Waterfalls, Wine and Santiago

After a fast and furious two weeks in Buenos Aires, I said goodbye to new friends and headed to Iguazu Falls and Mendoza before crossing the Andes to fly home from Santiago, Chile.  Who knew the Jewel of Sabbatical yet awaited me...Iguazu! I spent a few days at the falls - visiting both the rugged Argentine side and the panoramic Brazilian side - drinking in the beauty of God's creation after city life.  

I visited the Argentine side of the falls first 

The Argentine side is the more adventurous, rugged side of the falls

Iguazu is the longest waterfall in the world!

The sun and water provide a natural breeding ground for tons of rainbows and butterflies

I took a boat across to San Martin island where I swam and did more hiking

Simply breathtaking!!

View from "Devil's Throat" part of the falls

Top of "Devil's Throat" on the Argentine side

Tons of wildlife, including many exotic birds, in the rainforest surrounding the falls

On the Argentine side of the falls, you feel up close in the falls and do much more hiking

On the second day, I visited the Brazilian side

The Brazilian side of the falls offers better panoramic views, a bit further away from the action

It was overcast the second day while in Brazil

Even without the sun, the panoramic views did not disappoint  :)

With every step, more and more waterfalls could be seen - truly never-ending cascades

Traveling alone, I could not take enough pictures :)

I was a very happy visitor

After Iguazu, I flew to Mendoza, the wine region in western Argentina famous for its Malbec reds.  I spent a few charming days in Mendoza, sipping on tasty wines and enjoying the beauty of the snow-capped Andes mountains.  I was even able to met up with Duncan and Rena, classmates from Buenos Aires, on my last night.

Wine tasting lunch at a local winery

I went horseback riding through the foothills of the Andes, near Mendoza

Although cold, it was a beautiful clear day

My guide and I trotted through streams and over hills on horseback

A beautiful lake near where we started our trek

More wine tasting with Duncan and Rena

After the 8 hour bus-ride to Chile, I spent a mere 36 hours in sunny Santiago before flying back to the States.  I enjoyed some wonderful Chilean foods, met some interesting locals and walked all over the easily-accessible city.  

Stopping in mountains at Chilean customs

I hiked up San Cristobal hill to see the Virgin Mary statue overlooking Santiago 

Beautiful gardens surrounded the Virgin, but the statue itself was not as impressive as Rio's Cristo

The stunning view from the top overlooking Santiago, with the Andes in the distance

Traditional Chilean empanadas have a beef and onion combo inside

The river running through the center of Santiago, at dusk

Overall, my three weeks in South America added another fantastic trip to what has been a remarkable, unforgettable year.  I return to work tomorrow, Monday, November 1.  Thank you all for faithfully following my journey!!