The Iguassu Falls Area Guru

P hotos: National Park Bus, one of Foz do Iguaçu's most famous and most internationally known bus line. The line connects downtown Foz to the NP Visitors' Center, Airport and the Bird Park. INTRODUCTION The Iguassu WaterFalls is by far the most important sight to be seen in the Triple Border Area. I would rather say that it is the region’s only claim to fame under the sun. Why else should you come here, say, from New Zealand, for? Tourist literature, mainly local, try to wrap everything up in the same bundle, democratically. I am tired of seeing utterances like “God and Man joined hands to present the world with the best example of their work in the Triple Border Area: Iguassu Falls, God-made, and the Itaipu Damn, sorry, Dam, man-made, of course. I have questioned that regularly – it has been my life’s mission to say that this kind of phrase is stupid and is not good for God. Even the term Triple Border is not smart. People used to call this Três Fronteiras (Portugues...

The secret of moving around by bus traveling in Foz do Iguaçu is to understand the – Pedro Antonio de Nadai Urban Transport Terminal or just TTU (Drawing above). The TTU occupies a large area in downtown Foz do Iguaçu between the Avenida Juscelino Kubitscheck – running roughly South-North and the Rua Tarobá where the Bosque Guarani Municipal Zoo is located. On an East-West course, the TTU is squeezed between the Travessa Luiz Gama and the Rua (Street) Mem de Sá. The map above gives you a general idea of where Foz do Iguaçu is located. It shows Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil), Ciudad del Este (Paraguay) to the right of Foz do Iguaçu across the Paraná River, Puerto Iguazu (Argentina) to the South across the Iguassu River, Hernandárias to the North of Ciudad del Este and to the West, Santa Terezinha de Itaipu. If you remember that millions of Brazilians survive on a minimal monthly misery wage that now after hundreds of years of struggle has just bordered on the USD 150 mark, paying R$ 2.00 for a...

NON-INTEGRATED BUSES By non-integrated buses I do not mean desintegrated vehicles, buses falling apart or pirate buses. It is only that these lines are not part of the integrated system that allows you to go to two destinations within the city paying for just one ticket . Local non-integrated buses INTERBAIRROS As far as I can remember the interbairros line is the only Iguaçuan line that is not part of the integrated system. Bairro means neighborhood an this is a trans-neighborhood lines since it nearly crosses the whole town – with the exception of the “centro”, the 0,city center area. The yellow-white-and black-striped buses belongs to Viação Itaipu (Viação is the name given to bus companies) runs from Vila “C” Norte to Porto Meira – roughly from the Itaipu Dam area to Porto Meira – a short distance from the Marco das Três Fronteiras. A recommend a ride on this line since it is equivalent to a pretty good City Tour. OUT-OF-TOWN-NON-INTEGRATED BUSES Bus to Puerto Iguazu - There a...