Iguaçu Falls

...a wonderful view of the Iguaçu Falls. Unfortunately our room had a jungle view rather than a when of the falls but in are the public areas the view of the falls could be enjoyed by everyone.
On our first day we enjoyed the Upper (or Superior) walk and we were treated to our first sight of these amazing waterfalls. During the walks we were also lucky enough to see a badger-like creative called a Cotymundy foraying in one d the title bins. It ...
...badger but about the Size of a small dog. It ran off into the jungle as Soon as we got closer but we did manage to get a good photo first. As we followed the trail at each turn we saw more of these spectacular waterfalls. As we walked along we were also able to enjoy a huge variety of tropical butterflies which fluttered around us and even landed on us with their wings opening and shutting to display their wonderful colours. At times when the sun ... more

The Iguacu Falls are part of the Iguacu National Parks which exists on both the Argentinean and Brazilian sides and are designated UNESCO World heritage sites since 1984 and 1986 respectively.
We stayed at the Sheraton Hotel on the Argentinean side of the falls. It wasn't the best looking hotel in the world from the outside but it had a wonderful view of the Iguaçu Falls. Unfortunately our room had a jungle view rather than a when of the falls but in are the public areas the view of the falls could be enjoyed by everyone.
On our first day we enjoyed the Upper (or Superior) walk and we were treated to our first sight of these amazing waterfalls. During the walks we were also lucky enough to see a badger-like creative called a Cotymundy foraying in one d the title bins. It was a sort of cross between an anteater ad a badger but about the Size of a small dog. It ran off into the jungle as Soon as we got closer but we did manage to get a good photo first. As we followed the trail at each turn we saw more of these spectacular waterfalls. As we walked along we were also able to enjoy a huge variety of tropical butterflies which fluttered around us and even landed on us with their wings opening and shutting to display their wonderful colours. At times when the sun caught the waterfall spray just right we could see rainbows which was very special, we didn't realise how lucky we were to enjoy the Sun until the next day.
We were up bright and early to catch the first train (a sort of mini railway called the Rainforest Ecological Train) that took us from the visitors centre to the station near to the Devil's Throat which is a spectacular section of the Iguacu falls 82 metres high and 150 metres wide that is on the border between the Argentinean and Brazilian sides of the waterfalls. The walkway is about a kilometre long and takes you right over the top of the waterfall. You can't really see much below because of the spray which is like walking in a cloud of rain. One fascinating thing about this walk is that you are able to see what is left of the old walkway to the Devil's Throat which was washed away a few years ago. The force must have been amazing as there were solid concrete blocks bigger than a house turned over in the river. We were told that luckily no-one was killed but the damage to the structures was extensive. I still find it difficult to see how they build these walkways right over these enormously powerful waterfalls. I am not doing this justice I realise but the power of the water is unbelievable even in normal times so heaven knows what is must be like in a time of flood.

When you were standing at The Devil's Throat is was almost impossible to hear anything except the waterfall and you got very wet from spray which hovered in the air all around the area. We returned to the little train in order to experience more of a wetting on the Lower Walk. This walkway took you VERY close to the waterfalls, almost under some parts, this was okay as it cooled you off from the tropical heat and you quickly dried off .

This Lower walk takes you down to a rocky area where you can a boat - looked like an inflatable lifeboat - to the Island of San Martin in the middle of the waterfall gorge. This is where Robert de Niro climbed up in the film 'The Mission'. We were not going to the island but were going to be under the falls in these boats and then we were going up the river to get a different view of the river and falls. We were handed sopping wet, cold life jackets to wear (extremely complicated things that you needed a degree in lifejackets in order to put on correctly). Once we were safely strapped into our chilly lifejackets (all clothes that you wanted to remain dry had to be stowed in a large thick plastic bag). We were advised by our guide that raincoats etc were useless and that we were better off wearing swim suits and putting all our clothes in the bag to put on again once we had dried off in the speedboat going up the river. We all did as advised.

The boat was fantastic, the driver and other crew were totally mad and took us bouncing over rapids and virtually under the falls. You couldn't keep your eyes open and our guide was correct - any rain coats would have been useless. We were enjoying the exhilaration of the freezing water and bouncing over the water, feeling very smug over the rest of the people who were wearing plastic ponchos over their clothes which were not keeping much of the waterfall out! We sped of leaping along the rapids down the river for about 10 minutes to the jetty where we clambered out and wrung out any clothes we had been wearing and put on our nice dry shoes.

