Iguazu Falls: out to kick Niagara’s ass

The first look...

After finally getting out of Beef Town, I got on yet another monster bus ride to see something I had been told to see 657 times since I’d planned this trip: Iguazu Falls.  

The Iguazu Falls are a series of monster waterfalls that are along part of the border between Argentina and Brazil.  Apparently, once upon a time, after seeing them, Eleanor Roosevelt said "Poor Niagara!!”  

I was a little weary about seeing them, to be honest.  I wasn't scared or anything like that, but for better or for worse, I am that person who sees a natural wonder and 5 minutes says, “Okay, where to now?”  That's basically what I said at the Grand Canyon when I had instead expected to have some kind of epiphany about life when I saw that massive hole in the ground.  

So, I’ve come to realize that when someone tells me that something is absolutely mesmerizing, breathtaking, or moving, I just need to prepare myself for another Grand Canyon moment.  If I happen to have an epiphany one of these days, I’ll be sure to tell you all.

Anyway, I boarded another bus, this one taking 19 hours, and I didn’t know a single person.  I thought that maybe this would be the side trip where I finally had to deal with being totally alone, but as the bus ride came to an end, and I saw there were only 3 other people left on the bus, I asked if they had places to stay yet.  The French woman did, but the other two guys, James and Will, had no idea where to stay.  I told them that I had a place and they asked if they could join me.  Boom - roommates.  

The three of us walked to the hostel, dropped off our stuff, watched a World Cup game, and decided we’d go to bed early so we could get up at 7am to get to the park when it opened.  None of us wanted to stay in Iguazu for too long because we were all short on time.  We debated trying to see the falls from both the Argentina and Brazil sides, but we didn’t know if we’d be able to do that AND get a bus out that night.  

James & Will taking it all in.

James, Will, and I got the to falls and first went down the trails that take you above the falls.  Amazing.  I couldn’t believe the size and power of the waterfalls.  I suddenly had the urge to sit down on a rock, close my eyes, and just listen to the water for a few hours.  We saw several of the falls and then moved onto the lower circuit of trails where you are put at a lower level and can get an up close perspective.  We got a little wet, getting hit by the spit of the falls, and prepared to take one of the boat rides below.  

I asked the guys if we should get water ponchos so we wouldn’t get soaked.  James’ response was, and I quote verbatim, “What?  Why?  It’s only water, it’s not going to be a big deal.”

30 minutes or so later, we had taken our not such a big deal boat ride where we were taken practically under the falls, and there was not an inch of us not saturated with water.  Thanks, James.  Luckily, he was the one wearing jeans as I was wearing my ugly backpacker quick-dry pants.  HA!

Devil's Throat

The last thing to do at the falls was to take the train to Devil’s Throat: an area that is at the very top of the largest part of the falls.  After getting off the train, you have to walk over a series of bridges, in a huge build-up, until you finally reach the main attraction.  

Okay, I admit it, it was pretty fantastic.  The sheer force, amount, and power of the water  is impossible to not be, at the very least, amazed by.  The falls hit the water below so hard, that there is a strong spray below that doesn’t lift and you can’t really tell where that spot is.  

After taking a ton of photos, Will handed James and I a coin and said, “Let’s make a wish.  There’s no better place.”  Will tossed his first, flipping it off his thumb.  I went second, throwing mine as far out to see where I would visually lose it.  Lastly, James looked at his coin, gave it a kiss, and let it fall out of his hands.

Iguazu: done.