On the Road to Rio: The Iguazú Falls

Discovering Brazil, hitchhiking, walking or swimming.

So, on the road again, and the anticipation of adventure was exhilarating; so much that I could feel it. It's a feeling that it's very hard to describe, part adrenaline, part the hormones of youth and the rest was all senses. First time in a country so exotic I could hardly wait and my imagination took me deep into the possibilities of all kinds of encounters. Nothing could've been more exciting than being me at that point.

I met more people than I could count and drove everyone crazy with questions. Since my preferred--and cheapest--method to get further North was hitchiking, and self-driving cars were farther into the future, human drivers were most approachable and willing to offer me cherished rides, sometimes for hundreds of miles. They were quite curious about this long-haired hippie with jeans and nothing but a backpack.

Before I knew it, the kilometres and signs showed an incredible distance from my capital, Buenos Aires, and I can still remember waking up from a nap with the tropical scent of the thick jungle as we approached Iguazú, the site of the spectacular Falls by the same name. Wow! It was such a majestic view I'd never seen before, and the sounds were completely alien to me, including the rumble as we got near what I believed at the time was one of the seven wonders of the world.

Having the impatience of a chimp, I hurried to find a place to crash for the night, extended my sincere thanks to my driver, and jumped into the unknown barely 10 miles from the Brazilian border.

I walked back and forth the tiny town like a Western cowboy in America and I felt strangely in my truest element. Free, able, broke, but with stars in my eyes every step of the way.

I managed to find the cheapest village hotel around after confirming with the locals it was indeed the cheapest, and after 36 hours on the road without a break, I finally got to rest my bones.

An old man with a beautiful wrinkled like- leather face just sitting in the shade drinking yerba mate nodded his head in welcome and I responded in kind. Then, he offered me a cup. “Un mate?" --he said softly.

After making sure my accommodations were guaranteed, I sat outside with him and his three dogs, mostly in silence, watching the sun go down.

I've never seen so many rainbows at once. Through the mist of the Falls, he told me that was a daily occurrence and always different than the day before. In Spanish, he'd tell me where to look with the astonishment of a little kid. “Look at that one!--...” Look at this one!” He couldn't contain his amazement, and neither could I. The display of colors was phenomenal and the sequence never repeating was even more so. It didn't take me long to realise I was witnessing a magic moment in the presence of pure love. Me, a city boy and an old man with three dogs who knew how to appreciate the little things in life and be one with it all. A huge lesson and a very much-needed one.

The mates kept on coming, and they did emphasize my senses, making things more colourful and my emotions to the point of tears. I didn't hide them and I let a couple roll down my face. Then, almost in sync, a woman comes out of the hotel and tells me Pops is the zoo’s town manager--with a whimsical wink. I acknowledged her out of politeness but I had no idea what she meant. Until I did.

First, a stray cat, rubbing against his calf, received a dry sardine from him. Then another. He smiles as he says, with an accepting expression, “They never say ‘thank you’". We both belly-laughed at the opportune joke. After a few minutes, a three-legged dog wagging her tail shows up and also receives a bunch of sardines. “Lucy, mamita linda!" He says as he pets her and rubs her chest. His dogs that were napping next to him are now suddenly fully awake and wanting to be petted as well. The scene was surreal as it almost belonged in a movie. Couldn't get it better if you tried.

The parade of stays, including a donkey named Roberto continued throughout the evening as we graduated from mate to beers, which I insisted he share with me.

It turned out to be one of the most satisfying evenings of my youth and just as unforgettable.

“Papa" will forever have a place at the bottom of my heart.

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Until we meet again…

Love and light. 🗽❤️

René

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