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Published: April 19th 2011
As we approached our eighteenth month away from home it was clear to us both that our desire to travel and immerse ourselves in foreign realms had not slackened. Despite this we had both become quite attached to Rio and the lifestyle that we had found there, but now our internal travel clock began to tick and we knew it was time to move on. The lure of Igaucu Falls was motivation enough and had us hurrying to pull on our walking boots once more. In true traveller style, at the very beginning of our quest to the Falls, we slept on Rio's bus station floor. It was not comfortable, the mosquitoes were hungry and the security guards grumpy, which meant that little, if any sleep was had. At the time this was very frustrating, but on reflection it was the perfect way to prepare for a 21 hour bus journey. This is how our minds work these days! We slept nearly all the way across Brasil and arrived in Foz do Igaucu at six in the morning.
We wiped the drowsy looks off our faces and for almost the last time did battle with the turnstiles that have made
every local or city bus journey in Brasil a nightmare. In order to board any bus we have had to squeeze all our bulky luggage (and ourselves) through a narrow turnstile whilst paying the conductor, which is a very tricky manoeuvre and involves a lot of huffing and puffing. So, a little out of breath, we boarded the bus to the Parque Nacional do Igaucu. It was still only 7am and the National Park staff and other work goers were our only bus companions.
Unfortunately we had a bit of a wait until we could purchase our entrance tickets, as the national park (unlike us) kept regular office hours. But come 9am we were the first ones through the gates and aboard the bus. As we trundled along the single road we saw bright flashes of toucans and shy deer hiding in the lush forest that surrounded us. The excitement was building and the first glimpse of the phenomenal waterfalls did not disappoint.
We rounded the jungly corner to be greeted with a stunning vista, beneath us lay the Iguacu river and the sight of huge volumes of water pouring into it from over 270 waterfalls directly across
from and below us. The 1.2km walking trail cut through the foliage alongside the surging river and soon we were able to feel the spray from the enormous and frighteningly powerful Garganta do Diabo (Devils Throat). We wandered out on the pontoon walkway, to our left the water came rushing towards us at approx 2500 cubic metres per second (way above average) and to our right it fell 50m into white mist. Dramatic doesn't even begin to describe it, our eyes widened at the sight, blinking back the spray that clung to our eyelashes, while our ears rang with the tremendous roar of the water.
There is a theory that the negative ions generated by falling water promote happiness...whether this is scientifically true I don't know, but being surrounded by the beauty and might of these waterfalls, looped in rainbows and butterflies, we felt totally awed and couldn't stop smiling. It was such a beautiful sight.
The Iguacu falls are so vast that they span two countries, covering a huge 2.7kms they are the widest collection of falls in the world. From where we stood, just 500m away across the mists of the Garganta do Diabo, we could
see the Argentinian flag waving, however the convoluted bus journey that we made later that afternoon to cross the border took a significantly longer route.
The majority of the 270 cascades fall into Argentinian territory where they come under the name of Cataratas de Iguazu. We had been very impressed with the perspective from the Brasilian side, where a panoramic overview and up close drenching had stunned us, but we also looked forward to seeing it through a different country's eyes. First we had to find a base in the nearby town of Puerto Iguazu a task we made harder for ourselves by, as ever, seeking the most economic options and in the process traipsing all over town. But the knowlegde that you have found the best option in town is always worth that effort, and so we felt very content as we sat on the balcony of our spanish hacienda style guesthouse with a glass of tempranillo red in hand at the end of an amazing and exhausting day.
The following day, despite the grey clouds menacing the horizon, we geared up to delve again into the waterfall wonderland. However, on our way there the rain fell
from the sky with a vengence, and on our arrival we were rebuffed by a considerate woman who warned that with such torrential rains and high winds much of the park would be closed for safety. So we returned to our pretty guesthouse and set about making dinner in the on-site kitchen. For obvious reasons Puerto Iguacu is a big tourist destination and has prices to match. For these reasons i was cooking a pasta meal for the second night in a row. Just as I was about to drop the spaghetti into the pot, an Argentinian man who I had sensed was watching me said, "Please, I cannot see you eat this for a second night, you are in Argentina! If you are in Italy, it is ok. But here, No. Please, have this chicken and potatoes". As I protested he, ignoring me completely, proceeded to serve up two huge hunks of freshly BBQ'd chicken and a mound of potatoes onto a plate which he set before us. With this generous display he set in motion a lovely evening in which we discussed everything from football to the state of the Argentinian economy and public services. It was an
enlightening conversation, although we were sad to discover that our companion took rather a pessimistic view on the future of his beloved country.
