Cataratas del Iguazú

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I made a last-minute decision to visit Iguazu after finding a flight from Buenos Aires that was only $150, since it was low season. This was actually cheaper than the 20+ hour bus. Another factor is that the $160 Brazilian visa fee has been lifted for the Olympics, so visitors can visit both sides relatively cheaply. The only problem that can't be solved is that there isn't much else to do in the area, so I just stayed for two full days (which is plenty) before flying to Salta.

The Argentinian side is vastly superior and it alone made the trip worthwhile. 10 miles of trails and walkways take visitors to different viewpoints of the 275 separate drops in the falls, the largest of which is similar to Niagara. It isn't very crowded until the tour groups arrive around lunchtime.

The Brazilian side was like an amusement park. The Devil's Throat viewpoint is definitely the most impressive place to view the falls, but everything about getting to that point is pretty awful, especially having to deal with Brazilian tourist hordes in large groups. Crossing the border was pretty simple and fast, but the facilities couldn't at all handle the influx of group tours at around 10:30, which I was lucky enough to encounter. It's good that there are no towns right on the falls (like Niagara), but the people are treated like cattle (tags and all) being moved from bus to bus and then along narrow walkways. Once the visa fee and process are reinstated, there is no good reason to go there for the day.

There are more photos below.

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Photos

Early view from Argentine side
I was later surprised to see that this is only 1/3 of the overall falls.

Island
The island on the left gives some of the best views of this section- a free boat takes you out there.

From Devil's Throat (Garganta del Diablo)
It's hard to get a good photo here because of the mist; the manmade walkway puts people in the middle of this section of falls.