Rosie and The Operator are off to visit one of the Seven Wonders of The Modern World – The Iguazu Falls in the north of Argentina bordering Brazil. We are flying up there for two days and aim to visit the Brazilian and the Argentine side of the falls plus enjoy a little R&R at a beautiful hotel we have booked with spectacular views of the falls.
The Iguazu Falls span both countries of Argentina and Brazil. On the Brazilian side you are the farthest away from the falls and the views are expansive and panoramic. It is a photographers dream as you walk the one way viewing track because around the bends and turns, the photos just keep getting better and better.
The Argentinian side is a little more physical and has 3 circuits to walk which are all different and impressive. This allows you to get closer to the falls and you are able to have a more immersive experience…and Rosie means immersive…you will get a little wet standing gazing in awe as the impressive Garganta de Diablo rages around you!
Our day begins early at 0430am….we have a plane to catch at 0600am so we can arrive at the Iguazu airport at 0815 We are starting that early so we can hit the ground running and head straight for Brazil to see the sights. The line at the airport was sinuous and sooooo long for checking our bags, but after realising there was a queue for those travelling North and those travelling South it moved surprisingly quickly. At the checkout Rosie was stung for her overweight bag ‘only 15kgs allowed’ said the check in girl…Rosie had paid extra for baggage at the travel agent back home and was sure her full bags were covered….she was about to puff herself up and argue her case when The Operator leaned over and said it was only $20….lets just pay. Rosie deflated. We were off!
Arriving at Iguazu airport we were greeted by the smiling Derlise holding our names up on an electronic board. He works for the transfer company attached to our hotel and he is driving us today to Brazil so we can walk the trails and view the falls, he will store our luggage in the boot of his car, wait for us to sight see and then drive us to the hotel so we can check in.
This arrangement went seamlessly….we were going to do it all on our own and for the outlay of $150NZD for this 7 hour day trip, it was stress free and totally maximised our time where we wanted to be. Plus, Derlise spoke English, we could keep our luggage in his car boot while we visited the sights and he navigated us through the Brizilian border controls and back again with the ease we would not have been able to do on our own. As this driver was endorsed by and worked on contract to our hotel we felt totally safe doing this…except for the passports, said The Operator, I will keep hold of those…just in case.
Let Rosie just say…it was hot in Iguazu for the two days we were there…a couple of people in Buenos Aires told us how warm it would be up north but we were not expecting 29c! Rosie had not packed any summer clothes whatsoever! Its supposed to be winter in this hemisphere for goodness sake. Thank goodness The Operator buys lightweight, tactical, easy dry, sweat wicking clothing designed by Nasa and survivalists…he was quite comfortable, even though they were long sleeved and legged. All the better for the bugs not to bite me he said. Rosie would have given anything for a T shirt, her bag load of thermals were highly inappropriate….and the pool at the hotel…oh, yes, togs would have been nice as well.
Derlise was driving us to Brazil in his SUV, complimentary water and moist towels were in a backseat tray on our arrival and the air con was nice. The two lane road ploughed straight as an arrow through the dense green jungle and stretched to the horizon. Deep red soil, the colour of wet terracotta lined the roadside shoulder all the way.
Cautionary warning signs watching out for animals that Rosie has never heard of let alone seen line the roadside….plus the mighty….beware of the jaguar. Good luck with ever seeing one of those said Derlise, they are more mythical than real.
At the border we went through the express taxi lane to ‘check out’ of Argentina after a waiting time of only 10mins. If you were doing that on your own said Derlise it could take anything from 1-2.5 hours depending on the day! The irony….we were not even technically out of Argentina, after being stamped and crossing through the ominous barriered gates. A couple of kms down the road and halfway across this bridge is the actual border said Derlise….see the bridge is painted in Argentine blue and white and halfway it changes to green and yellow. Welcome to Brazil!
We pull off the motorway into an area housing official buildings…we need our passports stamped here to officially enter Brazil. Wow, there was no signage that we could understand and if we were doing this on our own we would not have understood what to do…with Derlise we were in and out in five minutes.
We drive through the gates to the National Park and are delivered right to the point of entry where we can by tickets….its quicker if you go over there and buy the tix with your credit card said Derlise, noticing us looking in dismay at the huge line already wending around half a dozen barriers to the ticket office. Yay again, hardly any wait. It will take you about three hours said Derlise to walk the track and take pictures. I will meet you back here at 1pm. We were off! After waiting in line that is, for a bus to take us to the beginning of the trail which was about 5kms from the visitors and ticket center.
Stepping out of the bus and onto the wide concrete path with the blessed shade of the jungle canopy overhead, Rosie breathed a sigh of relief at the drop in temperature. The Operator too was grateful he didn’t have to wear his wintery wooly beanie to protect his baldy bits from the scorching sun! Off we trekked following the other 40 people from our bus at a leisurely pace.
Within five minutes we saw our first waterfall in the distance. The one way trail we were following suddenly became congested with everyone stopping and wanting to get a shot of the tumbling white water in the distance. All was orderly and good humored…people paused, took a pic and moved on.
As the falls got bigger and the photo stops more interesting the congestion and wait times in the lines to shuffle out to the edge of the viewing platforms started to get longer. The monkeys came out to play and kept us amused overhead in the trees whilst we waited with their amazing overhead leap frogging and acrobatic skills in upper most branches.
The beautiful were out in force taking selfies…us included, LOL. Whereby ours literally took 5 seconds….these girls were taking pics of themselves or getting their poor boyfriends to do the pics, then, standing still, holding their prime ground whilst they checked the pics and then reshot them all over again with bigger, wider fake smiles, tilted heads and pouting lips…it would be amusing if their wasn’t so many of them…it was just plain annoying.
