Don't go Chasing these Waterfalls!!

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Today I gazed on one of the protested "eight" wonders of the world: Iguazu Falls. From the Brazilian side of the falls (the falls share prominant borders with Argentina and Brazil though are located near Uruguay and Paraguay as well), the most beautiful side (though an Argentine would never admit this to your face!). Heavy droughts southern Brazil has been experiencing over the past few years that have been devastating to the crops have also been devastating to the falls who's water flow yesterday was only a third of that which it normally is, but that was even up from the one sixth of normal it was at on Wednesday before a day's worth of rainstorms! Despite it's suboptimal water flow, the falls are quite impressive. Formed by basaltic lava flows that have tierd and worn over time, the falls cascade down the side of a cliff into the river at the vally's bottom. These falls are more than three times the size of Niagra Falls in New York state.

The national park on the Brazilian border was very well maintaned and highly controlled in terms of access. Since we decided to venture into the park just hours before Brazil's World Cup game against Japan (a smashing 4-1 victory, if you hadn't checked) there were relatively few visitors, which was nice. The way the park is structured you take busses to the falls trails and then can walk out on boardwalks through some of the levels of the falls, up to the spray (enough to dampen your clothes when not full and when at their full force, enough to take a shower!). Throughout the park were these little racoon like creatures that would come up to you and try and steal anything you were holding, food or not. Cute from a distance, but nasty at close proximity.

After our typical viewing of Igauzu Falls we stepped on to the Macucu Safari which takes you through the jungle and to the river edge where you board on a double motor powered inflatable boat. Once on the boat, my professor handed our driver a twenty reales bill and told him to make sure that we got completely drenched! This boat took us up the river to some of the falls, driving like a total mad man the whole time. Sometimes we would barely move an inch because we would be trying to pass a cataract on our boat at a ridiculous incline. It was terrifyingly enjoyable! Once up to the falls he managed to manuever our boat directly under several of the falls so that we could expierence the sheer power of the water. Then again, maybe it was just Dr. Bowman's way of telling us we all desperately need to bathe!!

It was a beautiful day with beautiful weather and extraordinary scenery and it was all drawn to a conclusion by partying with Brazilians celebrating their victory against Japan in a Japanese restaurant near our hotel. I ate fish for the first time in nearly a year last night, and it was as good as I remembered. Everything in moderation, right? I also tried a bit of sake, not too bad... about as good as hard alcohol gets I think. Anyway, for only thirty reales we all experienced an all you can eat sushi extravaganza with a gigantic sushi and sashimi boat, little salads, plates of shushi tempura, a fried rice like dish, yaki sobe (sp?), and fried icecream. Quite filling and very delicious! Though I hear that in Curitiba (where I take off for in just a couple of hours) has better sushi houses with even better food than last night. I can't wait!

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Photos

Little Racoon-like Creatures
I'll let you know their name when I have my notes near me...

Comments

[john]

the best food japan has to offer. well at least in my humble opinion. the sights look really awesome. i wish i could have seen them with my own eyes. also, did you honestly expect japan to do well against brazil? i missed the game because it took place at 3 in the morning, but Japan is a recent additional to world soccer. it will take them a bit before they become a force to be reckoned with. then again, america has been involved in world soccer for a while now, and is still doing horrible.