San Ignacio, Misiones

I am not sure that I was all that enthused by my Iguazú accommodation, and I was happy to leave it. It was basically a massive hostel, too big really. But, it was cheap and cheerful.

At 10am I hopped on "El Practico", the colectivo (public bus), and rode to the bus terminal. From there I caught a bus to San Ignacio. Routa 12 is the main road that runs from Posadas (capital of the Province of Misiones) to Puerto Iguazú, basically following the Paraná River. Five hours and 230km I was dropped of on the highway at the entrance of San Igancio.

By now the sky had turned grey. I walked along the main street praying for the rain to hold off until I found a bed. I thought I would risk turning up in town without a reservation. My backup plan was to catch the next bus to Posadas (only 1hr further) and stay there. I came across old, shaby looking man who asked if I was looking for accommodation. "There is a hostería run by a German a few blocks from here. I can show you," he told me. Well, what the heck, I thought, it was worth checking out.

He told me about the hostería and the town (although he lived 30km away) as we walked along the dirt streets. Most streets in these small towns are dirt. But the dirt in this region is rich in iron giving it that distinctive reddish-brown colour. I have a photo that I will post here when I can. We soon arrived at "El Descanso" (litteraly "The Rest") and they did have one small room left with a bathroom for AR$20 (US$8). Perfect!

I have got my bearings after exploring the town and locating the sight of the Jesuit ruins. And the rain has come. Tomorrow I plan to get the to the ruins, which are more or less in the centre of the town, first thing in the morning to beat the tourist buses from Posadas.