Puerto Iguazu, Thursday

Thu 1026 Long queue for cash machine. Long queue at one other cash machine I saw. No fucking idea why. Feels like shit which comes up on web from 2015 when searching for ATM advice for Argentina.

Feels like day slipping away, got up 930 but had to come into town for cash and supermarket snacks, cos the hotel is so rural I daren't go out after dark in case of dogs and I'm sure food costs an arm and a leg inside the park. Buses may run almost past hotel to park but no good to me as had to trog into town for cash.

Phone being an arse last night and not charging even when sat at black screen with charger plugged in; been doing this since at least Mendoza and don't think anything to do with now-dodgy connection, which adds an extra layer of shit.

Eco-fascists have Argentina or at least PI in thrall; no free carrier bags in supermarket.

And seen sign and experienced in practice by law you have to show ID when using a ccard. The supermarket accepted ccard sized copy of passport.

1113 Jesus fucking wept. 320 for a return Rio Uruguay ticket at "local" side of bus terminal. Not paid yet. Expected a proper local city bus which in Brazil cost under a quid each way, here they want over six quid for a return.

Woman behind me broke ice and had brief conv with bloke in front of massively non-moving queue at Banco de la Nacion. Poor Spanish skills on my part? There's a shortage of money which is temporary but there is always a shortage!? I walked after couple of mins, had prev found a cash machine with oddly no queue which would give me 4k (about 80 quid) for "only" 249 fee and clearly that's the best I can do. Had already planned to use ccard as much as possible but was hoping to wd 200 or 250 quid to minimise fee. Yes maybe there's a shortage so wd rationed?? but I am extra fucked because I get hit with a gigantic non-percentage-based fee every time I withdraw.

Bought goddam 320 tkt with cash as bus had turned up but it was a decoy and drove off immediately. No sign of actual city bus type service and it's getting late.

Need to cheer up. HMHB's "Surging out of convalescence" has sprung unbidden to mind in the last few minutes. (I had "Totnes Bickering Fair" in my head for a good chunk of time during visit to Brazilian side FWIW.)

Thing is I'm feeling rushed (due to wanting to spend a "long day" at falls) and have had to engage in various time consuming chores first and been fucked around by banks. Anyway, on bus heading out now so let's try to chill.

Fri 0026 So got to falls and there was a certain familiarity about the layout of the park and the train once I got there - I had been there in 2010 of course. Was prob about 1200 by time got there if not bit later.

Tried not to rush round.

Only used train once, right at end. Walked green trail to central area where upper and lower trails are, and walked those in that order. For some reason (bearing in mind people arrive continuously, though trains every 30 mins will provide *some* clumping) it was really painfully busy at start of upper trail. Walkways often wide enough for two abreast, if you stopped to take a photo (esp wearing even small backpack) or heaven forbid stare out at the view (not easy given the bustle) you were blocking half the walkway, and getting back into the single-file stream of people after such a pause felt like a traffic manoeveur (sp). But for some reason it thinned out later during upper trail (despite it being mostly sequential), it wasn't ever *quiet* but totally acceptable, a bit more like Brazilian side had been.

Think there is loads more to "do" on Arg side, but not to diminish Braz side and it was also nice to be walking today having seen some of where I'd walked from Braz side and vice versa. Realised large greyish building I had wondered about from Braz side was new hotel (old one shut 1976 and is now offices and a small museum which I went in) in Arg side of park.

As walking towards upper trail along really busy path there's an area (prob near food court) with *loads* of coatis and monkeys. A coati jumped up at a woman in front of me eating some sort of tissue-wrapped snack. There were signs warning both animals could scratch and bite and steal food. I put my daypack down to get bottle of water out, and three coatis (a largish one and two smaller ones I think, tho really this was all over pretty quick) came over immediately and sniffed at my open daypack as I drank and despite my trying to drag bag away (keeping hands away from opening, I think), the coati grabbed at the (not sealed) plastic bag I'd got from supermarket containing two bananas (luckily I had eaten one a few mins earlier) and legged it. A massive feeding frenzy/fight among hordes of coatis and monkeys ensued (I saw a monkey with a bit of banana shortly after) and the crowd naturally noticed this and I felt super conspicuous, though really attention was not on me and I hadn't done it on purpose - it was in hindsight a bit cool but also annoying (I wanted to eat those bananas myself!) and as per signs you can see this kind of stuff does make them aggressive (though unless plastic bag causes problems I guess at least bananas probably aren't too bad for them, not like empanadas or other snacky shit). At least they didn't get my packets of biscuits.

