after - maybe 10ish. Paid the 70 entrance fee and got on a semi-open-topped (roof, no side windows on top deck) double decker and driven into the park. There were two optional stops (which virtually no one got off at) for paid extra things like boat trips but not super interested. Got off at "main" starting point with everyone else, and made my way *very* slowly with lots of time for standing and gawping and pseudo-meditating along the IIRC 1.5km path.
Not absolutely "OMFG WOW" level, but close. Perhaps strangely impressive thing was the volume of the white noise kind of sound just booming over everything along most of the trail.
Checked map early on and realised most of what I was looking across at was in Argentina.
When I got to devil's throat area it started to rain moderately heavily; I had brought my waterproofs and jacket was useful but didn't put waterproof trousers on. Actually even when it stopped raining there was a fair bit of spray out on the walkways over the water; it wasn't terrible but my glasses were steamed up and/or speckled with water a lot, and if I had any (I don't) it would have been good to wear contacts.
Lots of coatis (coatimundis? or is that wrong or different animal?) about, very cute, they were on the whole totally unfazed by people. They'd walk along the railings in some places and you'd watch people suddenly notice one was touching their arm as it sniffed at their bag or tried to get past, some people more blase than others but most jumped back a bit. Saw quite a few people touch/stroke them with no ill-effects but I restrained myself despite mild temptation; were warnings about not feeding them and I was just worried I'd get bitten anyway.
Saw a family of possibly capybaras just as leaving to get bus back to park entrance; these were clearly "wild" but the way they were hanging around on this one open bit of grass seemed strangely artificial. Amazing variation in size among the family; biggest really was big (largish dog size).
2044 Just about finished beer. Dunno if they have bog here but will ask and get bill once finished this drop. Mildly busting for piss but hostel v close if no bog here. Feels a bit early for bed but not not tired and twill be OK.
2101 Dorm. One of brill things about this enormous hotel-y hostel (lots of private rooms I think) is that there are apparently no shared bathrooms outside dorms/private rooms. So I get to wait while one of my dorm mates is in the en-suite with no alternative. Naturally woman on lower bunk is here in dorm - either she parties from 10pm-3am or is ill or her idea of a large time is spending 24/7 on a dorm bed - and two other guys too.
Food/drink came to 34, I asked and this included tip tho not obviously so from bill. V reasonable. Asked about bog and given key and told was outside; think I saw padlocked door on popping out but decided not to try it and just nipped back in to leave key on counter. Had slash - fortunately - in disabled bog on ground floor. Only other public facility found so far is on 1st floor near bar and this morning men's sole bog was full of shit.
Feel super conspicuous but fuck 'em.
Not showering tonight, will do in morning as doubtless sweat like pig overnight. Just need to clean teeth.
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