I don’t know what it is about a waterfall that draws people, but it seems to be the case around the globe that wherever water falls over a cliff people will trek to see it happen. Perhaps it is the visual manifestation of the power of natural forces, maybe it is the roar, or it could just be that humans find waterfalls pretty. I won’t pretend to say with definition, but I can say that as a display of nature’s force, for physical beauty, as well as for the roar factor, Iguazu meets all expectations.
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Getting There
The falls are shared by Argentina and Brazil, occurring in the corner where Paraguay comes in, although the falls themselves are not in Paraguay, being instead very unevenly split in Argentina’s favor. You have to transit somewhere else in either Argentina or Brazil to get there, and we chose to use Sao Paulo for this purpose, primarily because we could leave for the falls from the same airport we would arrive in from Atlanta, whereas in Buenos Aires we would have had to change from the international airport to the domestic in order to make the flight connections on both arrival and departure. Fares were reasonably equal as it was and since we had never been to Sao Paulo, unlike Rio de Janeiro, the only other choice of arrival/departure city, we plunked for Sao Paulo. I confess I was surprised at the relative ease of using the airport in the largest city in the Americas, but we encountered no problems or complications with using the Sao Paulo airport and after a not unreasonable lay-over, which I slept through, we were on our way to the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguacu with TAM, a local carrier. By the way, if you should have occasion to fly TAM, and in spite of the disbelief of most all members of frequent flier forums on line, they WILL restrict you to one carry-on bag weighing no more than 5 kilos. Be prepared to check most everything you ever carry on with a US airline.
In the Jungle
The Brazilian city is considerably larger than the Argentine equivalent, Puerto Iguazu, but we didn’t find a hotel we fancied on the Brazilian side, so while we would fly in and out through Brazil, we actually stayed in Argentina. For the first two nights we stayed at the La Cantera Jungle lodge. Their site, http://www.hotellacantera.com/ingles/iguazu/lodge.htm, will give some excellent views of the property as well as insight into their philosophy. As the name implies, the lodge is indeed in the jungle itself, carved out to cause as little damage as possible to the forest surrounding you. I was especially enamored of the many Helliconia flowers in bloom. We found it to be a magical location which felt far more isolated than it actually was, perhaps enhanced by the use of the unpaved road to reach it. They also had a fine restaurant, which is helpful since there really is very little to eat or do in the town itself, and while you could retreat to the more populous Brazilian side for dinner, the border formalities, in both directions, could become tiresome. That is another thing to note in dispute of many postings on travel websites: Brazil WILL most certainly check for a valid visa on every crossing. Border formalities are quite alive and well, and on occasion depending on the time of day, can take quite a bit of your time, so budget for that in advance.
Birds and the Brazilian Side
Our first day was entirely consumed in simply arriving at the location so we didn’t actually see the falls until the next day. We had decided to view the Brazilian side first since we would ultimately be staying inside the park on the Argentine side in another day. Our first stop on the Brazilian side before entering the park, was the Parque dos Aves, or Bird Park. I will go on record right now as saying that I don’t approve of zoos at all and honestly believe most of them to be places of great cruelty with animals imprisoned in ridiculously tiny cages and subjected to insane conditions for their species. Can you imagine the unique hell a polar bear suffers in, say, Dallas in July? I recognize that a very small number of institutions, usually specialty outfits that work with only a limited number of species, can be located in a reasonable climate and provide for the care of especially endangered animals, but I abhor the majority which seem to be little more than entertainment and theme parks for children instead of well-planned and maintained research and care facilities. That said, I recognized that this bird park was going to be a zoo and that didn’t thrill me at first, but I confess that I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the facility only housed birds that were native to the area, so the birds would have felt at least in the correct climate and circumstances and I was also pleased to see that the park was designed for the comfort of the birds in that enclosures were quite spacious, even by human standards, freedom of movement and even flight was preserved, and all residents appeared healthy and not in distress from being captive.
I was most taken with the toucans for several reasons. I never realized how enormous their beaks actually are, nor did I realize how many different species of toucan existed. I also didn’t realize how amazingly and almost unrealistically blue their eyes are. I also didn’t realize that they would “speak” with a series of clicks and chirps, nor did I expect them to be so interactive and unafraid of people. They would fly right up to you and even drink from my water bottle and they attempted to untie, or at least investigate for food worthiness, the shoes of both Tim and myself. The only creatures even close to rivaling them in sheer beauty would have been the scarlet ibis.
We moved on into the Brazilian national park and on to the falls themselves from the bird park. The first views of the falls are unforgettable and ultimately the falls are a place best experienced either in person or through photos as words will ultimately fail to describe the experience and the sight. Iguazu is a decidedly visual place. On the Brazilian side there is a well-defined and paved sight-seeing trail that I would imagine is easily negotiated by most anyone. The trail ends at a catwalk that will allow one to walk out into the very heavy mist and spray coming from the “Devil’s Throat” waterfall formation. Conveniently, you can purchase at least a dry t-shirt from the gift shop at the base of the elevator that will return you to the level of the street and the shuttle buses that will return you to the parking area. There is a hotel here in a grand converted colonial building, and if you have a spare $600 or so a night, you might consider staying.