We were shown to a lorry with seat on the back and no roof for a drive through the jungle. All started well we were enjoying the drive looking at the vegetation and listening to the guide. We did notice the arrival of a rather large black cloud and were half watching this and still listening attentively to the guide - a few spots of rain began to fall. The others from the boat donned their plastic ponchos - we of course only had swim suits and T-shirts and our nice dry trainers on. The guide put on a rain coat that trawler men on the North Atlantic fishing boats would be proud to wear and continued here commentary. We all bent over more and huddled together as the rain got heavier and heavier. It hurt, it was so hard and it was cold too, we were all hysterically giggling trying to hide behind those with plastic ponchos just to take the worst of the sting out of the rain. The lorry had no roof and no front to break the wind so as we drove faster the rain hit harder and stung more and we got wetter and wetter. Then the lorry stopped and we thought we had arrived, but no... the poncho wearers got out leaving us with no-one to hide behind and another 10 minutes drive along a tarred road so the lorry went faster. We had completely lost interest in anything the guide was trying to tell us but she valiantly chatted on from behind her souwester and trawler man's raincoat despite the fact that we were all looking at the floor convulsed in hysterical giggles.

Suffice to say that we needn't have bothered keeping our shoes in the plastic bag; we were drenched through and really cold as we were wearing very little. We dripped our way through the hotel and straight into a hot bath. It had red spots all over my body from the rain hitting me and they took over an hour to fade. I spent the rest of the day trying to dry out the few clothes that we had worn with a hair dryer and an iron. I was successful and the hats dried very well over the bedside lampshades!!

The next day we crossed the border into Brazil with no trouble at all - we didn't even have to leave the coach, it was by our guides ( one from the UK and the local guide). We stopped at the border souvenir shop and then about 5 minutes from here was the helicopter base which took you for a 10 minute flight over the falls at the cost of about $100 US per person. We decided not to bother as we had seen the waterfalls from so many angles and it seemed quite a lot of money for the two of us. A couple of people in our group did do the flight and said that it was wonderful but sadly I cannot comment on the experience. Just opposite the helicopter airport was a Bird Park and a few people from our group visited this after checking in at the airport but I was too worried about missing our plane to Rio. They said it was as you would expect of a bird park, the birds were in very large enclosures and it was nicely set out but you could hand feed toucans which was novel.
We got off our coach at the hotel on the Brazilian side, the Hotel Das Caratas which looked lovely from the outside but we didn't go in. We embarked upon the walk to the Porto Canoas station just next to the devil's Throat Falls - the bottom of theses falls this time. The walk on the Brazilian side was very scenic and you could see more waterfall views. There were a few larger areas for looking at the views and it ended up with a walkway which took you almost into the falls. You really got wet again, even half way along the walkway you were wet and by the end it was like being in the waterfall. I had my poncho this time, I'm not totally stupid, but even with this one and my trousers rolled up elegantly I decided not to bother going right to the end as I didn't want to be in wet clothes on the plane and I had no changes of clothes with me. My husband didn't worry and went to the end but he isn't as 'nesh' as I am and doesn't seem to get chilled so quickly.

We made our way to the Porto Canoas and this is at the bottom of the falls, almost touchable. There is a souvenir shop, cafe and toilets as well as a glass fronted lift up to the top again. You can walk up the stairs but we wanted to experience the glass lift view so we joined the rather lengthy queue. We narrowly managed to avoid a diplomatic incident as some women ( not British but I won't say which Nationality in order to avoid offence) were trying to push past us to join their friends about 20 people in front of us!! Well, being British and experts at queuing there was NO way they were going to barge past us. They were extremely loud and shrieked to their friends insults about us but we stood our ground and kept our place. The view from the glass fronted lift was worth it and we felt we had stood up for our rights in a polite and very British way and won.

They say that you experience the waterfalls from the Argentinean side but the views are more spectacular from the Brazilian side and I would say this is true. I'm glad we visited Iguacu from the Argentinean side first as we heard, felt the falls and saw what damage could be done by the water on the Argentinean side but the views of the falls as a whole were certainly more special from the Brazilian side.
Well worth a visit. It doesn't matter which side you go to as you can cross the border very easily and experience both sides provided you sort out visa implications etc. It is worth spending a few days there as there is so much to do and so many ways to experience the falls area. It is much nicer than Niagara, especially the setting in the jungle as opposed to near a tacky town. I haven't seen Victoria Falls but these falls Iguacu must take some beating in a beauty contest. They get my vote anyway.
This site offer 360 degree virtual tours of Iguacu should you feel you would like a closer inspection http://www.360travelguide.com/360VirtualTour.asp?iCode=bra01 

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