2013-01-06 
【Aiden in English】
One good thing about plane flights was that I could sleep all the time, as much as I wanted, between takeoff and landing. However, I bonked my head against the seat in front, which disrupted my wonderful dream of dancing with bunnies. When the full blast of heat, like a sauna from the outside, started to melt me at Iguazu International Airport of Argentina (IGR), Mom quickly found a taxi to take us straight to the Sheraton Iguazu Resort & Spa in Iguazu National Park. The first touch of cool air made me feel alive. I expected we would stay in the cozy hotel room directly facing the "Big Water" from Iguazu to the Parana River for the rest of the day and relax in the swimming pool from my balcony. But I was so wrong that I had to go out when Mom read the news about the local weather forecast for stormy rain tomorrow. Before I knew it, I was hauled into a jungle that resembled the Amazon Rainforest in the Southern Hemisphere. For example, both were hot in January and highly humid in mid-summer. Just as I started complaining, I hopped on the open-air Rainforest Ecological Train and marched through a natural wonderland that hosted many endangered species of flora and fauna. When everyone was aboard, I heard a buzzing sound from pell-mell directions. I looked around and found myself staring at a wasp with a pair of black eyes. That was my first mistake. Mom packed two bottles of anti-bug spray from Pennsylvania, but I didn't use them. So, in a matter of minutes, I was pelted by the little annoying pest. Fortunately, I forgot all my worries when my eyes locked on the world's widest waterfalls. At the end of the footbridge over the upper circuit of the canyon, I took a close look at such a phenomenal flow of water from "Devil's Throat." I was stunned by the grandeur of the panoramic views. The Iguazu Falls extend over 1.7 miles/2.7 km in a semi-circular or horseshoe shape on the border between Argentina and Brazil. Nearly 80% of the falls occurred in Argentina, making me think the world had an edge. Of the 275 discrete falls, Devil's Throat stands out at 269 feet/82 meters in height and becomes the tallest waterfall in the park. Early in 1984, the Argentine Iguazu NP was declared a UNESCO Heritage Site. After the upper circuit, I had no other priorities on my priority list, so I followed the twisting catwalks to the lower falls. As the trail drew closer to the falls, the water made the metal walkways as slippery as ice. Even though I almost fell and broke a bone, I was amazed to see the falls on the ground level. The waterfalls seemed to have grown arms of ice hanging from the ledge. The mist was even better than a pleasant shower to cool off my body. On the way, I took VIP seats up front to watch capuchin monkeys wrestling, banded iguanas rambling, yellow butterflies puddling, coatimundi stalking, Dourado fish wading, and the stork gliding. When I finally got tired of watching animals, I figured I would dive into the pool first if I returned to the hotel. However, the plan couldn't keep pace with the change! My thoughts were interrupted by a large gurgle from my stomach, which made me think of food first before doing anything else. As I hurried back, I was disappointed that dinner would not be served until after 7:00 pm. With a hungry and empty stomach, I waited for dinner to come soon. 【红霞译】
乘飞机的好处在于，我可以随心所欲地睡觉，从起飞一直睡到着陆。只是脑袋时不时会撞到前排座位，将我从美梦中惊醒，中断与玉兔共度良辰美景。
