Las Cataratas, Iguazu Falls
Trip Start
Dec 29, 2007
1
17
42
Trip End
Ongoing
Foz de Iguacu,
Brazil
Monday, February 25, 2008
BA skyline
Arriving a day later in a damp Puerto Iguazu you can't help but notice as the plane descends through the cloudcover, you are literally in the middle of the jungle with greenery stretching tens of miles to the horizon with 1 sole opening oozing a plume of mist i.e. our destination. Once you set foot outside the airport you see the burnt red coloured earth, feel the wicked humidity which enticed us into the pool for the evening & hear the sound of the jungle. About 30000 people live in the small town & are totally dependant on the falls but it is thronged with tourists. Kids of all ages fly past on motorbikes & the whole population seem to congregate each night in the main street drinking MATE/beer surrounding stalls selling woodcraft, mates, leather items & precious stones. After dousing ourselves in mosquito repellant, we stopped at LA RUEDA for grub & boy were we in for a treat. It was a candidate for the best meal out ever. We got BIFE DE CHORIZO (steaks) to feed a whole army, SAVAGE!
Another early rise was needed for the king of self service breakfasts in the hotel on sunday before being carted off to the falls. Foreigners pay $40 (pesos) park entry. Once into the park, we boarded a little train that brought us slowly to the falls entrance. You arrive at the first trail which guides you along a footbridge over the gushing river towards the platform which overlooks GARGANTA DEL DIABLO (Devil's Throat)
Puerto Iguazu skyline
. You can pay $15 for a poncho which is as effective at keeping you dry as covering yourself in a sieve. As you draw closer you see earlier groups returning past you soaking wet, a tower of mist growing higher & the roar of water crashing against rocks. It's deafening. After 2 months I met Diarmuid the 1st Irish guy since leaving home, A1 & a kerryman (wouldn't you know it), on his way back from his RTW trip so got a few tips & words of wisdom. Now I had read a mountain of info, seen countless photos/videos & viewed tens of blogs on Iguazu so naturally I was eager to see. I can safely say none of them came within a mile of describing the marvel that it is. You couldn't find a single word in a thesaurus that describes how truly spectacular it is, not even a swear word would justify it. You simply stand there open mouthed gaping at it getting drenched. If you could bottle the feeling inside you on sight & sell it, you would makes Bill Gates seem poor. All I advise is drop what you are doing & GO to see it. It's the most amazing thing I've ever laid eyes on.
The falls themselves lay on the Iguazu river separating Brazil & Argentina. The trails within the park bring you as close as safety will allow to the tops (Circuito Superior)& bottoms (Circuito Inferior) of the falls
D reading
. After completing the upper trail we decided to opt for the Gran Aventura tour ($120 pesos). Part 1 was a mimic of the earlier train ride except in a 4x4. For part 2 we were supplied waterproof bags for our personal items before boarding a boat. Our captain directed us towards Garganta for a few photos before bringing us almost under Salto San Martin twice for a soaking which was welcomed due to the sweltering heat. To feel the immense power of it up close is a memorable experience. As the island in the centre, Isla San Martin, was flooded we couldn't do the trail there so we ventured onto the Sendero Macuco trail which wanders through the jungle towards Salto Arrechea. It's a unique route where you encounter odd shaped insects & wildlife that you are rarely ever likely to see. Lizards, snakes, huge ants & spiders crossed our path giving you that sensation of awe & anxiety all at once. On completion we returned to the town centre via public bus ($4 pesos) & rambled on towards the hotel. Wrecked but eager for more at the end of the day we stopped off at IL FRATELLO for pizza before calling it a night.
DAY 2 carried us over the border & into Brazil so the passport became more colourful. The tour company looked after all the paperwork which was handy but as you are entering from the Brazilian side you pay full whack again
V steps
. Incidently if you had wanted to return to the Argentine side for a 2nd day you can get in for half price if you inform park reps on leaving the 1st day. There is always some debate between which side provides the best view of the falls. For me, you get to see the falls closer from the argentine side but you get the more panoramic views from the Brazilian side including a catwalk out to Garganta del Diablo at base level. Again we followed the trail & got plenty of photos before grabbing a bite to eat & returning to the hotel. The Brazilian side is much shorter & doable in a few hours.
Our hotel was situated 2 blocks from Las Tres Fronteras which is the point where Brazil, Paraguay & Arg meet via the joining of the Parana & Iguazu rivers so we stopped by for a peak. As our mini bus driver rolled up to the hotel front, it signalled the end of Misiones. The flight back was the most turbluent I've ever been on & for the first 30 mins that 19 hour bus ride to BA sounded ok. It was a horribly humid day which may have accounted for it but it wasn't until we landed that we were informed it was our pilots first flight as captain of the plane ... Nice one. Iguazu ticked all the boxes so now I'm looking forward to the north and west of Arg.
