“Some birds are not meant to be caged, that’s all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs too sweet and wild. So you let them go, or when you open the cage to feed them they somehow fly out past you. And the part of you that knows it was wrong to imprison them in the first place rejoices, but still, the place where you live is that much more drab and empty for their departure.” ― Stephen King, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption
While visiting Puerto Iguazu in Argentina we would cross the border back and forth to Brazil. In one of those days we visited the Parque das Aves – a bird sanctuary that is so beautiful and interesting.
It was so much fun and interesting seeing and learning about all the different species of birds. I also loved the butterflies. I am always in awe of how rich nature is.
My favorite bird is the toucan. We have them in my town in Brazil, is always a surprising to me when I spot them.
There was one in my mother’s balcony the other day while Michael was sitting there in the morning. Michael was reading and hadn’t notice the toucan perched on the railing just steps from him. Unfortunately I was so surprised by its presence that I yelled Michael’s name and that scared it away.
“A waterfall cannot be silent, just as the wisdom! When they speak, the voice of power speaks!” ― Mehmet Murat ildan
Another birthday trip was successfully completed celebrating my mother’s 91st birthday. We had such a great time last year in Argentina that we have decided to return this year.
Last year we were there for only 3 days, so mom and I mostly stayed at the hotel enjoying the grounds and the casino. This time we stayed 6 days and had a chance to do some sightseeing.
Some of what we did:
Iguazu Falls – Impressive and majestic! It is such an honor to be so close to the beauty and force of the water. We visited the Brazilian side as it was more accessible to my mother. You have to take a bus from the main gate, but they gave us permission to go in with our driver, so it was very convenient. I would visit again and perhaps rent a bike or hike a trail, or take some of the amazing tours and experiences they offer.
Parque das Aves – Bird Park – This bird sanctuary is dedicated to the conservation of species from the Atlantic Forest. So many beautiful and interesting birds. I would visit again.
AquaFoz Aquarium – This is a new attraction in the area. It is trying to show the richness contained in the Rivers Paraná and Iguaçu. I loved it. I would visit again.
Madero Tango Show – I expected a little more, but I have high expectations when it comes to shows. We chose this show because it was adjacent to the hotel, I am sure Tango shows in Buenos Aires will be much better. It also included dinner, but the food was bad. I would not return, but my mother enjoyed it so that was the important thing.
The Three Borders landmark – we visited it on the Argentinian side – it has a couple of restaurants and some little stores. I visited again for the gorgeous view of Brazil and Paraguay, and the rivers Paraná and Iguaçu.
City Center Iguazu Casino – it has slot machines in 3 different currencies: The Argentinian Peso, the Brazilian Real and American Dollar. Always fun, but didn’t have a chance to spend much time there.
Puerto Iguazu town – walked around the stores and restaurants downtown was a lot fun. The stores sells mostly alfajores (delicious sandwich cookies), olives and wines. Alfajores were our gifts of choice to family and friends.
Spa del Paraiso – this is the spa in the hotel. We had a great relaxing massage. Very talented masseuses. I would go again.
China Shopping Centerin Paraguay – this one I was forced to go to. I hate shopping, I hate shopping centers. The lady that works for us helping my mother wanted to get an iPhone for her son. The prices in Paraguay are less than half of the prices for luxury items in Brazil. The highlight of the trip was taking the ferry from Argentina to Paraguay and back, a quick and beautiful 12 minute trip that avoided the crazy road traffic.
The extra time, and there was not much of it, was spent enjoying meals at the hotel and at couple of restaurants in the other areas. We had lunch by the pool one day. I had passion-fruit caipiroskas every chance I had. Caipiroska is similar to caipirinha, but it uses vodka instead of cachaça, so it is less strong.
My mom uses a wheelchair most of the time, so it is always stressful when we go to different places. But we had no issues in any of the places we visited.
I feel so blessed to still have my mom and to be able to take her places. She has the heart and lust for life like a teenager.
Here some pictures and video of the gorgeous fall. I will be posting other pictures in follow up posts.
“The reason birds can fly and we can’t is simply because they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings.” ― J.M. Barrie, The Little White Bird
After visiting with my aunt, my cousin gave us a ride back downtown – we had walked to my aunt’s. We went to Thermas Antonio Carlos to inquire about getting some spa treatments.
Thermas Antonio Carlos is a bathhouse that was built at the end of 1920s, and inaugurated in March 1931. It was a place for sick people to get sulfurous baths and other treatments. Today it has been completely restored and it is mostly frequented by tourists.
They have also added a couple of stores with natural products and also a café/restaurant. The café overlooks a water fountain and also leads to the outdoor areas that also has a few tables.
We scheduled an ofuro bath and massages for the end of the day. From there we went to the Bird Zoo.
We don’t like to see animals in cages, but this place is more like a sanctuary. They gave the birds a lot room. They also rescue old and sick ones.
We hadn’t had lunch yet when we got there, but the place had only sweet snacks. I had a brownie and Michael had a banana nut cake.
It was fun to see and read about the beautiful birds. We spent a couple of hours there. There are a lot benches throughout, so from time to time we sat and just took in the beauty of nature, and the realization of how blessed we are.
From there we went back to the bathhouse for our treatments. We could have the bath treatment in separate tubs, but we chose to be together in an ofuro – wooden soaking tub. We could choose a scent and an oil. We chose lavender and rosemary. It smelled delicious! It was so relaxing.
After having the bath on the second floor, we went to our massages. It was odd, my massage was on the first floor and Michael’s was on the third. It is a big place with many tubs and masseuses. We got the relaxing massage, and it was. I think I fell asleep. Next time I will probably choose another type of massage, such as a lymphatic massage.
After the massage, instead of eating at the café there we decided to walk around and see what else was out there. Michael mentioned pasta, so I decided to go to the oldest restaurant in town, Cantina do Araujo. The food was very good, but the service lousy. Our waitress was inattentive. She brought our order to the table and never came back. We had to flag other waiters to get water and then the bill.
On Monday morning, we returned the rental, got my sister’s car and drove to my hometown. I worked Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday we left Brazil and got into NY at 5:30am on Thursday. It was the perfect time to arrive. There was no traffic getting home.
Our next adventure will be in Park City, Utah. Park City was our first trip, just a couple of weeks after we first met. It will be nice to go back.
Here are some pictures of our Sunday in Poços De Caldas, Minas Gerais- Brazil.
“Some birds are not meant to be caged, that’s all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs too sweet and wild. So you let them go, or when you open the cage to feed them they somehow fly out past you. And the part of you that knows it was wrong to imprison them in the first place rejoices, but still, the place where you live is that much more drab and empty for their departure.” ― Stephen King, Shawshank Redemption
Blessed with a Star on the Forehead 