Foz do Iguaçu

  Iguaçu, Brazil
Friday, July 4, 2008

Foz-04

Iguazu Falls (Cataratas do Iguaçu) - Pictures and words can ever do it justice. People usually don't have a lot of words when they talk about the Falls (usually it's simple words like, wow and amazing). And because there are so few words used in its description, it always sounds like it must not be that big of a deal. Trust me when I say ... "It's a really big deal." The reason people can't dutifully describe it, because it's impossible for anyone to truly describe it.

I know that it is currently being considered for the title of being one of the seven wonders of the world. Having experienced it, I can not see how it can't be. I've already seen 2 of the world's wonders and Cataratas triumphs them both.

The falls are massive and seemly goes on forever. It's not just one falls, there are 275 all together, I am not joking. It is literally impossible to capture with a camera unless you are in flight really, really high off the ground and the aerial shots I've seen still don't get it.

Foz-06

It is massive. You can look at all the pictures you want (or in the most recent Indiana Jones movie - such a bad movie), and you still can't fathom it until you see it. I was in complete awe and I only saw the Brazilian side of the falls. I hear that the Argentinean side is even more beautiful.

Foz-23

I plan to come back to Foz do Iguacu sometime next month when I will have more time to hike all the trails, do the eco-tours and see the Argentinean side. I highly recommend it as a must see for any serious traveler.

PS - for travelers considering a visit:

Where to Stay: I had heard from a few people that the hostel in Foz was not so great (nicely put). After driving by it, I didn't think so much of it. During my stay I stayed in two different hotels in town. The first is not worth mentioning. The next was like a dream. Hotel: Jlha de Capri - Iguaca, Brazil on Rua Barão do Rio Branco 409, was fantastic. Super clean, had a pool (I love the fact that it was warm enough to go swimming even though it's currently Brazil's winter.) It had a bar/restaurant, game room, tv, cable, a really awesome breakfast buffet (included) and the rooms were really clean and nice all for R$50 ($30US). Totally worth the extra $10US a night.

Where to Eat: The second recommendation would be where to eat. (When you want to know the real deal on hotels, food, entertainment, etc. ask a taxi driver. They know it all. PS - In Brazil, you may need someone who knows Portuguese.) When it comes to dining in the South of Brazil, nothing (as of yet for me) beats dining at a churrascaria. Lonely planet mentions Bufalo Branco. Unfortunately, probably because they are currently mentioned in Lonely Planet, there prices are at the point where I wonder if the only customers are tourists who don't know better. Buffet was at R$25 ($14US) and the full churrasco experience at R$50+ ($29US). I suggest the place where all the locals go (and I've been told by some that the food is better) is a place called Churrascaria e Pizzaria Tropicana - Foz do Iguaçu, Brasil on Rua Travessa Júlio Pasa 190; about 6 blocks south from the other place. It's safe, fun, crazy good, and costs around R$15 ($9US) for buffet and R$25 ($14US) for the full churrasco experience. I highly recommend it. As always, it helps if someone can speak a little Portuguese and/or Spanish. A lot of people near the falls can speak both or can easily understand the other language, but English, probably not.

Itaipu Dam - After the falls we went to the Itaipu Dam. Also impressive, although nothing is as impressive as the Falls. We took the 1.5 hour tour for R$20($12US) and it was worth every centavo. The Dam produces 90% of Paraguay's electricity and around 25% percent of Brazil's. What's interesting is that the line (the border) between Paraguay and Brazil runs directly down the center of the dam and is represented by a yellow line on the floor

Foz-Dam-01

everywhere inside the damn and in all the buildings. Even in the control room half of the room is Brazilian with Brazilian workers and the other half is Paraguay with Paraguay workers. All the tourists had a little fun jumping back and forth over the line inside the building and making jokes about crossing the border. Here they also always keep equal numbers of workers inside the Dam. We even had 2 tour guides. One who was Brazilian who spoke Portuguese and one who was from Paraguay and spoke Spanish. As soon as the Portuguese speaker would get away from basic communication to explanations, I would find myself lost as a deer in headlights. Fortunately for me both the guides here could also speak English. It's like a requirement or something.

Foz-Dam-02

They get plenty of Americans and European tourists so they make sure to have English speakers on-hand. If you decide to visit just let them know you speak English at the parks and you should be fine. I'm very glad that my friend asked them to translate in English for me (letting them know I was American and not Brazilian) so that I could understand the tour. What they had to say was actually fascinating and I would have missed it if I had just accepted the parts I didn't understand and stayed in "blend-in" travel mode.