Posted by: Jonathan
I have seen hundreds of waterfalls in my life, but never one contending for a spot in the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Foz do Iguacu or Iguazu Falls (depending on which side of the falls you are on) is comprised of 275 waterfalls spanning two kilometers, dropping up to 80 meters and spilling some 450,000 gallons of water per second. We spent a day exploring the Brazilian side (grand overview of the falls) and a second day exploring the Argentinian side (much more intimate experience - we were there six hours and never got completely dry).
The falls on the Brazilian side are enclosed in a large park which is teaming with wildlife, laced with catwalks, and punctuated with over priced adventure activities. We bypassed the guides, snatched a map, and set out on a trail. As we trotted along the path I noticed a warning written below the park rules. "Beware of the coatie, they have been known to carry rabies and are attracted to food - Please Don't Feed." The large grocery bag filled to the brim with food rattled loudly as we bounced down the path while reading the warning (we always pack lunches when doing excursions since a meal will typically run as much as our hotel room and when you are in the middle of nowhere, they got ya). We quickly dismissed the warning and set a faster pace as we could hear the roar and feel the mist of what lay ahead. We enjoyed a few lookouts of the falls alone before one of our photo shoots was rudely interrupted. The warning on the map didn't show a photo of the coatie, but when I saw the possum/raccoon/ant eater combo flanking us on the catwalk - I knew what he was and what he wanted.
I have seen hundreds of waterfalls in my life, but never one contending for a spot in the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Foz do Iguacu or Iguazu Falls (depending on which side of the falls you are on) is comprised of 275 waterfalls spanning two kilometers, dropping up to 80 meters and spilling some 450,000 gallons of water per second. We spent a day exploring the Brazilian side (grand overview of the falls) and a second day exploring the Argentinian side (much more intimate experience - we were there six hours and never got completely dry).
The falls on the Brazilian side are enclosed in a large park which is teaming with wildlife, laced with catwalks, and punctuated with over priced adventure activities. We bypassed the guides, snatched a map, and set out on a trail. As we trotted along the path I noticed a warning written below the park rules. "Beware of the coatie, they have been known to carry rabies and are attracted to food - Please Don't Feed." The large grocery bag filled to the brim with food rattled loudly as we bounced down the path while reading the warning (we always pack lunches when doing excursions since a meal will typically run as much as our hotel room and when you are in the middle of nowhere, they got ya). We quickly dismissed the warning and set a faster pace as we could hear the roar and feel the mist of what lay ahead. We enjoyed a few lookouts of the falls alone before one of our photo shoots was rudely interrupted. The warning on the map didn't show a photo of the coatie, but when I saw the possum/raccoon/ant eater combo flanking us on the catwalk - I knew what he was and what he wanted.
For those of you who may not know, this isn't my first rodeo - Thailand '08 I was bitten by a potentially rabid monkey who wanted food, and I had to get five shots in various locations, so I would go back for more pricks from a needle before I softened my kungfu grip on the cold cut trio sandwich. The coatie put up a good fight, he followed us for about a half hour as we darted down catwalks, up and down stairs, and even through buildings. We eventually lost him by crossing a catwalk with water pouring over it from the falls - he lost the scent and we were free to continue enjoying the park.
Victory never tasted so sweet - I can hear your stomach growling from here coatie.
After exploring every inch of sidewalk and catwalk on the Brazilian side, we gathered everything we own (our backpacks) and headed for the border. Our hostel offered a hassle free transport across the border (stopping at each immigration office and money changer stations) for only 30 Reals a person - not seeing the adventure in that, we opted to do it ourselves. It took two buses from the falls to the Brazilian immigration office to get our exit stamp - standard Americans do more to obtain the same ink everyone else gets, but painless none-the-less. We grabbed another bus across the frontera to Argentinian immigration. BOOOM a smile and a free stamp for the American duo - a first time for everything! Finally, one last bus (bus #4) from the immigration office into town - total cost 3 Reals as compared to the 30 Reals the hostel charged. We recommend to always Do It Yourself (DIY) whenever possible - usually significantly cheaper and you get more out of the journey figuring it out yourself.
Stepping off the bus into our first town in Argentina was refreshing - prices were ~ 25% less and we were back to a familiar language (not sure how we are going to navigate the back roads of China, but we will figure that out when the time comes). After a good nights rest we set out for the Argentinian side of the falls. We explored the falls for a few hours from the top of the falls, the middle, and finally from the bottom.
Stepping off the bus into our first town in Argentina was refreshing - prices were ~ 25% less and we were back to a familiar language (not sure how we are going to navigate the back roads of China, but we will figure that out when the time comes). After a good nights rest we set out for the Argentinian side of the falls. We explored the falls for a few hours from the top of the falls, the middle, and finally from the bottom.
Full on double rainbow across the sky... no one else on the catwalk had any idea what I was referring to - guess the YouTube sensation "double rainbow" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQSNhk5ICTI) hasn't made it to South America yet...
Not to be outdone, even the water fountain put on a show.
After lunch (we packed lunch again, but this time the sandwiches were bland since we didn't have an epic custody battle for it) we hopped on a speed boat and took a tour of the falls as up close and personal as you can get. Oprah sat this one out but the gyst of it is the boat battles the current and rapids upstream and drives under two different waterfalls. The water was pouring down so hard that it was impossible to look up.
Back on shore we had one last waterfall to see - Garganta del Diablo (devil's throat). This was a horse shoe falls that had a rumble so deep it rattled your insides. An unimaginable amount of water poured over the edge just a few feet from the catwalk. Even with all of the Devil's Throat street credit, he revealed his softer side to us with a spectacular display of rainbows.
I had to pry Jenn's cold wet fingers from the railing in order to catch our bus south to Buenos Aires. Even though the trip is 18 hours in a bus, our plush VIP leather seats, full food service, and complimentary champagne should ease our travel-weary muscles.