Narrow escape and waterfalls

My last footstep on the South American continent was technically the last step I gave towards the customs officer on Sao Paulo Airport. For me however, it was the first step I took onto the Dutch KLM airplane that would take me to Schipol in the Netherlands and eventually on to Istanbul.

After my Amazonian river trip I spent a few days in Iquitos before flying back to Lima, the capital of Peru. The three days I spent there waiting for my flight to Foz de Içuasu in Brasil was spent watching the Copa America - The South American mini version of the world cup. I also finally got around to eating Peru's signature dish. 'Cerviche' is cold fish and octopus dish served with rice, rather humongous corn bits and peppers. The dish was extremely spicy and I was forced to buy 2 drinks to extinguish my now mangled taste buds. (A rather clever sales tactic I would later concede...)

Another nail biting incident was caused by my laundry. I had handed in my laundry to be washed the Friday afternoon, where I was informed that it would be ready Saturday at 6pm. It took me until Saturday 9pm to realize that I had forgotten to pick up my clean clothes, I rushed over, but as can be expected the laundromat was already closed for business... As the fates would have it the next day was obviously a Sunday and in Catholic Peru, the chances of a small business being open on a Sunday is quite slim indeed. The laundromat, of course, was closed. My international flight to Brasil the next day was at 12 in the afternoon. Knowing that it takes about 40min to get to the airport on a good day and up to an hour or more with traffic from where I was staying I reckoned that if I grabbed my washing at 8am I would make it before the 10am deadline for sure. No such luck. The laundromat wasn't to open until 9... I found myself in the precarious position of having to abandon 60% of my washing or missing my flight to Brasil. I chose the former as I hailed a cab at 9am. As the cab turned the corner I saw the owner opening the laundromat! In the same breath as I was shouting ESPARAR POR FAVOR!! I was leaping from the car and grabbing my bag of clean clothes, and more importantly, underwear... I made the airport with 7minutes to spare and was on my way to Brasil.

The town I stayed at - Foz de Içuacu, was the Brasilian Border town on Argentina next to the world's 2nd largest waterfall - the Iguazu waterfall. The waterfalls were indeed great and only by a slight margin greater than the breakfast I received each morning at the Green House Hostel, which included an assortment of cakes, fruits, scones, spreads and ham and cheese! It was probably the best value for money hostel I've stayed in in all of South America. I stayed there for 4 nights, and on Friday I flew off to Sao Paulo, from whence I left South America in search of Greener Islamic pastures. Turkey.