Days 22-24: Iguassu Falls, Brazil -> Mercedes, Uruguay

I woke up Friday morning feeling good and healthy. Everyone packed their belongings into a van and we set off for the Brazilian side of Iguassu Falls. Once we got there, we were greeted by a number of creatures called coatis who were on the hunt for any food we might have. They were well-acclimated to human visitors because they had no problem jumping up on people in an attempt to steal their grub. I probably would have attempted to pet them had it not been for Dan's bite and a large sign promising a similar fate.

The national park had a long walkway that offered various views of Iguassu Falls. Each lookout point granted a completely different perspective from the last and made you appreciate just how massive the falls were (there were a series of cascades of varying sizes as opposed to Niagra's singular, enormous flow). At one point, a cross bridge allowed us to get close enough to the falls to feel a heavy mist that left us refreshingly wet. Once we got to the end of the walkway, we had lunch at a location overlooking the falls. We then got back in the van and headed off to a nearby bus station. 

At the station, we stocked up on snacks and mentally prepared for what would be the longest ride of our tour: a 15-hour bus trip to Uruguay. We departed at 5pm on a double-decker bus that was fortunately quite comfortable and offered plenty of leg room. We talked and drank wine for the first part of the ride until one-by-one we fell asleep and let the hours pass in a deep slumber. All-in-all, it was a much easier trip than I had anticipated and we were in Uruguay before I knew it. Once in the town of Mercedes, we were driven to an estancia, or ranch, where we were to spend the weekend. 

It was a cold, overcast morning when we first arrived on the estancia, but the clouds soon gave way to a clear, beautiful sky. We set our belongings down inside the single-story home, which looked like it came straight out of an old Western movie set (cowboy hat-filled hat rack, taxidermy, butter churners, and the like). The home itself was set on a vast, flat property with open land as far as the eye could see. We took a "guided" walk around the ranch, but the guide hardly spoke a word to us so we didn't actually gather much information about the property. For the remainder of the day, we hung outside, played cards, enjoyed the sun, and drank wine on the porch.

We were then treated to a beautiful, unobstructed sunset that caused the horizon to glow a warm pink and orange. As the sun disappeared, our group leader brought out the implements needed to make mate (ma-tay), a popular drink in Uruguay and Argentina. Mate is typically prepared in a round ceramic cup, which is filled three-quarters of the way with potent herbs. A metal straw with a filtered end is then placed inside and the mate preparer, or cebador, pours hot water into the cup. Drinking mate is a very social activity, and after each person empties the cup, the cebador is responsible for refilling it with hot water for the next drinker. The taste is similar to a strong green tea, and sugar or orange rind can be added to sweeten the blend. We learned there are several rules involved in drinking mate with a group, such as do not take too long while drinking and do not move the straw from its position. We all enjoyed the affair as well as the boost of energy the tea gave us. 

After going around with the mate cup a few times, we went inside for dinner. The food was tasty, but it was evident the ranch owners were cutting corners to avoid profit loss (we had a rice-based dish with potatoes and carrots). We retreated into the living room after our meal, where we played some games, sat by the fireplace, and introduced our foreign friends to the deliciousness that is a s'more (our ingredients were not perfect, but our customers were very satisfied and all happily had seconds). We then sat around watching a movie before retiring to our rooms for the night.

The following day was filled with various activities including milking a(n emaciated-looking) cow, making (or at least, shaping) bread, gathering firewood for a bonfire, and riding (extremely slow) horses. We also had meals that were tasty, but again costed as much to prepare as our food from the night before (think single-egg omelets and giant plates of pasta). In short, it was evident we were being given a half-baked, profit-driven estancia experience.

Despite these gimmicky affairs, we actually all had an amazing time. The isolation provided us with a level of serenity that had been hard to achieve up until this point. It also forced us off our electronics and into other means of entertainment. In fact, one of my favorite parts of the weekend was sitting around the bonfire and getting lost in conversation with two of my tourmates. There was something incredibly refreshing about talking for hours without any form of distraction; it encouraged a level of concentration on the speaker that we too often miss out on in our daily lives. 

The estancia weekend fell at a perfect time within our trip, and gave us a great opportunity to recharge our batteries before setting off for city-living in Montevideo.