March 9

(Ryan)

Most people dread being stuck on a bus for 24 hours. I hear them talk at the stations waiting for their bus. They say the tedium is insufferable and they can't stand it. I don't know why, but it's not that bad for me. I can think of better  ways to spend my time but time with my thoughts doesn't bore me. I read a little, a few hours on the computer, I stair out the window, and I daydream. For hours on end and I don't get bored. The bus from Rio de Janeiro to Faz du Iguaza was one of the more pleasant of the long hauls. The air conditioning wasn't turned all the way up, I had the seat next to me open for most of the ride, the light over my seat was working, I had more legroom than a first class flight, there weren't any loud buzzers or sirens inside the cabin, there were no unpleasant smells, we didn't have to disembark every five miles and show our passports or wait for the bus to be searched, no chickens or screaming babies, we didn't run out of gas or get lost, not even once! Overall a good time for reflection, time to consider the past 32 years. Inspired by it being the 32nd anniversary of my birth. 

A good deal of my thoughts were of my family. March 8th was my brothers Darin's birthday, easy to remember being the day before mine, and I thought about our time growing up together. We certainly raised at least a little hell that's for sure! The things we jumped our bikes off of, and driving around drinking beer in my moms car, even rolling  it off a short cliff once, it's truly amazing either one of us has made it as long as we have. Time and miles have come between us and we don't see each other very often but when I'm alone with my thoughts I think about all the crazy stuff we did and it makes me smile and laugh and wonder. 

So the miles went by and at 4:00am my comfortable double seat became half as small when a large hipped lady boarded and occupied the seat next to me. I quickly fell back to sleep and woke to a beautiful country side of rolling hills and pastures near 9:00am.  Pulling into the station in Foz du Iguacu near noon my birthday was already half over. We were greeted by friendly, English speaking representative of the government run youth hostel and got the hard sell. It was actually recommended by someone Dan met in Salvador so we and the four Danish guys we met at the bus station signed up and split a cab. What a pleasant surprise! A pool, a pool bar!, a computer to check e-mail, a meticulously groomed soccer field, a concrete soccer field, kitchens, Bar-B-Qs, ping-pong, pool table, grass!, flowers, sitting rooms with books and magazines, fruit trees. This is one of the nicest places we have stayed and at $6 I thought about moving in for good. We got settled and it was 2:00 pm. Too late to go to the falls and the pool looked too good! There were many liters of beer poolside between us and the Danes and just before dinner was served I thought I would lay down for a quick nap.

March 10

I never made it to dinner but lifted my hurting head at 6:00am the next day. STARVING! The hostel supplied coffee and bread and it was enough to get me going. The rest of the poolside crew rose near 8:30 felling no better than I and slowly we got our selves together for a 10:00am departure to the falls. 

The waterfall is the dividing line between Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay and to see all of it you have to see them from at least the Brazilian and Argentine sides. Today we were only viewing them from the Brazilian side and it was a very easy walk. We got off a bus right in front of the lower part of the falls and that alone was an incredible sight. While we were snapping some pictures, a family of quadamundi came rambling up the path looking for a hand out. These are wild animals related to the raccoon and very friendly even allowing to be pet. Along the river was a path with vantage points for taking pictures. As we made our way down the path the sights kept getting better and better until we were out on a catwalk nearly under the huge waterfall and being sprayed with water. A few more pictures then back up the hill to wait for the next bus. 

The previous nigh, after I had fallen asleep, Dan rallied the Danes and some other travelers into having a big Bar-B-Que so we headed down town to get some supplies and to have some lunch. For some reason I mentioned jell-o shots in passing and the Danes were well intrigued. I wasn't too serious at first but they had never heard of jell-o shots and insisted I make some. Back at the hostel we took a rest and sat by the pool until evening. I made sure to prepare the jell-o shots in advance and they were chillin' in the fridge. The sun fell and Dan grabbed the food and headed to the BBQ. We started with a little beer pong while the coals got hot and it didn't take long before everyone had to have a jell-o shot. Dinner was ready before long and we had filet, chicken, sausage, pork chops, rice, salad, pasta, oh we had so much food! Later more people showed up for a ping pong champion ship then we all went back to the pool bar until who knows.

March 11

A day off we were due and spent it by the pool and taking naps. Dan wasn't a fan of the food at the hostel so we went into town for Pizza Hut. I was in bed as well as most everyone else by 10pm.