Not saying upper trail isn't impressive, because it is, but think lower trail had some better views. Enjoyed rainbow effects of mist, the soaking spray  from one of the big falls at end of lower trail and also the relative privacy of a semi-"secret" little offshoot at the bottom of Salto Chico (which anywhere else would be a pretty impressive waterfall in its own right) where I was often alone for minutes at a time and even when not there were typically one or two other people there.

Didn't go down the right offshoot of lower trail to get boat to island, not sure if that's free or not.

Walked up (alongside train track) to station for Devil's Throat. Long hike out there on walkways but thanks to having walked up I was about the only person going out at that point; it was also late in day which may have helped. Still lots of ppl at the end of the walkways of course but OK.

Even before today had memories of being at DT in 2010. Was pretty impressive and got a bit meditative staring at the water (also had some of this during esp lower trail; the patterns of foam and vapour spraying around quite fascinating and pseudo-hypnotic). Thought that if some possibly-true fact about how every glass of water you drink contains a water molecule which has passed through body of anyone who ever lived (not tried to check this yet, just half-remembered thing) is true, the same would apply in spades to the water gushing past me - some of *my* water molecules were right there, as were those of anyone I'd ever cared about. Also thought about how I'd been there 9 years ago and was older etc, but not really all that melancholy-inducing, and in many ways I'm better off now than I was then.

Ranger tapped me on shoulder at 1700 and said they were closing soon; loads of other people still there, but I didn't hang around and got last train back all the way to entrance 1730. I had pretty much decided earlier to go back tomorrow for 50% discounted admission, as evidently some minor stuff I hadn't done today plus it is quite cool and *relatively* cheap and I had no other real plans for tomorrow anyway. I did make sure I did all the "major" stuff today in case for some reason decide not to return tomorrow.

Bit of struggle to get tkt "re-validated" for tomorrow (it would be too simple if you could just turn up with your dated ticket tomorrow; I guess this may be to ensure it's the same person as they did ask to see ID when got it re-validated - since I had paid on ccard had to show ID when bought tkt but just poss that isn't "attached" and despite English-language sign above ticket desks, overheard one of cashiers saying you *don't* need ID to buy tkt with cash) but managed eventually.

Got bus into town, got off (slightly) before terminal to save bit of walking. Bought beer and bread and salami and ham and some fizzy sugar-free citrus drink at supermarket and brought them home, taking advantage of having fridge in room. Had been bit worried about sunset and it was deep dusk as came down deserted no-street-lights side street to hostel (worried about dogs, not people) but tho bit nerve inducing got home fine.

Didn't see anyone to speak to so still not paid or asked about laundry. Mildly shit but not terrible. May manage to speak to someone tomorrow, don't want to loiter excessively but not *too* rushed tomorrow.

Been super lazy (but then did have a full day) tonight and just watched some YT. In particular have *not* decided where to go next so no idea what to do about buses and whether they'll be day or overnight or what.

Feels bit lax but I may extend here another night in part due to this. Except for "gotta be home before dark" issues due to location (but I'm not gasping for a night out right now) it's cheap and comfortable here and while don't want to waste time don't have to run around like a blue-arsed fly to save a day here and there. No super pressing goals for rest of trip. Plus physically moving around is (I think; not checked numbers to back this up) one of the more expensive parts of being a tourist. Accommodation is often cheap, a few beers and a meal doesn't cost much, but long-distance buses or flights really do rack up the expenses. So while obvious to some extent travelling is the point, haring around like mad isn't good for comfort, serendipity or the budget.

Quite a few biggish spiders hanging over some of the rivers around the walkways. Despite being big they were spindly enough and not in-my-face enough to be more fascinating than seriously disturbing.

There's a largish (UK style, nothing extreme) spider over bathroom door which I noticed this evening but it's one of those really spindly jobs which don't really bother me that much if they just keep out of the way, as this one seems to be doing.

Prob forgot something but going to send this now as need to get to bed and phone batt super low and I can't charge it as I write due to dodgy USB connector and the clever way the "charger connected/disconnected" pop up interferes with typing.