This past week I was in Brazil and Paraguay (work!), and ended up in Foz do Iguassu awaiting an afternoon flight back to Curitiba. Which left the entire morning to see something I’ve been wanting to see for over 15 years – Iguassu Falls!
Iguassu Falls is, to put it simply, a very, very big waterfall. Almost 3x wider than Niagara Falls on the US-Canadian border and greater in width than Victoria Falls in Africa. The name of the falls comes from a Guaraní word and means “great water”. The Guaraní are a group of native peoples living in Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil.
lguassu has the river and the falls and water’s tremendous roar. Its has rainbows and blue skies and a persistent but pleasant spray of precipitation when the wind picks up. It has birds calling and butterflies surrounding you and little rodent like creatures that you’re forbidden to feed (I forget what they’re called). It’s really pretty spectacular.
There are some pretty exciting ways to experience Iguassu: you can take a boat on a two hour tour and touch the falls, you can ride in a helicopter, soaring over the falls. Since I didn’t have that kind of time, I opted for the easiest choice and hiked alongside the river and falls. It was actually probably perfect for me – as much as I’d like to ride in a boat crazy close to a waterfall, or dip precariously in a helicopter over one, I love a good walk and a chance to investigate interesting insects, plants and birds.
Enough words. Photos.
Birds and Butterflies (and Moths) and Whatever This Raccoon Thing Is:
The morning at Iguassu was exciting and peaceful at the same time, walking the paths along the waterfalls verdant and lovely, the falls breathtaking.
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