Devil in the Moonlight...

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Enthused by the success of my recent nocturnal outing, I leapt at the opportunity to head out into the moonlight again. This time was the spectacular opportunity to visit the Iguazu Falls in Argentina. For just 4 days each month, the Park is opened to allow people to enjoy the view of the Falls during the time of the Full Moon. So with passport in hand across the border I headed and went once more into the National Park in Puerto Iguazu.

On arrival at the entrance to the Argentinian Park we were greeted by our tour guide in a nice bright well lit area, however once the group was assembled we walked off into the darkness and from then on for the rest of the night our only light source was the Full Moon. In open areas, the Moon was incredibly bright and worked as well as, if not better than the street lights of home however, when following the trails within the trees there was no light to follow, just the crunching of the ground under the feet of our tour guide to lead the way. It was a strange walk to the train that would take us further up towards the Devil´s Throat. At times the walk felt exciting as you anticipated what you would see next and at other times, it was eerie and a little unnerving. Walking in the pitch black of the night, we were constantly alert and where we expected silence instead we had the chorus that comes from the jungle.

The train journey sounded louder than ever as we clanged and chugged higher and higher to the top of the Falls. From the station we walked across the delta area where all the noise of the ground and its inhabitants had fallen away and silence was all around us. It was enchanting, looking at the huge Moon reflecting on the still, calm waters. Everybody must have felt the magic, as even though there were almost 100 of us in the group there were only hushed whispers to be heard.

Walking still further we began to hear the familiar sound of the ferocious Devil´s Throat. Since I visited last time we have had a lot of rainfall and the Falls were now much fuller than I had seen before. Coming up to the Devil´s Throat itself, there were no words just gasps to be heard from everyone. The Moon seemed closer than ever and it shone down onto the Falls with all its force. The water was white in the moonlight, tipped with silver froth. It is impossible to describe to you just how awe-inspiring it was. The freshness of the air, was mixed with water as the Falls dropped with such strength that the spray jumped back up the 80m and showered down upon us. It was refreshing in the heat of the night and reminded you just how powerful the water could be.

The evening had been beyond magical but there was one last thing to be seen that took my breath away. In the glittering moonlight there was a rainbow or rather a moonbow. It was the stuff fairy tales speak of and I couldn´t believe how lucky I was to see the faint colours shining above the land next to the Falls. It even seemed as though you could see the end but I wasn´t for jumping into the Falls to check for a pot of gold! The sight was reward enough.

I said before that the Brazilian side of the Falls was my favourite of the two but now I must confess that I am now torn. The beauty of the panoramic view from Brazil or the mystic appearance of the Argentine Falls in the moonlight, that is a tough choice to make and I realise just how lucky I am that I could see both.

Take care,

Tasha

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