Breathtaking Iguazu

There have only been a few individual sights that have left us absolutely in awe on this trip. We have witnessed some amazing things; the moment Iguazu Falls came into our view we knew we were seeing something truly special. After missing Victoria Falls in Africa, it became a priority to make it to Iguazu. We made the trip to the Brazil and Argentina border, and boy, the falls did not disappoint.

We arrived in the town of Foz do Iguazu after a 24 hour bus ride from Rio and immediately realized the place was packed with other backpackers and tour groups. We searched for a place to stay for a few hours but ended up sharing a triple with a German women because it was the only option available that would not break our budget. Let’s just say it was an interesting accommodation experience. The next morning we caught an early bus out to the park to view the falls. We decided to see the falls from the Brazilian side only although many people choose to view it from both countries. The Brazilian side gives you an overall view of the falls, a panorama picture that displays the enormity of the area. The Argentinean side is described as an up close view which made us worry that we might now get a close encounter from the Brazil shore. Fortunately this was not the case.

The Falls are absolutely spectacular. Yes, we did get the panorama view but we were also able to go out on walkways and viewing platforms into “The Devil’s Throat” to get an intimate experience with the power of the falls. The walkways were crowded with large tour groups but that didn’t lessen the experience. The falls are so massive they are capable of really entertaining a large crowd of viewers. Their power and beauty is a rush on the senses and can be seen, felt, heard, smelled and tasted (I guess you could taste the mist if you really wanted to). Viewing the falls together definitely enhanced the experience as we both were quite giddy at the beautiful sight.

We spent a half day viewing the falls and surrounding park before heading back to the city. We needed to stack up on some supplies, change some money and prepare ourselves for the big transportation push to the border and on to Bolivia.