Don't Cry For Me, Argentina – Part 2

A place where clouds are born from water

From the cold Patagonia, where average maximum temperatures are around 15 degrees, I flew to the ever hot and steamy far north-east of Argentina, to the province of Misiones. The name means "missions" and is a reflection of early Roman Catholic missionary activity in the early 17th century.

Because of the dense fog, we only managed to land on the third time around at the airport in Puerto Iguazú, located at the confluence of the Paraná and Iguazú rivers, on the tri-border of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. It's probably worth noting that the city is a great starting point for visiting the famous Iguasu Falls, the world's largest waterfall system with a total width of 2,700 metres and Argentina's largest natural landmark. They are found on the Iguassu River, the border river between Argentina and Brazil, which means they are shared between the two countries. Most of the roughly 275 waterfalls, up to 90 metres high, are protected by the two countries as part of the national park belong to Argentina, but are also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The name Iguazú in the language of the natives, the Guarani tribe means "great water", and the Guarani waterfalls were called "the place where clouds are born from the water". According to legend, they were created when the warrior Taroba eloped with the girl Naipur, angering the forest deity who had fallen in love with her. So, the deity collapsed the riverbed right in front of the two lovers, Naipur fell over the edge and turned into rock at the bottom, and Taroba became a tree that still looks at the rock-turned Naipur to this day.

Most visitors visit the Falls from both Argentine and Brazilian sides, using Puerto Iguazú in Argentina or Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil as their base. The Brazilian side offers a beautiful panorama of the Argentinian side, while in Argentina we get closer to the water, thanks to the many iron paths. The climate is hot and humid, so no one is bothered by the cold spray of the roaring river. I visited this area already in 2010 after heavy rain and when I compare the photos, I can see that this year the water flow was much lower, but I was still impressed. Like the last time I was here, I saw the coati. They are relatives of raccoons and they like to stick their long snouts into the backpacks of tourists.

Puerto Iguazú itself is not a particularly attractive town, but the lookout point above the meeting point of the Paraná and Iguazú rivers offers a panoramic view of the two neighbouring countries, Brazil and Paraguay. Bus transport between all three countries is efficient and well organised, making it quite easy to visit all countries. Generally, you have to stop at every border control to get exit or entry stamps, but even if the bus doesn't stop and you actually enter the country illegally, the officials don't complicate things at either point.

Not far from the waterfalls, on the Brazilian side, you can find the town of Foz do Iguaçu, which is worth a visit, if for no other reason than to try the Brazilian picanha, known as the queen of steaks, and along the road leading to the cascades, we find a bird park that surprises us with its colourful macaws, toucans and flamingos. The bridge over the Paraná River connects Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, with Ciudad del Este, Paraguay's second largest city. Although I had planned to, I did not visit the country on this trip, but I did visit it twice in 2010, once even during a visit to the huge Itaipu hydroelectric power station, which supplies electricity to most of Paraguay and part of Brazil. Brazil was not the last country I visited on this trip, as I went to Uruguay for a few days after returning to Buenos Aires.

The Oriental Republic of Uruguay

Every year, more than two million people take ferries from Buenos Aires to neighbouring Uruguay, which lies on the other side of the murky Rio de la Plata River. Uruguay is the second-smallest country in South America, after Suriname. It is a lowland area, with a peak of just 500 metres, and the landscape is mainly used for agriculture. The country's official name is The Oriental Republic of Uruguay, in reference to the river Uruguay, after which it is named today. Popular destinations include the old colonial town of Colonia del Sacramento, the capital Montevideo and the resort town of Punta del Este, which boasts beautiful beaches on the Atlantic Ocean. Having never been to Uruguay before, and because it was close to Buenos Aires, it was an obvious choice for me.

After a good hour on the ferry, I found myself in Colonia del Sacramento, but the tour was very short as it was pouring rain. The city was actually founded by the Portuguese as a counterbalance to Buenos Aires, but was later handed over by the Portuguese to the Spanish. This meant the decline of the town, there was no new development, so it kept its colonial architecture, which can still be admired today.

Most tourists visit Uruguay for a day, and I was led on to the capital Montevideo, where half of the 3.5 million Uruguayans live. Interestingly, there are hardly any litter bins on the streets of Montevideo to make public spaces more nice and to encourage people to take their rubbish home.

I was there just in time for the Carnival, but the second most famous carnival in South America, after the one in Rio de Janeiro, was cancelled because of strong winds. Swimming was also out of the question, so the only thing left was to wander the streets of this not very attractive capital. As foreigners we do not pay the 9% tax when we pay for food with our cards, but it is still deducted as soon as the system detects the foreign card. I have to admit that I was not too sorry when I left Uruguay and returned to Argentina.

Asado, mate, alfajor …

Finally, I would like to touch on gastronomy, because Argentina is not only known for its football and tango, but also for its cuisine. In this country, you don't go hungry, if you can afford it, of course. Buenos Aires is surrounded by fertile grasslands called the pampas, where cattle graze under the watchful eye of Argentina's cowboys, the gavchas. So it's no surprise that Argentina's most famous food is steak, which, like the Argentinian barbecue asado, is really well prepared in many parillas, and the country also has the highest consumption of red meat in the world. It comes with a glass of wine, mostly from the areas around Mendoza, which I didn't visit on this trip. For dessert, it's worth visiting one of the beautifully decorated cafés serving the national dessert, alfajor, which is a round cake filled with milk caramel called dulce de leche.

Although Argentina produces a lot of wine, the national drink is the mate drink, made from the dried, shredded and powdered leaves of the yerba mate plant. Everywhere you go, you see locals carrying thermoses full of hot water to make this tea. Mate is traditionally served in a container called a mate or cuiba. They fill it almost three-quarters full with herbs and then pour in hot water. Boiling water is added again and again as you drink, until you can taste still some of the aroma.

They drink the tea through a metal straw called a bombilla, which also serves as a filter. Mate is known as a social drink that brings people together, and for Argentines, drinking it is a social event that they like to share with others, so they are quick to offer a sip. I tried it too, but I didn't like the taste very much, however I still bought a bowl with a straw to remind me of my trip to Argentina.

Armed with souvenirs, I just mumbled: "Don't cry for me, Argentina," from the musical I mentioned in the first part of this article and then set off on the long journey home, full of new impressions.