刚到阿根廷“银色之地”伊瓜苏“洪水”城，外面热浪袭来，机场被烤得像蒸笼似的，快要把我熔化了。妈妈赶忙打的，我们急速驶向位于喜来登“农庄”伊瓜苏温泉度假村，等钻进配备空调冷气的地方，我才重新振作起来。这时我开始憧憬未来：办完酒店登记手续之后，先呆在房间好好饱览对面从伊瓜苏河流向巴拉那“洪水”河，再去凉台下面的室外游泳池消停一阵，谁知妈妈带回的天气预报搅乱了我的如意算盘，明天恐怕阴雨连绵。因此，我们不得不抓紧今天所有剩余的时间，立刻游览阿根廷国境内的伊瓜苏大瀑布。 转眼间我便消失在公园密林深处，这里很像亚马逊“强大女战士”热带雨林，南半球一月仲夏闷热至极，尚未来得及痛发牢骚抱怨天气，我已经坐上开放式热带雨林生态火车，浩浩荡荡开进珍稀动植物自然王国。
车厢内等乘客各就各位，耳边传来“嗡嗡嗡”的轰鸣声，我举目张望，发现一只黄蜂正张大两只黑眼珠子，贼头贼脑地盯住自己不放，我真后悔没有随身把妈妈从宾州老家买来的防虫喷雾剂带上。说时迟那时快，可恶的黄蜂主动向我发起攻击，好在本人的注意力被世界最宽的瀑布群吸引了过去。我站在峡谷顶部天桥末端，“魔鬼喉”尽收眼底。洪流气势磅礴，飞流以雷霆万钧之势，陡然从我身边跳入峡谷。
伊瓜苏大瀑布位于阿根廷和巴西两国之间，呈半圆即马蹄形，幅度横跨1.7英里／2.7公里，将近80%的瀑布归阿根廷所有，我触景生情并突感地球不再无边无际。阿根廷伊瓜苏国家公园大大小小的瀑布总计有275个，“魔鬼喉”以269英尺／82米的高度名列榜首，早在1984年就被联合国教科文组织纳入《世界遗产名录》。
游完公园上游环线后，既然没有其它什么重要事情要做，我索性沿峡谷底部羊肠小道进一步包抄瀑布群。正因为这条路十分接近瀑布，所以用金属修建的通道表面湿得痛快，路滑得犹如走在毫无阻力的冰块上一样，虽说我差点跌倒，险些伤筋动骨，但还是由衷地庆幸自己身临其境，“无限风光在险峰”，近距离观赏跌宕起伏的瀑布群宛如冰柱垂挂悬崖，而且飞流狂泻所散发的水滴水雾毫不含糊地打湿了衣襟，浑身上下好像浇过水洗了澡，顿时让我凉爽不已。
往返路上一些珍稀动物相伴同行，卷尾猴树间打斗，美洲鬣蜥丛林闲荡，黄蝴蝶泥潭嘻戏，南美浣熊善盯人梢，金鱼溪流淌水，鹳鸟河面滑翔，令我耳目舒畅脚下生风。 道别了动物，我集中精力考虑当务之急，赶紧返回酒店一头扎到水里。计划没有变化快！未等我付诸行动，胃里传出“咕噜咕噜”呐喊声，民以食为天，先犒劳一下自己再说。我匆匆打道回府，不料酒店餐馆非要等到晚上七点钟才肯开章营业，肚子空肠子叫，我巴不得早点吃上晚餐。
Today in History(历史上的今天): 2010: 澳洲文化中心墨尔本(Melbourne)  AEP-IGR @ Aeroparque Jorge Newbery 01-06-2013
(乔治·纽伯里“农夫·新堡垒”机场——阿根廷首都飞往伊瓜瀑布城 01-06-2013) 
Metropolitan Buenos Aires (阿根廷布宜诺斯艾利斯“顺风”大都会)
Rainforest (热带雨林)
 Cataratas del Iguazú International Airport
(阿根廷伊瓜苏大瀑布国际机场)  Overlook of Iguazu Falls Between Argentina & Brazil, Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984
(鸟瞰阿根廷与巴西两国之间的伊瓜苏瀑布·1984年和1986年先后被联合国教科文组织纳入《世界遗产名录》)
 Iguazu NP on the Argentine Side, the Largest Waterfall System in the World
(阿根廷伊瓜苏国家公园·世上最大的瀑布群)
 Iguazu NP, Argentine Side
(阿根廷一侧的伊瓜苏国家公园 01-06-2013)  Green Train of the Jungle (丛林绿色火车)
 Catwalk (狭窄人行道 01-06-2013)
 Iguazu River (伊瓜苏河 01-06-2013)
 Old Catwalk Destroyed by Flood in 1992
(1992年被洪水冲毁的老窄道)  Old Catwalk Destroyed by Flood in 1992
(1992年被洪水冲毁的老窄道 01-06-2013)  Devil's Throat, Taller Than Niagara & Wider Than Victoria Falls
(魔鬼喉·比尼亚加拉“轰鸣洪流”瀑布更高，比维多利亚“胜利女王”瀑布更宽 01-06-2013)  Devil's Throat on the Argentine Side, Tumbling down the Steps of the Parana Plateau w/ Thousands of Litres of Water
(阿根廷魔鬼喉·数千升的瀑布从巴拉那高原的阶梯状瀑布倾泻而下 01-06-2013) 
Iguazu Falls, Composed of 275 Separate Cascades, the Largest Broken Waterfall in the World (由275个独立瀑布组成的伊瓜苏瀑布·世界上最大的断层瀑布 01-06-2013)
 Salto del Guairá & Dos Hermanos
(瓜伊拉“巨水之地”瀑布与姐妹花瀑布 01-06-2013)  Water Rafting (漂流 01-06-2013)
Rainforest @ Lower Circuit (下环通道·热带雨林 01-06-2013)  Salto Mbigua & Bernabe Mendez
(姆布瓜“农民”瀑布与巴拿巴·门德斯“勇敢·伟大战士”瀑布 01-06-2013)  Salto San Martin & Mbigua
(圣马丁“战神”瀑布和姆布瓜瀑布)  Twin Sister Falls (姐妹花瀑布 01-06-2013)
 Sheraton Iguazu Resort & Spa Buied in Iguazu Jungle
(喜来登伊瓜苏温泉度假村·隐藏在伊瓜苏丛林之中)  Sheraton Iguazu Resort & Spa, Argentina Viwed from Belmond Hotel das Cataratas, Brazil
(从巴西贝尔蒙德“美景”瀑布酒店远望阿根廷喜来登伊瓜苏温泉度假村)
 Tiredness Upon Arrival @ Sheraton Iguazu Resort & Spa
(喜来登伊瓜苏温泉度假村·精疲力竭 01-06-2013)  Fall-Viewed Room @ Sheraton Iguazu Resort & Spa Back to Iguazu Falls
(喜来登伊瓜苏温泉度假村·背对伊瓜苏大瀑布 01-06-2013)  Pool & Spa of Sheraton Iguazu Resort & Spa
(喜来登伊瓜苏温泉度假村·泳池与温泉)  Dinner @ Sheraton Iguazu Resort & Spa
(喜来登伊瓜苏温泉度假村·晚餐 01-06-2013)
 Argentine Giant Tegu (阿根廷大树栖蜥)
 Tegu, Dropping a Section of Its Tail as a Distraction If Attacked
（树栖蜥·受攻击时能自我截掉部分尾巴以分散掠食者注意力) 
Coatis (南美浣熊)
 Coatimundi (长鼻浣熊)
 Young Coatimundi (鼻熊幼崽)
 Capuchin Monkey (卷尾猴)
Cranes on the Iguazu River (伊瓜苏河上仙鹤)  Crane in Flight (仙鹤飞翔)
 Bell Flower (风铃草)
Figs (无花果)  Broad-banded Swallowtail (宽燕尾蝴蝶)
Crosslinks(相关博文): Argentina(出游阿根廷)
South America(漂流南美洲) 小学四年级(4th Grade) |
