Fray Bentos and Igazu Falls

After a week relaxing in Colonia, Uruguay, we decided it was about time to move on. Uruguay offers such hotspots as the highly-recommended capital city of Montevideo, or the chic beaches of Punto Del Este. Or you can take a 200 km ride in-land to go to Fray Bentos to see a slaughter house. Guess which one we chose?

In to the Fray

So you may not be suprised that this stop was some-what off the general tourist track. Still, after a little struggle we found a 4-hour bus ride, and, on arrival, a small hotel (confusingly called Colonia). Next day we went off to see the museum and factory. Unfortunately the place was dead, and everyone seemed too busy drinking mate to show us around the factory. But we did the museum, here's of John with the world famous Bentos pies:

The company adopted the name Fray Bentos as a brand, realising the great fame the name had aquired for the quality of their products. In the photo, actual products that are sold in English supermarkets!

And here is me along-side a 2-headed cow in formaldahyde:

After a couple more days around Fray Bentos, we decided we would get back on the tourist trail and visit the world-famous Igazu Falls on the Argentinian-Brazillian border to spend over last few days. We first nipped across back in to Argentina and stayed for 2 days in a small border town (confusingly called Concepcion De Uruguay) before taking an 18-hour bus ride up to Puetro Igazu.

The Falls

We were both prepared to be under-welmed by the display of the waterfalls. It is generally considered the attraction of South America, and is hypied up to be one of the most impressive views the world has to offer. And the process to arrive at the Devil's Throat (there are 23 seperate falls in the Argentinian national park, but the Devil's Throat is it's main attraction) is a long process: imagine taking a 30 minute hot, stuff and bumpy bus ride to the gates of the national park; then paying a foreigners price to enter the falls (3 times more than an Argentinian); then queuing an hour with gaggles of American tourists to take a bumpy train journey through to the top of the falls; then walking 30 minutes in 30 degree heat, bundling with thousands of other tourists.

But then you finally approach the spot, and you start hear to roar of the water and feel the spray from the falls... pics don't really capture the sight, but that won't stop me uploading some:

Suffice to say it is a impressive sight and worth all the travelling to get there. Once you leave that spot and start exploring the rest of the national park, you see some fantastic views of the Falls and wildlife. Additions to our list of animals what we've seen in the wild include crocodiles, large lizards, proper-sized monkeys, condores, amongst probably other impresive birds and butterflies if i knew anything about birds or butterflies. Also rainbows, lots of rainbows. Here's a few more waterfally pics:

And some wildlifey pics:

Back to Brazil

On the 9th, we can (hopefully) travel back in to Brazil. We will cross the border here, over to the Brazillian side of Igazu, then should be able to pick up a bus to take us close to the boat. So we should arrive back to Rebel by the 10th or 11th if all goes to plan. We will be in San Fran for at least a couple of weeks before we are ready to start sailing North.