Leaving Buenos Aires

The time has come to move on from Buenos Aires after five weeks here. My current host Lucy is far more generous than I could have ever expected and staying with her has been a lot of fun, but I am becoming very restless and I need a change of scenery.

My next destination is Iguazu Falls, allegedly one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world. There are two possible ways in which to get there from Buenos Aires.

1) The very comfortable and reliable overnight bus with "semi-cama" (reclining bed-seats) service, aircon, hot meals and movies for entertainment. Most sensible people will take this option and spend only 18 hours travelling before arriving well rested in Iguacu. Price: $450AR
2) The very slow, hot and uncomfortable train with no reclining seats, taking at least 30 hours. What food they serves you barely deserves the name, the toilets probably consist of a jagged hole in the floor with no paper and brown shrapnel plastered over everything and there are over FIFTY stops between Buenos Aires and Posadas, where you THEN have to stay overnight and take a bus the next day to Iguazu. Price for tourist (aka bend-over-boy-its-going-in-dry) class: $150AR

Obviously I chose the train looking at that incredible list of positives. Am I a masochist? Maybe a little, but I believe that travelling is about the journey and I can take a comfortable air conditioned bus back home if I want to. A shitty third world train is far more interesting and more likely for me to actually learn something from the experience, which is after all why I am here. Besides, it's cheaper.