Into the Devil´s Throat: Brazil, Paraguay and Iguazu Falls

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In sharp contrast to the lesser trodden paths of Uruguay, our next stop is one of the must-see spots for anybody doing the rounds on the Eastern side of the continent: the breathtaking immensity of Iguazu Falls.

We decided that the easiest route was to nip back to BA for one night, and take the 22 hour bus journey to Iguazu the following morning. I had heard much about the luxurious buses that ferry the majority of backpackers around Argentina, and was looking forward to trying it myself for the first time. Suffice to say it more than lived up to expectations! We chose the middle of the three classes available, which they call ¨Cama Ejecutivo¨, and the service would make Ronseal proud: executive is exactly what we got. The best comparison I can give is to imagine the bus equivalent of flying business class or higher. The seats are far more spacious than I´d thought practically possible in a coach, and fold back almost horizontally. There was continual service with a smile, and we were provided with blankets, pillows, decent enough hot meals, and we had our own personal television screen for the multitude of movies they provided during the trip. Altogether not a bad way to spend 22 hours!

Having arrived in Puerto Iguazu, the doorway to the falls on the Argentinian side (much like Niagra Falls in North America, the Iguazu Falls straddle an international boarder, in this case between Argentina and Brazil) we decided that since it wasn´t otherwise on our itinerary, and we were so close, it made sense to cross into Brazil and spend a few days there. Foz do Iguaçu is a fairly representative Brazilian town, and significantly, it also runs right beside the boarder with Paraguay, which made for an interesting day trip once the falls were done and dusted. Initially we checked into a hostel which was right beside the bus station, and set about changing some money into Brazilian Reales (where, it should be said, the bastards charged me a 10% commission on exchanging my travellers cheques!). That night was our first chance to sample Brazilian cuisine, and my did we sample. Rather than get our ideas from the Lonely Planet (it very quickly becomes easy to find yourself doing the ¨Lonely Planet tour of South America¨, abdicating all control of your own trip to the hallowed pages of the guidebook, which is something we are keen to avoid) we decided to go for a walk and check out the first decent place we came upon. It may turn out to be the best decision we made all trip.

The traditional Brazilian ¨Churrascaria¨ offers a very distinct way of eating, and I admit to being completely and utterly clueless as we walked in and weren´t offered a great deal of assistance. They provide an extensive buffet of salsas, vegetables and other sides, from which you take your fill, and then as you return to your seat ¨passadores¨ (meat waiters) come to your table with carving knives and a skewer, on which are speared various kinds of meat, be it beef, pork, lamb, chicken, duck, sausage, fish, or any other sort of local cut you can imagine. A particularly unusual delicacy which I developed something of a taste for is grilled chicken heart: delicious if you manage to put out of your head exactly what it is you´re chewing! Post-dinner we decided to check out another hostel which had been recommended to us by more than one person we´d met on the way, and stopped in for a few drinks. As it turned out, it was by some distance one of the funkiest yet, full of the party hard atmosphere that I felt had been somewhat lacking in our trip so far. So we resolved to check out of our old place, which unfortunately had turned out to be more of a building site than a hostel as they got preparations underway for the upcoming world cup, and move in the following evening.

The next day we made our way to the falls themselves to see what all the fuss was about. To say that they live up to their reputation as one of the most famous attractions in South America would be more than a case of understatement. According to local Guarani legend, the falls were created centuries ago by the wrath of the serpent god M´Boi. The story has it that a local warrior fell in love with a beautiful woman who was condemned to be the Guarani´s annual sacrifice to their god. Before she could be harmed however, the warrior rescued her and carried her off in a canoe to safety. Alas, M´Boi saw the escape, and, furious, he forced the earth to split before them, carrying the lovers into the abyss and giving birth to the falls we see today. Yeah yeah, pull the other one. But to anyone making a first approach to the falls, the idea of their divine origin does not altogether seem too improbable a suggestion! The relentless thunder can be heard from an impressive distance, and arrival at the base is more than enough to send you slightly giddy with wonder and excitement. What´s more, besides the obvious splendor of the falls themselves, the mixture of the hot sun and the vast amounts of mist generated by the water´s plunge from on high scatters perfect rainbows in all directions, creating an ethereal scene that would indeed appear very much at home in the story books. On both the Argentinian and Brazilian sides they have constructed walkways which take you right into the centre of the basin (Brazil) and right to the precipice of the largest of the falls, the aptly named ¨Garganta del Diablo¨or ¨Devil´s Throat (Argentina). In comparison to its North American cousin therefore, you get a much more up close and personal encounter with the sheer immensity of Iguazu that is not easily forgotten. My one piece of advice? Bring a heavy duty raincoat and a change of clothes. Such an encounter comes at a price!

The remainder of our time in Foz was spent indulging in more of the local culinary delights, and I even managed to escape Katie´s clutches for a night as I went out clubbing with some people from the hostel. Unfortunately Katie wasn´t feeling 100% and so couldn´t make it. Something which is fast becoming a theme for our trip as we get into the 3rd week of her illness! 😉 On our final day we even managed a quick jaunt into Paraguay for the day, which was an experience that will have to be left for next time if I´m going to keep the length of these blog entries manageable. Until then kids!x

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