Remainder of Trip

11/21 21:30- Today was another very fun and exciting day...but also very physically tiring! We were awoken at 7:30 to get ready and shower and were instructed to meet in the breakfast room at 8. The same food was served for breakfast today but I am very content with it as it is the best breakfast I've had since being in Argentina: watermelon, melon, juice, yogurt, medialunas, and cereal. We loaded the bus at 8:30 to depart on a few hour ride to the river where we were going white-water rafting. Upon arrival, we got off only to load some of these heavy duty van type buses to drive to our launch site. We headed up a narrow, curvy, washed out, and steep road where following the river upstream. As it was a hot, humid, not windy summer day us smart ones applied loooots of sunscreen and bug spray (those who didn't had a great punishment waiting for them). Those who wanted a wetsuit were given one, obviously not Annalea and I, the two Montana girls who have both swam in much colder water in Montana. We were all fitted with lifejackets, given an oar, and split up into groups of six plus one guide. The ride was absolutely amazing. There were 9 rapids, the first 7 being Class II and the last 2 being class III. The scenery was absolutely fabulous and the weather was perfect. When we arrived back to our withdrawal site, some of the guides had stayed back to cook asado while we were rafting. We ate a good lunch of choripan (bratwurst) and chips. Then, about five of us (3 being American girls) decided we were going to swim in the mountain lake that the river dumps into (Cabra Corral). It was sooo warm and I swear it was like the Dead Sea. I could float when I was actually trying to sink-so crazy. On the ride back to the hotel, pretty much everyone slept the entire time and, right upon arrival, everyone bolted for the shower. A few minutes ago, we got back from dinner at an empanada/steak restaurant that was really great. Our night still is not finished. At 22:30 we will go to my first "Pena" which is like a dinner spot with live folklore music and a dancefloor but we won't eat dinner, at least as I understand it. Hope break is going good. Love you all.

11/22 21:30- Right now, we are half way through a 24 hour bus ride. I swear that when I go home driving to Chester or Missoula is going to be nothing. We woke up at 7 this morning and loaded our bags and everything onto the bus, ate breakfast at the hotel, and got on our way. Since then, we have been on the bus. Everyone slept for the first few hours but then kids started singing, dancing, playing music, playing cards, etc. Us Americans on the other hand had gone to the supermarket last night and bought EVERY American brand of food we could find. Needless to say, they were all junk food like Lays, Pringles, Oreos, Skittles, M and M's, Hubba Bubba, Sprite, Fruit Loops, and Trix. We poured everyone sprite and did a toast where everyone said what they were thankful for. I said something to the point of "I am thankful for the amazing friends and family that I have both here in Argentina and back home in the States. I am so grateful for this opportunity that I have been provided with to come to Argentina and for the opportunity to travel in the country on this trip. I am so happy to be here with all of you sharing a day as special as this. Although it may be the weirdest and most untraditional Thanksgiving that I have every participated in, it will be one that I know I will never forget for as long as I live." I'll just say I'm glad I brought my toothbrush on the bus so I could brush my teeth after eating all that healthy healthy food. Right now, we are in Resistencia where we started the trip as a half-way point. Some kids are only doing the first part and some only the second part to Iguazu. When we load back up, we will head to dinner, then we have another 12 hours on the bus to arrive in Puerto Iguazu, the town near Iguazu Falls in the northeast of the country. Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!!!

11/23 22:45-Hello all, we made it to Puerto Iguazu this morning right before lunch. On our way, we stopped in the town of Wanda and visited this place where they dig for semiprecious stones. It was really interesting and pretty to see but a little bit downgraded as we had a pretty inexperienced guide and it was pouring the entire time, but still cool. After lunch, we had some time to settle into our cabins (I'm rooming with 2 American girls and 2 Japanese girls) and then these awesome safari type trucks with no sides came to pick us up. Let me explain, in Puerto Iguazu it rains aaaaaaaall the time, the roads are dirt, and the soil is like bright red so pretty much everything is just like muddy mud mud. We drove through the middle of the Amazon rainforest for about 20 minutes on this really muddy road slipping back and forth the whole time...it was like a rollercoaster ride! But then, the fun stopped when our truck got stuck. We waited a few minutes and then another truck came and picked my group us. We arrived at this trailhead where they fitted these holster type cables around our legs and stomachs to do the zip-line and rapel. Then, we had to hike a few kilometers and we arrived at the top of this 15 or so meter waterfall. One at a time, we went to the edge and our cable was hooked onto this rope that went down to another guy who was at the bottom. We were instructed to jump. After jumping, you come back to the waterfall and kind of push off as you climb down a rope. For those of you that have rock climbed, it's like being holstered down after you reach the top. The whole entire time, you're in this waterfall and tons of water is falling over your head. You end up in a pool lake thing at the end where you can swim until the others are done. FUNNEST THING EVER!!!!!!! I insist that my family tries this sometime. Then, we took another hike to the zip-line activity. Pretty standard zip-line but very fun! Once again, this would never happen in the US as one simply has a pair of heavy gloves and reaches behind them on the cable to stop themselves. It was very high over the jungle canopy, the view was great, and it lasted for a long time. There were five different cables, I think. Those two activities were so so fabulous, I could do them over and over. Came back to the hotel for dinner here and headed to bed for a long day in the sun at Iguazu National Park tomorrow.

11/24 23:00-I am still in awe. This post will not even come close to doing justice for how beautiful Iguazu waterfalls are. It's just something that you have to experience for yourself. We woke up, ate breakfast at the hotel, and drove in the bus to the Iguazu National Park Entrance. Obviously, this is a very touristy attraction so all signs have English translations and all guides are required to translate what they say into English. The entire day was spent in the sun walking to and from different viewpoints but I swear that I could spend weeks admiring the falls. Not only the sight of sooooo much water pouring over, but the sound of this amount of water is so loud it's unbelievable. We ate lunch at a restaurant in the park and, in the afternoon, we did a really fabulous activity where we took boats on the river where the falls are. It was called the "Gran Aventura" or "Great Adventure". During the excursion, we actually go undeeer where the waterfalls are various times and everyone gets soaking wet! I even got to touch Brazil and Paraguay...!!!! I can't even try to explain what I saw today anymore...Pictures and videos will come soon. Returned to the hotel. Ate dinner and headed to bed after a very long and hot day. Love to all!