The next day couldn't have gone better, we woke to disover clear blue skies, the wifi at our guesthouse allowed us to stream what turned out to be a thrilling 6-0 win for Norwich, and we returned to the mesmerising Igauzu falls.
The Atlantic rainforest that surrounds the Iguacu river at its most impressive juncture, is one of the last remnants of its kind and is a protected UNESCO natural heritage site. We took our time strolling through this beautiful environment, home to hundreds of rare and endangered species from bandicoots (which we saw) to Jaguars (which we didn't...phew). There were numerous walking options to choose from but we took a trail which led us along the upper lip of the waterfalls, which at times plummet a dizzying 90m just metres before you. It was amazing, and provided possibly an even better experience than on the Brasilian side which I previously didn't think possible. To finish the day there was no better way than to stare into the Devils Throat, a gaping horseshoe shaped canyon
where the calm Rio Igaucu Superior is transformed into a mass of white froth, and clouds of spray obscure its destination below.
New plans...to Paraguay!
During our last few days of scenic excursions we had been fervently discussing our planned travel route. Should we go South and cover all those hundreds and hundreds of miles to Patagonia, where we had been warned of bad weather and high travel costs? Or should we go North to the little visited Paraguay and on to the otherwordly landscapes of Bolivia? We went over every detail, with pros and cons for all, and finally resolved that we would go North...through the barren Chaco and over the mountains to the warmer climbs of Amazonia and Colombia before returning to the UK in approximately four months. Coincidentally we came to these conclusions on the precise date of our 18 months travelling landmark, and celebrated this by visiting a local market where a busking spanish guitarist entertained the masses who all tucked into platters of olives, cheese and salami. Brilliant.
On our last sojourn into Paraguay for the Encarnacion carnival we had been overwhelmed by the friendly and passionate people we had met
there and so were pleased to cross the border once again, this time headed for Asuncion. Upon our arrival we found the capital of Paraguay to be a charming and eerily quiet place. We soon discovered where all the people were when we joined them at the Defensores del Chaco stadium home to Olimpia FC who were playing Nacional in a lively league match. Our second South American football game was an excellent experience, equal to the first. The all standing stadium was packed with families and fanatics who sang tunefully to the national anthem and their football anthems with equal gusto. Chipa (chewy cheesy bread made from manioc flour) sellers wandered the terraces, balancing their wares in a basket atop their heads, neck muscles flexing with skill to match their Indian counterparts. The match was a good contest with flashes of Latin American flair supported by amazing fans who sang for the full ninety minutes. Olimpia (the home favourites) lost 2-1 to a late goal, which was rather disappointing as they were the team we'd seen win so emphatically against their fiercest rivals a month ago.
In 1811 Paraguay became the first country to declare its independence, paving
the way for the rest of the continent. Sadly it suffered dreadful casulties in the many wars that filled the interim period, and it remains one of the poorest South American countries. However, the people of this nation are very proud and work hard despite the difficulties that they face. We wandered about the city, observing all the Paraguyian flags draped from almost every rooftop especially the Nacional Museum which housed an interesting collection of memorabilia and artifacts. As always when arriving in a new city we feel the best way to immerse ourselves in the local culture is to sample the local cuisine, especially of the street food variety. Sopa Paraguay (a heavy onion and cheese maize bread) was one of my favourites. Despite the passion and exuberance displayed by fans at the football, we found other areas of Asuncion to be strangely quiet, and we often had the pretty plazas all to ourselves. It was a good place to relax and recharge our batteries after all the partying of the last couple of weeks.
Having said this, Lewi and I did have another reason to celebrate this month as it was our eight year anniversary. We decided
to keep it a quiet one and so treated ourselves to a meal of traditional Paraguayian specialities, and drank Pilsen beer served icey cold in a Moet and Chandon ice bucket. And then, because we are still budget travellers living on a shoestring, we booked a 21 hours sleeper bus to Santa Cruz, Bolivia. And why not?....The world is our oyster.
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GRACIELA
non-member comment
I am so glad...
I am so glad to know you enjoyed my country. We have so much to offer that you need a lot of time to visit it all. The Iguazú Falls are really awesome. This is a place to recommend. Love from Argentina. Graciela.