Day 8 – Waterfalls, Boats and Birds

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We actually got to sleep in a little this morning as we were not heading out until 9 am. Chester was up and in the bathroom around 4 am with an achy, breaky belly. After breakfast we were picked up by our guide Lily. She is very knowledgeable and personable. She even spent time working in LA a few years back working at Magic Mountain. We were very excited for this day since we are headed straight to the Falls. Both Chester and Kirsten have been to Victoria Falls in Zambia, and now Iguacu Falls in Brazil, but not Niagara Falls. Ironic. Again this country and its attractions are very organized and clean. We made our way to the walkway which takes you to an amazing view of the Argentina side of the falls. They are massive and awe inspiring. The falls measure 2.5 KM wide. Chester took way too many pictures as usual. Each angle of the falls provided a different, incredible view of the tons of water headed over the different tiers of the falls. In some places there are three tiers that the water drops over. As we made our way down we were finally getting closer to the falls located on the Brazil side. It was finally time to get on our ponchos to prepare to get wet. And wet we got. We walked out over the falls and met a massive spray of backsplash. Any portion that wasn’t covered by the poncho was soaked. There were so many gorgeous rainbows along the way as well. One of the rainbows was in a complete circle. Incredible. Everything on the walk was smooth and orderly, until we tried to leave the walkway. The usual exit was closed for renovation so there was just a small stairway where a ton of older Italian tourists were damn well going to get down those stairs no matter what. Many of us were doing our best to try and get up the stairs, it was much like salmon trying to swim upstream and have a bear keep swatting at you as you try to get passed.

After the walk, we changed into our swim suits for our boat ride and rafting excursion of the falls. A tram took us through the sub-tropical rain forest to the drop in point. We were one of the few tourists who actually wore swim suits for the ride. Many tourists were in jeans and no rain gear. They were not well prepared to say the least. Betty was not looking forward to this portion of the tour; she gets cold easily and is not a fan of water. They seated us at the back of the boat behind the driver. This did not sit well with Kirsten, who quickly asked if we could sit in front. The front row-of-seats were already taken, but the boat guide let us sit on the bow. Again, Betty was not happy when she realized we would get the wettest. The boat was fast and fun. It took us directly under the falls (Devil’s Throat). Again, it was just amazing. We were getting doused by the falls and we just kept screaming and laughing. It was freezing and exhilarating at the same time. Betty saw nothing of the falls. She was holding on to the leg of the boat guide. She would not let go nor look up at the falls. From the speed boat the four of us were taken to a small floating dock on the opposite side from the falls. This was the rafting portion of the tour. Again, Betty was not too thrilled to be participating. Our guide Jordan was great. He spoke very little English but it just made for a more interesting and exciting trip down the river. After getting strapped into our life jackets and helmets, Kirsten again asked if we could be at the front of the boat. Again, we were granted our wish. Jordan moved the two guys that were in the front back a seat. He knew who the better rafter where. Betty and Judy were in the back and Kirsten and Chester were front and center. We were happy. The current was really strong but we didn’t think the rapids were anything more than class 2 or 3. They were still great though and provided some challenges. After we got through the rapids, Jordan let Chester take the big oars and steer the boat. All Chester managed to do was go in a circle. Then he proceeded to push Chester in the drink so she could cool off and swim. Jordon pushed in a few other passengers and Chester actually dragged Kirsten into the water. We drifted down the rest of the way back to the original loading point for the speed boat. The rafting was fun but way too short. Jordan was full of practical jokes and pulled Chester into the boat and in the same motion threw her out of the boat. He did show Kirsten a much more graceful way of doing and backward roll legs first and upside down getting in the boat.

After rafting and putting on dry clothes, we headed to the bird sanctuary. This was incredible. There were toucans, flamingos, owls, turkeys, macaws, parrots, anacondas, and so many other species of birds. It was a pleasant walk to end the day. The highlight was visiting the aviary which had an array of tropical birds of all colors. They were so colorful and so vocal! Plus they would swoop down and skim the tops of our heads. We ducked a lot. Chester again took way too many pictures.

The night ended with a trip to a rodizio restaurant where they brought to our tables all different kinds of meat. Again we ate way too much. Ironically, the grilled pineapple was the best thing we ate. Today was a great day filled with an amazing tour after tour. Tomorrow we head over to the Argentina side of the falls. We can’t wait.

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Photos

Caimen
At a safe distance

Kirsten and the bird
Their claws hurt

Comments

[Meredith]

what fun!
Kirsten - It is so fun reading your blog! You have had some wonderful adventures! Enjoy!

[Claudia]

Love your travels
The blog and pictures are great, muita obrigada for sharing your adventures! I may look forward to them as much as you do. Cheers, Claudia