Iguazu Falls

Friday, February 22, 2019

Weather:  Hotter than hot...and humid too 😓

Iguazu Falls is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular natural attractions in South America and in the world. Shared between Argentina and Brazil, this set of 250 waterfalls are surrounded by a subtropical forest, and they have well earned their place as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and as one of the natural seven wonders of the world.  [Source: https://a.01argentina.com/]

The name "Iguazu" is loosely translated from the indigenous Guarani language as "big water". Unsurprisingly, former first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, reportedly exclaimed "Poor Niagra" upon seeing Iguazu Falls for the first time.  Iguazu Falls is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular treasures of our natural world. [Source:  https://www.beautifulworld.com/]

Iguazu Falls...the last big hurrah of our trip. The itinerary we were given stated we would be picked up in the lobby of the hotel at 7 am for our ride to the park.

A continental breakfast was included in our hotel stay and was set up in the lobby. Nothing fancy, but the meal did include some delicious fresh fruit. We were just finishing eating when our tour guide came in a few minutes before 7:00.

I was surprised to see that we were being picked up by a full-size coach bus. Only one other couple was inside when we got on. Although it was cool and comfortable, the ride to the falls took almost forever as we stopped over and over at other hotels and resorts to pick up people who would be part of our tour for the day. At some of the stops, we had to sit and wait as drivers brought additional people from even more hotels. By the time we got to the falls, the bus was full.

When we reached the park, Bob and Kent took care of paying for our admission while Laurel and I stood in a very long line to use the restroom. It took quite some time here before we entered the park because we had to wait for everyone in the group to pay their admission fee. Once everyone was done, our guide, Yamila, gave us all tickets for the train which would take us to the start of the trails. We had a bit of a wait and I checked my watch about the time the train arrived and it had been over two hours since we had left the hotel.

Cost for us was $700 pesos each...less than $20 USD per person.

Bob and I didn't manage to get seats together on the train...but we were only a couple of rows apart. When the train stopped at the first station a bunch of coaties came running out of the woods hoping to get a handout. We didn't get off until the second stop at the beginning of the trail to Devil's Throat...Garganta del Diablo.

Coaties.

The walkways to view the falls were elevated metal catwalks. The trail leading to Devil's Throat was longer than I had expected...about 1.1 km each way or a round trip total of about a mile and a half. With crowds going both directions on the walkway you had to keep moving. If you stopped to take a photo, everyone behind you had to stop because they couldn't go around.

So. Many. People.

Much of the walkway was built over the wide river. At one point we could look down and see massive black catfish swimming below.

I would estimate these catfish to be at least 3 feet long.

We could see the mist from Devil's Throat before we could see the falls.

The horseshoe shaped, "Throat of the Devil", is the most famous portion of the waterfall. Everyone wanted to get a photo and/or a selfie which caused a bottleneck at the viewing platform. And because of the spray coming off the falls, waiting around to get a spot for a good photo meant you were also getting soaked. I took some quick photos with my camera and then pulled out my GoPro!

Approaching Devil's Throat. See that tiny bird (egret?)

This is why I like a camera with a long zoom!

Here are some photos of the critters we saw while we were in the park. There were lots of spiders, but I didn't see a single mosquito. In hindsight we probably could have gotten by without the yellow fever vaccines...but we didn't want to take a chance. With the massive crowds in the park I figure the probability of one random mosquito biting me was pretty low.

 Stay away from monkeys and coaties!

Back on the train we went to the first stop where we had seen the coaties earlier. From there we walked the upper trail. This mile-long walkway was a one-way circle which made walking so much easier...and it was less crowded. At the top of the falls, this trail gave us great top down views.

Lots of butterflies in the park...one landed on this boy's head!

Our guide, Yamila, pointing out the location on the map where our group was to meet. All of the tour guides in the park had different colored umbrellas and would put them up when they were trying to gather their groups together.

Walking over the tops of the falls.

People on a viewing area on the lower circuit looking UP at the falls.

You could book a boat ride to go directly under the falls. 

A close up of one of the boats.

At the end of the upper trail, our group was instructed to meet near the restaurant at 1:30. This gave us time to have some lunch and relax. The restaurant was so hot inside that I really didn't feel like eating, but ordered some french fries. Bob got a plate of spaghetti. About half way through the meal, I could not take the heat any longer and went outside and sat in the shade. It was still hot outdoors, but I felt a little better getting some fresh air. Getting a bowl of lemon gelato from the stand inside the restaurant was a much better solution to the heat and tasted so wonderful!

Next door to this counter service restaurant was another sit down restaurant.

After lunch, our group was to walk the lower circuit of the falls. Yamila said this would take at least an hour and included many steps. I knew I would struggle in the heat so decided to hang out around the restaurant...and Laurel chose to do the same. We found a shady spot and said good-bye to the guys.

Bob took a lot of photos of the lower trail and after seeing them, I think it might have been the most scenic of the three trails our group did. From the lower circuit they were able to get a more panoramic view of the falls.

A boat full of soon-to-be soaked people!

The falls lie on the border between Argentina and Brazil and many people visit the parks in both countries. We chose to only see the falls from the Argentinian side. When we began planning the trip, a Visa was required for US citizens to enter Brazil which was expensive and complicated to get. Within the last year an e-visa became available that is much cheaper and easier to obtain. Now I have read that by this summer the visa requirement will no longer be in effect. Did we regret not seeing the falls from the Brazil side? No, I don't think so. Bob enjoyed the day at Iguazu Falls very much but he was content with just the one day. I know I would have loved the experience too...if only it were 20 to 30 degrees cooler. Spending a second day in Brazil would not have been fun for me when it was so hot.

This was my activity for the day without doing the extra couple of miles and many stairs on the lower circuit

By the time we loaded up the bus to go back to the hotel I was wiped. People were dropped off at their hotels in the reverse order of being picked up which meant we were the next to last ones off. Except...I didn't even care because I fell asleep!

After much needed showers, the four of us went to a grocery store/buffet that was across the street from the Subway where we had eaten the night before. The food on the buffet was sold by weight with a cheaper rate if you got the food to go. Once we had our plates filled (and there was a nice selection of cold salads and hot foods) the plates were weighed. The total cost of both of our meals including two bottles of water was $472.64 pesos ($12.16 USD). We went upstairs to a dining area and pretty much had the place to ourselves. Sitting by the window we watched as tour bus after tour bus rolled down the street returning people after a long day at the falls.

The buffet on the corner is where we had dinner.

Before going back to the hotel, we stopped and got another bottle of water. Kent and Laurel also found a gift shop where they could purchase a magnet...their customary souvenir from each place they visit.

Bob waiting in line to purchase water.

There was still one more day left before we flew home, but in reality today was our last day of vacation. In some ways the time had gone by quickly but yet thinking back to the days we spent in Santiago seemed like such a long time ago.