A Week in Misiones: Part Two - The touristy stuff

Hey folks,

So here is my installment of the tourism element to the week in Misiones, a northern province of Argentina.

After spending three active days volunteering in the village of Peruti, it was time to say our goodbyes. We cooked an asado the final day, and some of the children brought us necklaces and little ornaments the villagers made that we could buy. As we were finishing with the asado two little girls, barefoot and all smiles, approached me and pulled out a little wooden bird. It crudely resembled a toucan, with the characteristic toucan beak, big eyes, and a hefty tail. The wood had even been stained a dark brown in some places to give it definition.

"Cuanto vale?" I asked to the little girl holding the bag.
"Veinte." She replied, looking a little nervous that perhaps it was too much.

I pulled twenty pesos out of my pocket and handed it to her. She gave me the little wooden bird and ran off with her friend in tow, smiles of success on their faces, and before any of the other volunteers had a chance to buy anything.

"I think she'll be back." I told a slightly dismayed Kaja, a fellow volunteer who had sadly watched the little girls running away.

"I hope so. I would like to buy a bird as well." She replied.

The girls eventually came back and this time they stayed around us until everyone had a chance to buy birds, necklaces, or woven baskets.


We sadly left the village for the last time, and watched the children waving to us as our van slowly pulled away. We passed many people walking along the dirt road, enjoying the recent sunshine which had only started to poke through the clouds that very day. We passed a group of young men playing volleyball, young girls, some of them mothers with little ones, watching from the sides.

I felt a twinge of sadness leaving the village. It was a window that had been opened for three days. For three days I worked in a culture, with a people, and experienced a way of life vastly different from my own. I knew that as we pulled away, life in the village would return to normal and the brief moment in which that window had been opened would fade to distant memory. But as with all lasting memories, this one will die hard with me, and even if only a few in the village remember us, and undoubtedly some will, I know I will carry this memory a long while yet.

Later that evening Lili, the coordinator of the trip, along with one of the volunteers, left for Buenos Aires. Leaving only three of us for the final four days in Misiones. Lili gave all the directions to Flor, her close friend and one of our fellow volunteers, on how to arrive at each of our destinations. Indeed, Flor took copious notes and we had four full handwritten pages to guide us on four days of extended travel that would take us from Iguazu Falls to Ciudad del Este and San Ignacio, Argentina.

One of our travel pages

Well, handwritten notes are not always the most accurate, especially when dictated, so it probably is no surprise that we were slightly lost on several occasions, but luckily the three of us LIFE volunteers combined to equal one competent traveler, and we were able to brave the trip as an intrepid explorer would the unknown and uncharted.

Anna (L) and Flor (R) taking photos of Garganta del Diablo

We began our grand adventure with a trip to the mighty Iguazu Falls, a wonder of nature that one really needs to experience firsthand in order to fully understand the magnitude of it. Iguazu spans the borders of Argentina and Brazil, and one has access to the falls from both shores. Due to visa restrictions I was only able to see Iguazu from the Argentine side, however seeing just the one side occupied the entire day. Boardwalks allowed us to see the cataratas (waterfalls) from a variety of different points, and made for many photo moments. Here are just a few.

cuaytí wants my food!!!

There were also little furry animals, known as cuaytí, that I liken to a cross between a raccoon and an anteater. These little guys appeared cute and fuzzy, but when they got close enough to you their real motive became clear as they made desperate little grabs at your food with their clawed paws. 


We managed through the first day with few if any setbacks. Since Iguazu is such a touristy location it was fairly easy to find our way around. We only really encountered real difficulties the following day when we headed across the border to Ciudad del Este, Paraguay. 

All for now. Enjoy the World Cup!