City Streets to Devil’s Throat: The Warm‑Weather Chapter Before Antarctica
I spent a week bouncing between city sidewalks, jungle humidity, and more waterfalls than my brain could process. It was the final stretch of heat before trading it all for ice.
6/9/20264 min read
SUMMARY
Using Buenos Aires as a base, I spent several days exploring the city before heading north to Iguazú Falls. The contrast between the two — architecture and cafés versus jungle and spray — made the week feel like two different trips stitched together. It was the final warm‑weather stretch before Antarctica reset the entire journey.
ARRIVING IN BUENOS AIRES
Flying into Buenos Aires from Santiago was quick and easy. My flight landed at EZE, the main international airport, while the smaller domestic airport, AEP, sits closer to the city. I’d rented an Airbnb for six nights, even though I’d be up north at Iguazú for two of them. The rate was low enough to keep the booking, and it meant I could leave most of my luggage behind and travel light with a small backpack — essential since I was heading straight to the falls from the airport.
RECOLETA AS A HOME BASE
I chose an apartment in Recoleta, known for its French‑influenced architecture and its proximity to the famous cemetery where Evita is interred. It felt safe, walkable, and convenient, with a metro station half a block away. The Airbnb had a full kitchen, so I stocked up on simple staples — bread, salami, cheese, beer, chips. My host left snacks and pre‑loaded subway cards, which made everything easier. All I had to do was figure out how to top them up before checking out, which I eventually did.
PALERMO FOOD TOUR
The next day I joined a walking food tour in Palermo Soho, a neighborhood known for its food scene. I tried pizza, shredded beef empanadas, chori (sausage sandwich), steak, wine, and gelato. Buenos Aires feels French in its architecture and Italian in its food, and everything I ate reflected that. I walked most of the way back afterward, partly for the exercise and partly because I was extremely full.
LA BOCA AND CAMINITO
The following day I wandered La Boca, famous for its colorful buildings and the pedestrian street Caminito. The tradition of painting houses with leftover nautical paint continues, so the neighborhood is full of bright reds, yellows, blues, and greens. It’s also home to Boca Juniors, so team colors and jerseys are everywhere. Statues of Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona stood alongside replicas of the World Cup trophy, and tango dancers performed for photos. It was blazing hot, so after exploring I took an Uber back to cool off before a tango show that evening.
AN INTIMATE TANGO PERFORMANCE
Choosing a tango show was overwhelming — dinner shows, big productions, small venues. I picked an intimate option with no stage, just two dancers performing improvised tango in a semicircle of sixteen tables. A pianist, an accordionist, and a singer rounded out the experience. It felt authentic, close, and beautifully understated.
FLYING TO IGUAZÚ FALLS
The next morning I flew two hours to Puerto Iguazú (IGR) with only enough clothes for two nights. Instead of heading into town first, I took a taxi straight to the park entrance. I’d researched enough to know there were storage lockers, so I dropped my backpack and started exploring.
THE ARGENTINE SIDE OF THE FALLS
There are three main trails, and I began with the walkway to the Devil’s Throat — a U‑shaped convergence of falls that sends up a constant wall of spray. It was brutally hot, and the metal walkways radiated heat from below while the sun beat down from above. The spray was the only relief.
I continued along the upper trail, looking down over the falls, then the lower trail, seeing the same cascades from ground level. By the end, I was soaked in sweat and ready for air‑conditioning. A shuttle took me into town, and my hotel — half a block from the bus depot — was perfectly placed. My corner room heated up like a frying pan, but it dried my clothes quickly.
THE BRAZILIAN SIDE (AND THE VISA)
The next day I joined a group tour to the Brazilian side. As a U.S. citizen, I needed a visa, which I obtained online before leaving home, so I had to exit the bus and go through customs on both sides while everyone else stayed on board. It was quick, but the $100 visa fee for a four‑hour visit wasn’t worth it in hindsight. The panoramic views were nice, and the bird sanctuary we visited was interesting, but the heat and humidity were relentless, and my sunscreen didn’t stand a chance.
RETURNING TO BUENOS AIRES
After a cold shower and a simple dinner of pizza and beer, I went to bed early. The next morning I took the bus to the airport and flew back to Buenos Aires, landing at the domestic airport just fifteen minutes from my Airbnb. I spent the afternoon wandering Recoleta Cemetery with a map, finding the well‑known mausoleums and reading about the families interred there. It was peaceful, ornate, and fascinating.
TRANSITION TO THE EXPEDITION HOTEL
The next morning I moved to the hotel provided by Quark Expeditions, still in Recoleta but decidedly more upscale. I checked in just behind another solo traveler, and the clerk announced we were roommates for the night. We both assumed we’d be sharing a cabin too, but it turned out we were only hotel roommates — she had a balcony cabin, and I had a window cabin.
MEETING FELLOW TRAVELERS
We decided to explore San Telmo together, watching tango performers and wandering the market before heading to the river for dinner. Back at the hotel, we reorganized our bags for the colder weather ahead. She had a bottle of wine; I went out and grabbed another. We chatted until we crashed.
Breakfast came early — before 6 a.m. — because we were all boarding motor coaches to the airport for our charter flight. At breakfast I met Ineke, from the Netherlands, who turned out to be my actual cabin mate.
A QUICK ASIDE ABOUT KATIE
I’d been messaging with another solo traveler, Katie from Canada, whose delayed flight had her arriving around midnight. She didn’t respond in the morning, and I worried she’d miss the charter. She did — her phone alarm volume was off. Spoiler: she made it to Ushuaia and onto the ship, along with a few others, but it was close.
FLYING TO USHUAIA
The charter flight was uneventful, and I spent most of it chatting with interesting people. We had free time in Ushuaia before boarding, so I sat at the Patagonia pub overlooking the harbor. I knew I’d be back for two nights after the expedition, so I didn’t feel the need to explore much that afternoon.
Next up: Antarctica — the bucket‑list chapter that absolutely lived up to the hype.
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