A Day at the Iguazu Falls

The Iguazu Falls is the largest waterfall in the world.

 I first got to know of its existence when I watched the movie "The Mission". Even onscreen, I was so impressed with the Iguaza Falls and knew immediately that I wanted to see it with my own eyes; thus Iguazu Falls was the first place I chose to visit when I first step foot on South America years ago. Returning to it all these years later, it remains just as impressive!

The Boat Trip Excursion

The boat trip was easily one of the top-rated attractions in the area and it costs 3000 peso (~$50).

The tour started with ~30-40 minutes of an open-top bus ride through the Iguazu tropical forest. The ride was quite interesting, and the weather was fine.  It was not as humid but equally sunny as the jungles/forests at home!

Then, we proceeded to the boat ride. We were each given a waterproof bag for our belongings at the boarding area for the ride. The boat sped towards the cascading falls. The gush of water flowing vertically over the forest edge, the spraying mist and the unobstructed view of the falls from the river was an exciting experience. The guide then sped towards and then under one of the smaller falls, drenching all of us with the surprisingly cold water!
Following this, we changed to dry attire after the ride before walking to the waterfall trails. (Was it worth the $? hmmm) 😑.

The Park

The Iguazu National park is well organized with marked trails of various colours, and the visitors can take the train to the different falls. The train ticket is printed with an assigned timing, and thus the queue is only for a specific time allocation; it was a good way to prevent excessively long queues, and free up the time for visitors to shop and eat).

The park was crowded as it was also the school holiday period in South America. Families were chatting and having fun while waiting for the train, with little display of impatient temperament, except for a few begrudging tourists (not us) who wanted to go for the earlier train ride.

While taking the train, we met a group of nuns from Brazil who were also traveling in Argentina. They were curious and friendly, trying their best to chat in English. Likewise, in another ride when the train was stationary, the man who sat across from me told me that I had accidentally dropped my hat outside the train without knowing it. After I successfully retrieved it (whew), we chatted and he happily noted that the family was on holiday too and then proceeded to show the family photos imprinted on his mug, bags and hat. 

They were indeed friendly...

Devil's Throat Waterfalls
The Devil Throat Falls were probably the most spectacular and impressive with its steep and staircase-like plunge over its edge/cliff. 

I loved the smaller "mini" falls that stretched along both sides of the forest, each different in height and width. Viewing these "mini" falls in unison made for a breathtaking landscape. 

Superior Waterfalls
The Superior Falls trail follows the river route taken by the boat. 

The series of cascading waterfalls stretched far beyond view, winding through the rain forest. The view was very eye-catching as the falls came into view above the forest green at different points; a wall of white, gushing water.  

As we walked along the trail, we caught the falls from many different angles, each offering a unique view of the falls. 

Inferior Falls
As the name implies, the trail is along the lower reach of another series of falls (or the same as the Superior falls but view from lower ground?). There are so many waterfalls.

It was the last trail that I walked before the park's closing time. The last viewing point for the Inferior Falls was still crowded with visitors enjoying themselves and taking photos. 

Wildlife
I also noticed throughout the day that the resident wildlife was friendly and unafraid of humans; from the birds near the Devil's Throat Falls, the monkeys at the Inferior Falls, the ever present coatis that scavenged for food near the cafe, and even the amazing butterflies that fluttered around and at times seemed more than content to rest on the shoulders and arms of visitors.

Although I was tired, I thoroughly enjoyed the walks and the scenery. 

Thoughts
Many families from Argentina/S.America were travelling during this school holiday. The locals and tourists from other South American countries seemed genuine in their warmth towards visitors with their easy-going charm. 

Notably, during one meal, our table was facing the setting sun, and the waitress moved us to another table to avoid the glare, and gave a complimentary platter of appetizers. Even with many tourists, the locals are friendly. 

Also, unfortunately, with the coronavirus beginning to spread across the world, towards the end of our trip we were met with posters of precautions to be taken against yellow fever and the coronavirus in the airport. 

I hope that the locals can overcome any crisis that may happen in the future. If ever I visit Iguazu again, I must take the opportunity to view the falls from Brazil side. 😎