The 1.5 hour flight was smooth, and we soon found ourselves in the sunny, sup-tropical wilds of Misiones. Our hotel was actually located inside Iguazu National Park, and we could see the falls from the pool area! The hotel itself (a Sheraton) was basic but comfortable, and the location was perfect for access to tours, boating excursions, and park trails. We ran up to our room, changed into bathing suits, and made our way to the first activity, a rafting trip that would take us right next to the falls.
To get to the boats, we rode through the jungle in (very hot) trucks, while a guide gave us a little bit of info about the wildlife in the park. There are 70 species of birds and something like 400 species of insects (ew) in the park. It's also home to lizards, caymans, monkeys, and these raccoonlike mammals called Coatimundis. We never saw any monkeys (boo), but the lizards and coatis were especially unafraid of humans, coming right up on the pathways and sometimes eating out of garbage cans.
We were pretty hot and sweaty by the time we got into the rafts, but the spray from the falls cooled us off nicely. Then it got a little stronger. Then we were practically UNDER the falls, getting completely drenched! The people wearing ponchos, who must have felt like microwaved leftovers before we got to the falls, stayed dry, but I for one enjoyed the refreshment.
After the rafting trip. we climbed up the cliffs near the falls and rejoined the trails. There are two main trails (the Upper and Lower Circuits) and they connect to many beautiful lookout/spray points around the falls. There are many waterfalls in the park, at different levels and angles. Instead of one huge wall of water, you can see about a hundred different little falls coming together at different points. It's one of the most beautiful places I think I've ever seen.
We had dinner at the hotel that night (delicious if sort of Americanized), and prepared for our early start the next morning. We planned to leave at 8 am for the Brazilian side of the falls. Iguazu (or Iguacu in Portuguese) sits in both Argentina and Brazil, but the majority of the waterfalls are in Argentina, so Brazil's national park has the best views. Technically, Americans need official Visas to be allowed into Brazil, but it is often possible to go over for the day. Our amazing tour guide/taxi driver, Mario, got us into Brazil with a little sweet-talking (we didn't even need to bribe anyone)!
We got into Brazil at about 8:30, and the Parque Nacional do Iguacu didn't open until 9, so we decided to make a quick stop at the Bird Park (Parque das Aves). Mario said this place was great, but I have to admit I was a little skeptical. A bunch of birds? Sure they're colorful, but so what? I've been to zoos before. To my surprise, the Bird Park was AMAZING. Have you ever really looked closely at some of these exotic birds? They're RIDICULOUS. I can absolutely see how they directly descended from dinosaurs (part of the reason I loved them so much). That, plus they're strange calls/interactions, and the awesome Portuguese-to-English translations on the signs, made for an awesomely entertaining detour. We had intended to spend 45 minutes with the birds, and ended up staying for over an hour and a half.
The unexpected hilarity of the Bird Park unfortunately meant that we didn't have as much time to spend on the Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls. We had to be back in Argentina by noon to check out of the hotel (since we'd only booked one night), so we rushed to the lookout points and pushed past slow tourists. It was totally worth it. The falls are even more breathtaking from the Brazilian side, and there are a couple of lookout points that allow you to stand right next to the water. You can just FEEL the power and energy and general awesomeness emanating from it.
That afternoon, back on Argentine soil, we hiked over to the Garganta del Diablo (the Devil's Throat), another set of falls on the Argentine side that we had seen from Brazil but not gotten close to. Looking over the edge was an amazing experience. This part of the falls is enormous. From our viewpoint, we could see the wide, calm, unassuming river flowing quietly to the edge, where it suddenly seemed to explode into the air with unexpected force. The air is filled with mist all the time because of the power of that water.
This another amazing thing about Iguazu. The constant mist combined with the bright tropical sunlight creates rainbows EVERYWHERE. There are also about a million butterflies of every size and color. The combined effect (aided by the heat, I'm sure) was that of a surreal, otherworldly haven. I can't believe a place like this actually exists on Earth.
That night (Thursday), we flew back to Buenos Aires. It was a short but unforgettable excursion into a little piece of paradise.
More pictures coming soon!
