Marathon Overnight Coach and Hairy Scary Flight.
Trip Start
Jan 19, 2010
1
37
40
Trip End
Apr 01, 2010
Puerto Iguazu, Argentina
Monday, March 22, 2010
The taxi dropped us off for the Balut coach to Buenos Aires and we left Salta at 12.20 p.m. sitting upstairs at the very front in extremely comfortable seats like a king and queen of the road! We were travelling the 1000 miles in Cama Class - that meant the seats could be almost completely flat and you also have a calf and foot rest that came down to support your legs. Business Class on a bus!!! Ha ha! Thus we began our marathon journey on Ruta Nationale 9 and soon we were quite surprised to be served some hot food. Trays secured in the arm rests; we were served with? wait for it - Argentine haggis and mashed potatoes! Yes! It was delicious and really just like a haggis. There were 2 drivers that shared the 21 hour journey and after a brief late afternoon stop the night was broken with some hot food at a night café. Amazingly we slept reasonably well through the night as we were so comfortable - blankets and pillows provided too. The route was mostly single carriage roads and when overtaking there was little margin for error with sharp drop offs on to the un-kerbed muddy verges. The journey was not particularly interesting as there was vast swathes of virgin forest and uncultivated scrubland, We pass through some poor, rundown towns and villages where wild dogs roamed, but they have a remarkable innate road sense. One village intrigued me as there were several perfect igloo shaped red mud brick buildings. At first I thought they were for storage or for drying, but then I saw a flicker of light in one and think perhaps it was a dwelling. I expect that as they would be dark inside - no evidence of windows - they would be lovely and cool. We began the new day with a lovely 7 a.m. sunrise and shortly afterwards we hit Buenos Aires rush hour traffic We passed the River Plate Stadium - it was an enormous concrete circle building. We arrived none the worse for wear at 9:20 a full 21 hours from leaving Salta. We congratulated the drivers, collected our luggage and got a taxi to the domestic Aeroparque Jorge Newbery. Not long to wait and we boarded the LAN plane for the 2 hour flight to Iguaza. It was to be one of the most scary flights I’ve been on. There was considerable turbulence for about 25 mins - a long time for a very nervous passenger! I clung on to Bob tightly. When we descended through the cloud the rain was torrential and the wind was quite forceful and I felt the pilot was struggling to keep the plane level. The landing was much better than anticipated and everyone clapped spontaneously as the plane taxied down the runway. Me? I was still gripping the armrests and was not about to let go until the plane stopped. Thank goodness for terra firma! A quick exit and soon to our hotel - 28 hours of non-stop travelling. And so we showered and rested…………………………Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
Comments
Well done! A really superb effort in planning and execution!
Have a comfortable safe trip home, with happy landings, See you in June at the Colours Gathering
Stiil with you as you progress homewards. Clocks go forward this weekend
with Spring and Summer to look forward . The frog spawn arrived this week and the daffodils, though late in my garden, are bursting forth. Safe travels and take care LOL X
What an amazing bus and train journey, we will have so much to talk about when you come home.It isgetting warmer here(Mike has at last taken off his woolly hat)we have given the lawn its first cut and the daffodils and tulips are starting to flower. Have so enjoyed following your journey, have a wonderful last few days and have a safe flight home.Love Joan x