Iguazu Falls

Hola Gente Maravillosa!

Before planning my trip to South America, I had never heard of Iguazu Falls. Now I've actually visited them, I can't quite believe that I've gone 23 years without knowing of their existence. I´ve included a couple of photos in this post, but I took so many, that I´m going to dedicate a whole other post to my photographs from Iguazu. Prepare to be amazed! But for now, I´ll just have to give you a taster and cracking description of my day at the falls!

The falls span the border between Brazil and Argentina and are over 2km long. When the river has a high flow there are over 300 drops in the falls. Pretty impressive. The Brazilian side gives a panoramic view of the entire falls, whereas you can get very up close and personal with the falls on the Argentinian side, which is where I visited. Entry to the park for non-Argentinian residence is 160 pesos and this allows you entry to the park for the whole day. I spent 8 and a half hours there, and was awestruck for the duration. 

There are 3 levels to the falls on the Argentinian side, and we took a small train trip to the top level, known as the Devils Throat. You then take a long (very very long) walk over a metal walk way that spans across the river. This walkway comes to an end suspended over the very top of the falls, so prepare to get wet (a sexy pac-a-mac is essential)! The weather was rainy/misty/cloudy in the morning, so the visibility was pretty shocking. However, the day brightened up so we headed back here at the end of the day to see the devils throat in the sun. It was so worth the trip back. The weather really makes all the difference!

We then took the train back from the devils throat and walked to see the second level of the falls. The weather was still cloudy at this point, which didn't show the falls in their best light. The second level lets to get close to lots of the different waterfalls. There are several walkways and bridges suspended over the river and tops of the falls, so you get a cracking perspective of everything! Again, prepare to get a little wet, as there is a lot of spray flying around! After the second level, we headed back to the main train area and had some empenaidas for lunch. Food and drink in the park can be a little pricey, so if you're on a tight budget, it's best to bring supplies with you. I had a combo deal where I had 3 cheese and sweetcorn empenaidas and a drink for 70 pesos. Not too expensive compared to British prices, but expensive for Argentina. 

After lunch we headed down around 10000 stairs to reach the bottom level, and this was by far my favourite. This may be because the sun had finally decided to pay us a visit, but even in the mist I'm pretty sure the view from this level would be awe inspiring. As the sun came out, two rainbows arched over the falls to set the most beautiful scene. I stood there for ages just staring and taking in the magnificence of what was in front of me. I then headed right down to a platform that virtually went under one of the massive falls. It´s safe to say I got a tad soaked, but it was awesome! There´s a picture of me right under them and I look like a tiny little fool in comparison (which I am, obv).

My day at Iguazu was one I won´t be forgetting in a hurry, and it is hands down the most amazing natural spectacle I´ve seen on my travels. My photos don´t do them justice, but they help to convey the complete amazingness of the falls. Stay tuned for a whole post dedicated to all my pìctures from there! Sadly, I´m currently in a hostel in Mendoza with rubish internet, so pictures will have to wait till I return home!