Iguazu Falls

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We have been extremely lucky to see Iguazu Falls today. There has been a drought and until three days ago the boats that take you under the falls were not running. They started again yesterday. We are staying at the Orient Express hotel inside the National Park so have full view of the falls whenever we like - we don´t have to wait for the park to open. Excitement started this morning when we had an unexpected visitor to the breakfast table. The local racoon type animals , three coatis, stalked across the road, up the steps and one of them went straight for the sugar sachets on our table. The four of us leapt out of the way as we had been told that if we were bitten by one of them we would need 10 days rabies treatment at a local hospital which consisted of a needle in the stomach each day.

Our day began with a walk to the best viewing points for the falls (in Brazil). The falls are actually in Argentina but the best view is in Brazil. The falls themselves are breathtaking because of both the amount of water and the size and number of falls. You could stand and watch them for hours. We caught the elevator back to the top and caught the bus to the Three Musketeers Falls for a thrilling ride under the falls and a complete drenching.

Later after drying off and having lunch back at the hotel our next adventure unfolded. A helicopter ride over the falls. It gave a great perspective of the falls and their shape and where the rivers converge.

Cloase to the helicopter ride is the Parque das Arves, an animal sanctuary, where we were able to get up close and personal with the macaws that we had seen in the Amazon and many other birds, including pink and orange flamingos, toucans and parrots.We also saw caimans and anacondas - much larger than the ones that we touched in the amazon but they were also behind glass.

Another special day.

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