I was a tad stressed about how my ears would handle the flight as they were pretty blocked and weren’t equalising well at all. I took a cold and flu tablet before the flight and while I’m not normally a big fan of nasal sprays, I snorted away just before take off and landing…..bugger the people next to me. They were a little sore at one point but I landed with my eardrums in tact so all good.
I flew into Foz do Iguaco on the Brazil side and being on the left side of the plane I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek of the falls. I then drove straight across the border to Puerto Iguazu on the Argentina side. I had planned to go Jardin de los Picaflores which is some guys private garden where he attracts hummingbirds which was just around the corner from the hotel but sadly it was closed. I checked out the hotel pool but was totally put off by everyone in their thongs…and I ain’t talking footwear.
My ‘get to the falls early’ plan went to a ball of shit. It was a total palaver that saw me get to the ticket office and they swipe the card rather than paywave and their machine automatically chose that it’s a debit card when it’s really a credit so wouldn’t accept it. I had arrived too late the day before to be able to change money so had no pesos and they wouldn’t accept USD and I didn’t think to bring another card with me (had it back in the hotel). So I ended up going back to town very frustrated and then caught a taxi back, got my ticket and headed for the little train that takes you to the falls (upper and lower) but then had to wait for 40 mins for the next one. So my early start saw me reach the beginning of the trail at the upper falls about 12.45pm. I wasn’t particularly happy and it was 35° and I was sweating buckets.
The return walk is about 1.5kms over the river and as you get closer you can hear them and see the mist. The water simply thunders over the falls and I really want to know where all this water is coming from that it’s continuously pelting over. Such a spectacular sight.
Back on the train to the lower falls is then divided into upper (2.7kms) and lower (1.5kms) just to confuse the issue. I thought I’d start with the lower but that involved a ton of stairs and I was really starting to struggle with the heat and oops, lack of food and still not feeling 100% and I think possibly a little heat stroke. By the time I got back I didn’t have it in me to do another 2.7 kms so made the wise decision to call it quits for the day.
Day 2 was back across the border to the Brazilian side. I booked a taxi to take me and when I wanted to come back I just sent him a message on WhatsApp and he’d come and get me…..great system. The Brazil side is quite small in comparison and can be seen in a couple of hours so to avoid the early rush I went to Parque das Aves which is an Atlantic rainforest bird sanctuary. I especially wanted to see a toucan and they had everything there – flamingoes (which I’ve decided only look good from a distance, quite unattractive up close), bin chickens in various colours….bin chickens are ibis’s, all sorts of owls, parrots, macaws, harpy owls (freaking weird looking things) and a few toucans….yay!!. Today it was only 23° but it rained and we know what happens in the tropics when it rains, it gets freaking steamy so yes, it was a tad humid in the bird park.
Then I quote literally walked across the road to the falls park. Things went much smoother than yesterday and I managed to get the next bus which is about 20 mins to the falls. It was raining quite heavily while on the bus but stopped just as we got off…..yay! For the most part the views were panoramas of the Argentinian side but the Brazilian obviously don’t want to just see what Argentina has to offer, they have their own special bit of the falls that can’t be seen from across the border. It was windy and it was wet and a little wild but it was awesome.
Back across the border I trotted round the corner to find the hummingbird garden was open and I spent about half an hour transfixed by these tiny birds that are so fast and all different colours and trying to get photos of them. I think I took more photos of birds than I did of the falls but the falls don’t move.
A rest before going back to the Argentinian side for the full moon walking tour. It was the same walk as yesterday morning but without the heat or the light. It had been a very overcast day and I wasn’t sure we’d have much moonal assistance (yep, just made up a word) but while we getting organised (about 100 of us) the clouds parted and a fabulous full moon appeared, alas by the time we got to the falls it was behind clouds again.
It was still quite light on the cat walks and easy to see but it had a surreal feel and I’m sure during the day I’d heard the falls much further away than what I did at night. But they were even more majestic by the light of the moon and it was easy to just stand there and watch.