Oh My God. These three little words perfectly describe the Iguazu Falls, (one of the seven natural wonders of the world). They are the three words you utter when you see them for the first time and you will repeat frequently during your visit. Ok, we are a bit long in the tooth to use that phrase, but words like awesome, wondrous and spectacular are more our style. I'm sure you get my drift.
The Falls are shared by Argentina on the East Bank and Brazil on the West Bank, both countries have a national park surrounding them and you can view them from both sides, however, the Argentinian side has much more to see and do.
As you prepare to land at Iguazu, below you is a beautiful green blanket of sub-tropical rainforest trees. For miles all around is the wonderful green carpet that looks uninterrupted as it spreads out below you. But as you get closer you notice, what appears to be, a small area where white smoke is gently rising up from the forest and dispersing in the breeze. This, you will realise later is a cloud of spray forced up into the air by the tremendous power of the Falls as the water tumbles over the cliff edge and pummels into the river below.
We stayed on the Argentinian side in a hotel in the park giving us easy access to the forest and falls and allowing us to be early before the crowds in the morning and later after the crowds have dispersed in the evening. The Argentinian side, along with the terrifying boat ride mentioned in Part 1 has three walks. The lower walk takes you around the bottom of the falls, the upper walk along the top and the Devils Throat Walk that takes you to the fearsome Garagantuam Del Diablo.
The walkways meander through the forest under the capony of green, guiding you from fall to fall and are a delight in themselves. We preferred the Lower Walk as this takes you along the bottom of the falls where you feel the power of the water as it passes by you and thunders into the basalt rock below. The noise and spray are a wondrous sight which asail the senses.
The upper walk is completely different as you stand on the walkways overlooking the water as it approaches the falls. It looks like any river you may sit beside enjoying a summer's picnic shaded under the trees, but as it approaches the precipice it begins to speed up, slowly at first and only in the last few yards does the approaching frenzy become apparent. The surface now changes from ripples to small foam topped waves as the speed increases until suddenly it simply disappears over the edge. The only clue to it's fate being the plume of spray rising up in a shower like a low lying cloud and the roar from below.
Each of these walks are easliy accesible from the hotel and are only an hour to two hours in length depending upon how long you stare in awe at each site. Some of the walkways on the lower walk are really close to the falls, almost touching distance. As you approach you know you are safe, but that plume of spray is so, so near. As Sarah posed, reluctantly, in front of Eva Fall and I retreated to take the photo, the wind changed direction and she simply disappeared inside the enveloping cloud, only to emerge spluttering and soaked as I, and the assembled throng, stood back and enjoyed the moment.
The Devils Throat is the piece de resistance, the Big One and the main attraction. There is a little train that takes you around the park and the final stop is here. The walkway takes you out to the very top and it really is something to behold. Here the water flow is at it's fastest, the drop the deepest and the resulting tumult the greatest. Nature's fury at it's peak. A swirling cauldron to top all the other sights in the park that mesmerisingly draws you towards it and tugs at you to step forward into it's flow. Thank goodness for the railings!
We also took a day trip to Brazil (as you do) to see the falls from the other side and to visit the bottom of the Devils Throat. Seemed rather fun to get stamped out of Argentina and into Brazil, only to be stamped back out of Brazil and into Argentina 3 hours later at the border control.
We also took a day trip to Brazil (as you do) to see the falls from the other side and to visit the bottom of the Devils Throat. Seemed rather fun to get stamped out of Argentina and into Brazil, only to be stamped back out of Brazil and into Argentina 3 hours later at the border control.
Just a few words on the hotel. It was right inside the park with a magnifiecent view of the jungle and falls. Everything was remarkably reasonably priced with the Mojitos, made with freshly squeezed fruit juices, at £4 a go partiularly appreciated. Sitting on the edge of the 50m infinity pool with the falls in the background was pretty spectacular. The visit was even topped off with a display of Argentine Tango dancing in the bar one night.
Iguazu is on the northern border of Argentina, a sub-tropical rainforest. It has been hot (36C) and humid. Next stop is Ushuaia. The very southern tip of Argentina, five and a half hours flying time away. We need to put away the t-shirt and shorts and dig out the coats and jumpers, temperatures are about to fall - a lot.
Iguazu is on the northern border of Argentina, a sub-tropical rainforest. It has been hot (36C) and humid. Next stop is Ushuaia. The very southern tip of Argentina, five and a half hours flying time away. We need to put away the t-shirt and shorts and dig out the coats and jumpers, temperatures are about to fall - a lot.
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