IGUASSU FALLS: Where ADVENTURE awaits!

After getting some MUCH NEEDED rest from my previous day's adventure, I was ready to go, and little did I know what fun awaited! As agreed, Walter (my taxi driver and area guide) arrived at my hotel to ferry me back to Argentina, where I would be spending most of my day. The trip to the park entrance on the Argentinean side took just under an hour (but, that included a customs crossing and all the paperwork that goes with it...Walter took care of all that for me). We arrived at the park just as it was opening and Walter assisted me with purchasing my ticket. Inside the park are ALL SORTS of adventures from walking trails to fast boat tours on the river and jungle safaris. I opted for the Grand Adventure which included an eco tour through the jungle, followed by a fast boat tour of the falls, then a walking trail that LITERALLY took me atop the falls, and to wrap things up, a short train ride back to the park entrance.

First up...the Eco Tour...Overall, there wasn't much to it, unfortunately. However, I was TREMENDOUSLY fortunate to be riding along with a great bunch of folks. So, we had a good time!

Next up...the fast boat...now, THIS is where things got exciting! From the end of the eco tour, there's a trail that we followed down to the boat.

The black and white markers exist to measure the water height/depth. Apparently, there are times when the river SERIOUSLY floods...YIKES!

Once at the boat, we suited-up with life jackets and the adventure began!

After racing up the river and seeing the falls come into full view, the boat operator brought the boat to a halt and instructed us to place any items that we did NOT want to get wet into the waterproof bag provided to us. This was the point at which things "got real"...LOL! Unfortunately, I have no video or photos of what actually occurred with my boat, but the following footage will give you an idea:

The ENTIRE experience was ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC! We sailed DIRECTLY under several of the falls. To see them from a distance was one thing, and to even see them from the surface of the river was another. But, experiencing them pouring over top of the boat was UNREAL!

After the boat ride, I hit the nature trail, where I was able to meet some of the local inhabitants such as the one in the video, below:

The nature trail also afforded me the opportunity to get up close and personal with the many hidden falls throughout the park, as well as the major falls at the end of the trail.

Having made my way all the way to the end of the park, it was now time to leave. For some, leaving the park from this point involves a pretty lengthy trek. However, I chose to take the river raft down.

The raft took me halfway back, and after hopping off, I took the train the rest of the way. While aboard, I came across some fellow, happy travellers, too! 

After ALL of that excitement, can you believe that my day was only JUST BEGINNING!?!? Walter (my area guide) had much more in store for me. So, check out my next post, where I'll be sharing my experience of the Three Frontiers (Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay).

FOZ DO IGUACU: Amazing Panoramas!

(So, I'm a bit behind in chronicling this trip, but better late than never...ENJOY!) If you conduct any research, at all, on Iguazu Falls, you will inevitably discover a great deal of debate regarding which side of the falls is "better" or "preferred". Unfortunately, I will not be wading into that debate, because I am of the opinion that BOTH sides provide AMAZING perspectives that will appeal to people, differently. However, regardless of how one might choose to witness this fantastic, natural phenomenon, the falls are CERTAIN to inspire awe!

My flight from Buenos Aires to the Argentinean airport at Iguazu Falls arrived before noon, and my original plan was to catch a bus or taxi to my hotel in Brazil and just crash there for the rest of the day. However, I was TREMENDOUSLY fortunate to meet and hire an AMAZING taxi driver, Walter (see my previous post Next Stop Iguazu Falls for the picture), who would ultimately be the key to me having THE MOST AMAZING experience in the two or so days that I visited the area.

When I explained to Walter my plan, he actually suggested that I take advantage of the rest of the day to visit the Brazilian side of the falls. Similar to all of my previous research, Walter explained that the Brazilian side of the falls only requires a few hours to fully experience. However, I was concerned about having sufficient time to make it to my hotel, check-in, and then make it to the park with enough time to really enjoy the experience. Furthermore, there was a NASTY looking storm on the horizon that was headed DIRECTLY towards the falls (I'll talk about that a bit more in a second). Walter put all of my concerns to rest when he suggested that I simply hire him for the rest of the day, and I could leave my things with him, in the car. Now, I know what MOST of you might be thinking, "Are you CRAZY!?!?" And, trust me! I was thinking the same thing; however, I had a really good feeling about the situation and decided to just roll with it (SPOILER ALERT: fortunately, EVERYTHING worked out well!).

So, my experience with the falls began on the Brazilian side with a 2-3 hours trip to Parque Nacional do Iguacu.

Within the park, there are all kinds of nature trails and other things to experience, but I wanted to get to the falls! Furthermore, that storm was nearly upon me by this point, and I was TREMENDOUSLY fearful that the whole experience would be lost. So, I purchased my entry ticket and loaded the bus that shuttles folks throughout the park. My heart was racing with excitement and fear! I could, literally, see the storm moving in the bus' direction, and all I could think was, "This trip will be a complete waste." Then, sight turned to sound, as I began hearing polite, little drops of rain caress the bus. The drops increased in tempo and volume, and in a matter of moments, the bus was fully engulfed in a raging torrent. And, oh! Lucky for me, this development coincided with the bus' arrival at my point of departure! (LOL!)



If you're planning to stay at the hotel located inside the park (Hotel das Cataratas), here's a picture taken from the bus stop directly in front. It appears to be a VERY nice place.

 
Fortunate for me, despite the rain and thunder, it was quite warm, and there was a shelter at the bus stop. But, how long would I have to remain there, pinned down by the awful weather? The intensity of the storm and darkness of the sky suggested there was no end in sight. According to the map that I had, the falls were just a short walk from my location. I could CLEARLY hear their thunderous roar, but I wanted to see them! After what seemed an eternity (in fact, it was MAYBE 10-min...LOL!), a glimmer of hope began to return. The rain reduced in intensity and I decided that it was either then or never...I had to see the falls!

As I walked from the bus stop towards the first overwatch location, the sound of the falls gradually increased. It was like a beautiful crescendo that was naturally occurring. To this day, I can still remember the feeling that came over me when I saw this:

No picture that I took could sufficiently capture the BEAUTY that lay in front of me. For the next hour or more, I followed the trail that weaves itself along the bank of the river and provides stunning panoramic views of the falls. I could care less that I was soaking wet! That was a minor consequence to soaking in all of the natural beauty surrounding me. The following are just a small fraction of the photos taken.

The trail concludes at the base of the falls, where you actually have the ability to walk out over the falls, and as you will see in a couple of the pictures, literally, get up close and personal with the falls.

Overall, I'm so glad that I had the chance to experience the Brazilian side of the falls the way that I did. It was TRULY an amazing experience! I left the park FULL of anticipation for the experience that I would have the next day, when I would visit the Argentinean side. Needless to say, I had NO IDEA that I would LITERALLY find myself in a boat traveling UNDER one of the falls! Stay tuned for my next post!