On Monday morning, Wes and Carrie came to our hotel to have breakfast with us before we left. We got to just talk and relax during breakfast which was wonderful! After we ate, we said our goodbyes and headed to the Rio airport to fly to Iguazu. We were really sad to leave Niteroi but excited to see the falls.
When we called to buy plane tickets for traveling inside of Brazil, we figured out more things about Brazilian culture. They told us to just pay when we came to the airport. The missionaries have told us that that is how everything is in Brazil. You can have groceries or movies delivered to your apartment or house and you don't have to pay right then! It's all about a trust system.
Thankfully Wes went with us to the airport and helped us pay for the tickets and helped us get to where we needed to go!
Another thing we have found about flights in Brazil is that they don't try to fill up flights. On the way to the falls we each had our own row because only 1/3 of the plane was filled up! The last time we were in Brazil we were flying from Rio to Campinas and we had a huge plane used for overnight flights and there were probably 20 people on it. It's just different than the US!
They also come around with candy while everyone is getting on the flight and during the flight bring you warm sandwiches and yummy food. We have a lot to learn from them!
We landed in Iguazu and it was raining and cold! It was the kind of airport where you walk from your plane to the building on the ground. That was the easiest and fastest arrival we have ever had! We got our baggage within 5 minutes of landing, they had a taxi already there, and we were on our way!
It was a 30 minute drive to the hotel since it is in the middle of nowhere. As we pulled up to the hotel we got our first sight of the falls. Oh my. I didn't know how nice the hotel was going to be! We walked in and while we were checking in they brought us hot towels and water. Since it is winter there, the hotel wasn't full at all so they upgraded us. We walked into our room and that's when we realized we got upgraded. We could SEE the falls out of our window! We were like children on Christmas day!!
The hotel had such a nice, homey feel! They had just re-done it so it was new! They told us that there was only one restaurant open so we made reservations for when it opened. It opened at 7:30! Brazilians don't eat until usually after 9 or so. But we were starving so we at "early". You can only go see the falls until 4:30 or 5 because it gets dark so early.
I LOVED to the hotel because at night everyone is just stuck there. There is a room with a huge fire because it was pretty chilly. You are in the middle of no where and have nothing to do but hang out there and get to know other people! I loved it so much.
Here is the hallway where our room was! I love it!!
One of our rooms
Our other room
This is in front of the hotel
Look out our window!!
We went to the restaurant at 7:30 and it was hilarious because almost every person in there was American. We Americans were starving at 7:30!!
Before our meal they brought around different kinds of homemade breads that were delicious! They didn't have a big menu and it had some very interesting things... thankfully they had our favorite steak in Brazil, piccana. In between the bread and our main course, they brought out a shot glass of guacamole with bacon bits and a spoon. It was the best thing I've EVER had. When they first brought it we were a little weirded out but it was amazing! There was also a spoonful of fish with a butter sauce that was also great!!
The whole meal was delicious! My mouth is watering just explaining it!!!!
After dinner we explored the hotel a little more and then went to our rooms. We discovered that the maids had turned down our beds and left us havaiana flip flops and awesome chocolates! That brand of flip flops is what everyone wears down there and they are so comfortable!! We definitely slept good that night!
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