Itaipu Dam
We were due to change hotels the following day so in the morning we opted to visit Itaipu Dam, the largest dam in the world in terms of power generated. The dam is jointly operated by Paraguay and Brazil and spans the border between these two nations. The dam is sufficient to provide all of the power required by Paraguay (20% of the total output) with the balance of the power produced going to Brazil where it accounts for 20% of all Brazilian power needs. The 30% allotted to Paraguay that Paraguay doesn’t need, is sold to Brazil, which provides Paraguay with a much needed source of revenue. Brazil bankrolled the construction of the dam and receives repayment for the Paraguayan share through power production at reduced or free rates. Again, the dam is a very visual experience and since we happened to be there during a wet season we were treated to the unusual site of water coming over the spillway since the water level was practically at the top of the dam on the other side which became very obvious during a motor coach tour that drives along the top. This tour technically took us into Paraguay without having to hassle with the visa issues and also conveniently meant we didn’t have to brave the 3-4 hour wait to get across the border in a car, nor having to hope that we didn’t attract the attention of the armed youths who delight in robbing waiting cars often full of well cashed Brazilians looking to buy large quantities of tax-free electronics in the malls of Ciudad del Este in Paraguay. I try to be objective and to find something nice to say about most any country, especially those I have been able to judge in person, but I struggle to find many recommendations for Paraguay aside from the most memorable one provided by an Argentine friend, which was ultimately so totally Argentinian, who dismissed Paraguay by noting, “well, the maids have to come from somewhere!”
Argentine Side
Later that day we would check into the Sheraton Iguazu. I know what you are thinking. We travel all that way and stay at a Sheraton of all places? Granted, the hotel was a Sheraton and while recently renovated it is steps above most domestic Sheratons, but the view from the lobby to say nothing of the falls views rooms is simply the best there is to be had. Period. And, again, given the dearth of readily available food options since the hotel is actually physically in the park, the restaurant was quite good.
Our third day was devoted to exploring the multiple trails, and even a short train journey, that the Argentine side of the falls features. On the Brazilian side there is one trail whereas on the Argentine side there are at least three distinct options, but they could all easily be done within one day if that was all the time one had. The Brazilian views are very panoramic, but with the exception of the final boardwalk, not particularly intimate with the falls. The Argentine views are both panoramic, although perhaps a bit less so than Brazilian views, but the intimacy with the falls, the catwalks that put you literally on top of the drop offs of the falls, really can’t be beat in my view. If one was the in the unfortunate situation of having to choose one side of the falls over the other, I would choose the Argentine side because the views are more extensive and vary from panoramic to up close and personal. The boat tours from the Argentine side will also get your practically under the falls, and absolutely soaking wet, but Tim and I decided we didn’t need that level of damp to enjoy the falls.
The other factor that tipped me in favor of the Argentine side was the abundance of wildlife compared to the Brazilian side. On the Argentine side we had multiple sightings of tropical and water birds, butterflies, fish, coatis (a raccoon-like rodent) and even monkeys climbing trees trailside.
I confess that I feel guilty in not having more text to lay down about the experience, but truly this was a feast for the senses that doesn’t communicate well in words. Try to see at least some of the photos to really have a sense of the place and all its grandeur. If you missed the original photo link, here it is again: http://www.flickr.com/photos/life_in_pictures/sets/72157626179343779/
Travel With Parents
Before I forget to mention it, this was our third experience of foreign travel with my parents and as has been true of the previous two adventures, we found my Mom and Dad to be delightful and easy to travel with. They were fun to go on adventures with but also equally willing to explore on their own when interests or time tables diverged. I don’t know how many people have the chance to travel with their parents once they are adults, but I highly recommend the experience as a chance to interact with and come to know your parents in a setting and situation different from the more typical parent-child settings that persist even when no one is a biological child any longer. If you have the chance, give it a try.
Heading Home Again
On flying out of the falls area and back to Sao Paulo, I was very struck with the degree to which Brazil has cleared land for agriculture compared to the more natural appearance of both Argentina and Paraguay, a comparative view one can only really get from the air. At first it is heartbreaking to think of all the habitat lost for such wonderful creatures as toucans for example, and it can be tempting to get a bit high and mighty, but anyone flying over the United States, or even driving around the area of my home in Georgia, has to realize that we are just as guilty and have been so for several hundred more years than Brazil has. I guess I find it hard to condemn others clearing land for food production, which has some moral sense about it, when at home we are obsessed with clearing land for mega-sports parks where there was once nothing but native forests, home to countless and disappearing birds and other animals. Instead of being condemnatory, perhaps what I felt when flying over so much relatively new farmland was sadness that as humans we continue to grow our population with so little thought for sustainable capacity and reasonable development. But, to be honest, I would be stretching the truth if I tried to claim that I really thought about it beyond a few idle moments, and perhaps that is the greater harm; our unwillingness to really engage with and think about the changes we are creating on a global scale.
I don’t know that I consider myself a waterfall chaser but I was enchanted with Iguazu Falls as a natural phenomenon as well as intrigued by some of the man-made marvels in the area as well. As usual, South Americans were delightful people and that always tips the scales in the favor of any destination. If you find yourself with a spare few days while in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janiero, or Buenos Aires, by all means I recommend the falls as a diversion, or, what the heck, since it is how we did it, truly indulge yourself and make it a purpose destination for 3-4 days. It truly is a wonder of the world to behold and experience.