Iguaçu

I am writing tonight from a wonder place on earth.... Iguaçu. For those of you who have never heard of the place, Iguaçu is a location at the frontier between Brasil and Argentina where you can admire the largest water falls in the whole word: Las Cataratas de Iguaçu. Here, the Iguaçu river dives some 80 meters lower into a wide canyon that its waters created along the years, and join the Parana river on the Argentinian side. The falls mark the limit between Brazil and Argentina.

As I was planned to stay only one full day here, I knew when arriving yesterday I would have a tight schedule today. When arriving at the airport, I got lucky enough to end up with a very nice taxi driver, born, raised and planning to die in Puerto Iguaçu, who could straight away guide me as to what were the must dos around here.

And so I was off this morning to the Brasilian side, to take a view from the air of the falls... First time I was ever in a helicopter, and the feeling is quite exhilarating, especially when seating on the front seat, and with such a mind blowing show below you....

My parents have been to the falls, brought back many pictures and many great memories to share with us. I heard from many people "The falls are incredibly beautiful, be prepared for something huge, something fantastic...". But there is no way to be properly prepared for this! It IS absolutely breathtaking yes, and more than that, so much greatness, so much power displayed in one place makes you feel so incredibly small that you truly disappear in front of it...

The tour in helicopter was pretty short, but allowed me to take some good shots at the falls, I hope they will be just as good once on a computer. Unfortunately couldn't post any tonight as i am using the hotel computer and  the file sharing is blocked.

Once I hit the ground again I was off to the Argentinian Park to have a look up close at the different water falls. My taxi driver, who was the same as yesterday as he convinced me to take me for the full day to the different sides of the falls for a ridiculous price, highly recommended I'd take a boat to have a look from the water... And so I did. Clever me who thought this morning it might rain and took my rain poncho (or whatever they called it in the shop) with me. I definitely got the size wrong as mine was covering me head to toe, but it turned out to be quite a blessing considering the other persons in the boat came out absolutely soaked wet and smelling pretty strongly of fish.... Anyway the boat ride was great, pretty exciting as well to go straight into the cloud of water where the noise was so deafening we could hardly hear the captain shout at us to get our cameras in our bags... Thank god mine survived. But I think the Japanese girl next to me had a hard time reviving hers after it got several times showered by the Iguaçu waters...

After the boat ride, I walked on the different paseos that the park offers: the lower trail, that offers different views on the lowest falls, the superior trail, that takes you on top of the same falls, and finally the "Devil Throat Trail".....
This last trail takes you on a bridge over the running waters of the Iguaçu river and leads you to a very advanced location overlooking The Garganta del Diablo , a U-shaped, 82-meter-high, 150-meter-wide and 700-meter-long cataract, which is definitely the most impressive of all... Arrived at that point, one really gets a sense of what greatness is.... The noise from the rumbling waters, the cloud of water coming from the depth of the canyon, the speed and power with which the river throws itself into the empty space is just mind-blowing. I had to remain there for a long time, probably about 20 minutes, just staring at this show too big and too spectacular to take in all at once... One cannot stand there and not feel a great awe for what this earth holds. And Iguaçu truly inspires a mix of amazement and fear...
A guide close to me was telling his group that no later than a month ago he witnessed a guy passing over the barrier and jumping in the waters, before being sucked in the main water fall at such a speed that he probably did not realize himself what was coming  before he was thrown in and went disappearing in the smog further down.... For a second I wished I knew what that guy had felt, taken in the middle of so much power and being so helpless in the heart of it all, how beautiful, but then again how immensely terrifying...

It took me a good other 10 minutes to resolve to leave and it was only when I could feel that my tee shirt was soaked that I finally turned back and took the bridge the other way... Swearing to myself I would have to come back again...

Now I am finally back at the hotel, absolutely exhausted, and very ready to go to bed. But I'll hold it a little bit longer as I promised my friend the taxi driver that I would try a bifes de chorizo before I leave, so I will.

Tmrw I will be catching a flight at 10 to Buenos Aires where I will be spending 4 days. Will give you more news from there!

Cheers and I hope all of you are well!

Besitos,
Lea