Following the track was now slow going as the waterfalls were getting louder and louder. The trees were still blessedly shady overhead and were getting more dense the closer we got. Then WOW..we stepped into a little clearing and from between the bushes we could see our goal below, framed by a beautiful rainbow! Rosie shuffled forward with renewed vigor.
Stepping out onto the boardwalk in front of the mighty Brazilian Iguazu Falls was both heaven and hell. The amount of people shuffling along the walkway, jam packed like sardines was hell. You were not out to make new friends here…it was holiday warfare at its finest. Elbowing and pushing to get where where we wanted to be to take pics of this once in a lifetime experience.
Turn your backs to the crowd, anchor your feet firmly and ignore the pushing, shoving and elbows from behind and you were there, in total paradise! Blocking everything else out and just feeling the cool misty spray kiss your skin. Looking up into the blue sky and seeing the rainbows overhead with their ends starting and finishing in the frothing streaming tumbling waterfalls that surrounded you. Hearing only the roar of the water which was so white and sparkling and the 180degree view so perfect….it just melted your heart.
Rosie lifted her iphone camera to record this moment and oh no….half of this beautiful view didn’t fit into the viewfinder….it was way too big and wide. Panoramas it will have to be then said The Operator. He was not wrong, Rosie lent as far over the railing as she could to avoid others doing the same and was pretty pleased with her results. The falls look totally beautiful…but these pics are nothing to what the true sheer size and majesty really was!
As we inched along the rail of the walkway closer to the edge of the falls check out how the Garganta de Diablo – The Devils Throat is getting more and more visible right up the end of the gorge. It was so exciting!
Those blue sky images of tumbling water will be forever burnt into my minds eye, it was so beautiful!
After having slowly crabbed around the rail to get all of these amazing photos of this wonder of the world Rosie had had enough…it was hard work pushing against the tide of people on this platform. A photo back over the people was in order cause Rosie has a feeling you wont believe how busy it was…in winter…in off season!
Rosie and The Operator kissed for strength and survival….then turned around to face the throngs, who, sensing a gap to a good photo spot were already surging forward to claim it. With head down Rosie clung to the back of The Operator as he forged a path out of there without stopping.
These are the photos Rosie took with her back to the beautiful falls looking back the way we had walked down the gorge.
With a sigh of relief we were off the bridge and back on the track that led out of the falls area…as we stopped to pause, look back over our shoulder and reflect at this mighty wonder of nature…we found a spot, where there was absolutely no one….and finally got our selfie to mark the visit of the day…in an incredible spot without all the tourist agro!
Back on the bus to the visitors center it was a relief to be out of there…disembarking and looking over the hundreds of people waiting in line to board the buses and start that tramp out to the falls…Rosie was glad we had finished. She couldn’t believe how full the waiting hall was! When we started it was only two lines deep and yet the crowds already out there were intense. Good luck everyone!
Derlise was waiting for us as we stumbled looking dazed from the whole experience out into the sunshine at exactly 1.07pm…he was right on the money for how long it would take alright!
Sitting in the air con car, cracking open a bottle of chilled water, reflecting on the beauty we had just witnessed as we headed back to the border was bliss.
Rosie cannot wait to check into the Gran Melia Hotel she has booked for the next two nights. It is a beautiful resort and the only one on the Argentine side of Iguazu Falls that is actually inside the National Park, and…..we even have a view of the waterfall from our room!
A welcome drink on arrival, an over zealous check in man, our credit card that declined (wtf, embarrassing or what) as The Operator pulls out another and says, try this one, our bags whisked to the room and there it is, beautiful views of jungle tree tops stretching for as far as the eye can see out the windows….exciting stuff!
Our room did not disappoint! The end wall was completely glass with a sliding door leading out to the balcony and the Iguazu Falls were smack bang in the middle over the jungle. Rosie didn’t even need to take her eyes off the falls when she had a shower to freshen up as the bathroom wall was glass too. Wow, just wow.
Reflecting on the day with a refreshing drink and mouth watering snack on the huge balcony of The Gran Melia….all at a price which was a pleasant surprise to The Operator, was awesome. This terrace, looking out over the beautiful infinity pool and jungle towards the falls was heaven.
Later, sitting on the terrace in our room, watching the sun set and the toucans fly to their roosts with the never ending white foam of the falls just falling in the back ground, whilst sipping on our suitcase stowed wine it was total bliss. Until…. The Operator said to Rosie in a low tone….dont move…! Rosie froze, The Operators eyes were locked on something over Rosie’s shoulder. OMG, is it a giant spider, a giant flying moth….what, what, what. Rosie was poised ready to flee, freaking out. Behind you said the The Operator quietly, are two big monkeys….slowly get up and move towards me. OMG….Rosie spun, turned and stumbled inside the door of the room as quickly as she could leaving The Operator to fend for himself on the balcony with the monkeys.
And those Monkeys were big! Not fazed in the slightest and had weird lazer beam glinting eyes that followed you in the twilight. In Rosie’s haste she could see dozens of others swarming the balconies of the hotel in the twilight by creeping along the rails searching for food.
So we watched the falls from inside the room illuminated by the moonlight , and also watched the antics of the monkeys as they criss crossed our balcony to others searching for food. It wasn’t long before one came back, sat on Rosies vacated chair and watched the falls whilst eating a bread roll.
Tomorrow we are up early to visit the Argentine sided of the Iguazu Falls. Hopefully we will get a jump on the tourist hordes….we are after all in the National Park already and raring to go!
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