Iguazu Falls - The incredible force of nature - Day 436
Just leaving the Airbnb to catch a bus for the Iguazu Falls, our host mentioned that another couple were also going and perhaps we’d like to share a taxi. Great idea, yes, it certainly was a great idea.
Gemma and Michael are from Birmingham and on their honeymoon, and what a delightful couple they are. Straight away, on our journey in the taxi we felt very comfortable with them, the conversation flowed, so we all decided to spend the day together.
We arrived at Iguazu Falls, got tickets for the National Park and all decided to have a boat ride as well. The attendant mentioned that the next trip was at 10:15, so we had an hour to walk to the truck that would take us to the boat. But according to my watch, it was 10:15 now. Britney Spears’s “Oops, I did it again” sprang to mind. We hadn’t changed the time on our watches…again! I’m sure we checked with our host. Ah, a translation mix up? We did have a good laugh about it, especially as this morning we thought we’d got to breakfast at 8:20am, when in fact it was an hour early. Breakfast starts at 7:30am, no wonder we got a weird look from our host!
Gemma and I had left it up to the lads to lead the way while we were enjoying chatting together, but I think Tim and Michael were also enjoying talking as well, as we finally arrived at the truck after going the wrong way a couple of times.
The truck journey was fascinating with a guide informing us about the jungle life here. We stopped, and she was pointing to a stump of a tree. It took me a while to see what she was highlighting; it was a bird – and what a strange bird. It was a Common Potoo, perfectly camouflaged and didn’t move at all, even though it had a truck full of people gawping at it and taking photos. If you look carefully, you will see two baby chicks as well! This species must be the most zen-like bird in the world!
We arrived for the boat trip, life jackets on, trainers off into the waterproof bag. Yes, we were going to get wet. The start of the journey was pleasant, through the river with the Brazilian jungle on our left and similar scenery from Argentina on our right. Gemma started to take a photo of a small waterfall, and I said “You’ll delete that once you see what’s coming next” I’m sure she did. Within a few moments, the amazing waterfalls were in sight, crashing down before us. The water was choppier making the trip more exciting, and then the speed boat zoomed to the right. The noise of the waterfall was thunderous, more and more droplets of water were falling on us and then “Whaaaaaaa” we were in the waterfall. It was like having a fireman’s hose of cold water continuously being sprayed on us. The whole boat was screaming with delight. Our driver turned the boat around and in for another dipping, it was just as hilarious as the first time.
Back ashore, we dried our feet, shoes on, but even though we had spare clothes, we didn’t bother changing. It was about 38 degrees so we’d quickly dry. After a nondescript lunch and lovely chat, we caught the little train through the jungle to the metal walkway taking us to the edge of the Devil’s Throat. Wow! Wow! Wow! It was open-mouthed, gawping beauty. In the distance, the broad river was gently flowing, and streams were bubbling softly over the rocks. Then, with the force of gravity, the water plummeted into the abyss of the Devil’s Throat. A rainbow spanned across the gap, adding more stunningness to the scenery. I don’t think I will ever see any waterfalls as amazing as this one. Mind you, I haven’t been to Victoria or Niagara Falls yet, so we will see.
After stopping for a cooling drink and more enriching conversations, we walked along the Upper Circuit which took us to the edge of many more amazing Falls. More rainbows, more incredible sights, more being in awe of the force of nature.
So did I now agree that the Argentina side was better than the Brazilian side? Probably, what I loved about the Brazilian area was that we could see the bigger picture, see the 250+ waterfalls spread before us, see the two levels, like giant steps and the massive bowl of the Devil’s Throat. Whereas the Argentinian side, we were absorbed in being right next to the Falls, in detail. It’s a bit like life, it can be useful to see the entire perspective from a distance on the one hand as well as understand the details on the other. What is best? Both.
We so enjoyed our time with Gemma and Michael and had a lovely meal together in the evening at a rather posh Italian restaurant. Gemma even had a big glass dome full of smoke over her deconstructed lasagna! What an end to a fabulous day, one of those days that will always be a special memory for us.
