IGUAZU FALLS

WHERE: Iguazu home to the colossal Iguzu Waterfalls

WHERE (less detailed): northern Argentina, at the tip of the skinny pointy finger that prods into Brazil and Uruguay.

WEATHER IS: bright sunshine, overcast, torrential downpour, bright sunshine - and that's all in a single day

TEMPERATURE IS: late 20s to mid 30s

FOOD COSTS: a lot less than in other parts of Argentina. A bottle of Cola is now less than back home. Strangely a bottle of water costs the same as a coke and a massive bottle of beer costs only slightly more. Rhaani and Hoolie are forced to drink beer as for some reason restaurant wine is extremely expensive while beer isn't.

HIGHTLIGHTS/LOWLIGHTS:  as Raj rightly points out we appear to have lost our ability to slum it as we travel "primera class" on the 18hr bus ride from Buenos Aires to Iguazu. The bus features seats that recline to almost flat and in-seat televisions (with dodgy 80s music videos). We also receive a flute of champagne and two small bottles of wine ... a fantastic day at the mightily impressive falls, unfortunatey the boat ride around the base of the falls is cancelled.

Guide: "I'm sorry but the boat isn't running at the moment because of what happened three days ago"

Us: "what happened three days ago?"

Guide: "Two people died when the boat overturned, the police are down there now trying to work out what happened."

Rhaani "Crap so we can't go on the boat?"

Paul: "yes Rhaani, unfortunately we can't play Russian Roulette with the deathtrap boat!"

Rhaani "Crap! How unlucky are we? We have the worst timing!"

Paul: "I'm guessing those two dead tourists (a 70-year-old and a 28-year-old) would beg to differ"

... our ￡15 ponchos are fast earning value-for-money status as we watch smugly as the heavens open up and soak all around us .... Paul takes a bee sting for the team (no need for vinegar dad) ... Rhaani contemplates re-turning vegetarian after receiving the worst grilled chicken salad in the world - another Lonely Planet winner - whoever wrote the description of our top-rated Hostel with pool, video room, kitchen, open bar, computer area and BBQ area worked for a London estate agent as the place is a dive with the worst breakfast ever - day old French loaf with tea or coffee!...

...Rhaani refuses to swim in the pool for fear of contracting meningitis ... Rhaani finds a "I love Choripan" t-shirt... moving hostels ... all those hours of teach yourself Spanish might have been worth it as Paul manages to ask for a small role of electrical insulation tape in passable Spanish...Rhaani nearly clocks the receptionist at the new hostel who stops her from bringing beer into the hostel. 

UP NEXT: Salta, wine country, Paul forsees numerous lonely hours minding the shop while Hoolie and Rhaani get hammered while using words like "full bodied" "earthy" and "fruity".