From Puerto Madryn, we fly to Iguaçu Falls. These are Victoria Falls/Niagara Falls-comparable wonders of the natural world.
We hear that the experience of the falls is different between Argentina on one hand and Brazil on the other. We resolve to visit the falls from both sides. First we visit the Argentinian side, since we’re in Argentina.
From the gate, you travel a few kilometres on a miniature train to get to the pathway that leads to the ‘Garganta del Diablo‘, or ‘Devils’s Throat’.
The water plunges over 80 metres down to the bottom.
Cinephiles may remember these falls in one visually spectacular scene from the 1986 film ‘The Mission’. A Jesuit missionary, lashed to a cross by the Guarani people, is then sent over the falls, cross and all, to meet his maker.
It’s a pleasure being so close to the cataracts – other places would probably not have the access points so open and uncaged, in order to prevent suicides and deaths from unattended hyperactive children.
The flow is exceptionally heavy because it’s been raining a lot in this area.
There are scores of birds, Great Dusky Swifts, that live in nests protected by the rushing waters.
On the Argentinian side, you can walk several paths that lead you past tributary falls.
All this moisture means a lot of greenery in the scenery.
Learned something new: Cabeza de Vaca, the Spaniard famous for his Odysseus-like wanderings around what is now the American Southwest for nearly 10 years, was in 1541 the first European known to have seen these falls.
On our way out of the park, we spot an Agouti, a large, rat-like creature, solemnly enjoying some fallen nuts.
The next day, arrangements are made to taxi across the border into Brazil and be picked up again later in the afternoon.
The Brazilian side features a single path that most people walk along, being treated to amazing views along the way.
There are coatis everywhere on the path, ready to scoop up anything dropped by the human element.
We’re glad we took the trouble to visit this side. It’s like seeing a new set of falls.
According to Wikipedia (referring to the combined falls), ‘Together, they make up the largest waterfall system in the world.‘
The name Iguazú comes from the Guarani-Tupi words “y”, meaning “water”, and “ûasú”, meaning “big”. Of course, there’s a fairy-tale attached to its origins involving a beautiful woman and an outraged deity.
The climax of the trip is walking out to the end of a boardwalk that is surrounded by a thundering maelstrom of water in all directions.
It must’ve been a death-defying experience to actually construct these boardwalks.
We can’t stop laughing with exhilaration as we are deafened by the roar, drenched in mist, and pummeled by the wind created from many, may tons of falling water.
Also on the Brazilian side is a bird park, which we visit before returning to the Argentinian side.
The Tancredo Neves Bridge connects the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu with the Argentine town Puerto Iguazú. The green and yellow represents the Brazilian flag, the blue and white represents the Argentinian flag.
Sight or Insight of the Day
We wind up our trip with Pete and Judith in Buenos Aires.
We only spend a couple of days here, but I’m impressed how Buenos Aires – indeed, other parts of Argentina – cope under the disadvantage of being in an eternal state of near-total economic collapse.
There may be hope for it yet. More photos to follow.