We Fell for Iguazu Falls
Iguazu Falls has been called one of the greatest natural wonders on earth, and one of the places to visit before you die. Why then, did only one of us know it existed? Do you? And now that you have heard of it…read on and put it on your list!
For our 2004 South American fiesta, the three of us decided to visit Argentina and Uruguay. Iguazu Falls, which Wendi swore was a MUST, meant a just under two hour flight from Buenos Aires to the intersection of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.
To be truthful, none of us truly knew what we were in for.
Let’s get the (very minor) bad stuff out of the way first. None of it would stand in the way of us recommending this destination wholeheartedly.
- Its humid. If you care about how your hair looks…forget it! (Your hair, not the trip).
- There are bugs. Lots of them. Big ones, small ones, one that ate a small chunk out of Wendi’s leg. And there are butterflies everywhere. We even saw a bug that looked like Mr. Peanut. Use your imagination.
- It can be slippery. If you are a klutz, walk slowly. These are falls. And that means WET.
Now for the great stuff…
- Iguazu Falls makes Niagara Falls look like a spigot. And the boat ride under the falls (in a speedboat) makes The Maid of the Mist look like The Love Boat.
- You don’t need your Ipod. The falls themselves provide the soundtrack for your trip.
- They continue to astound you. We kept thinking we were seeing the most amazing site of our lives. Then we walked on. And were proven wrong…again and again. We saw more rainbows in two days than most people see in their lives.
- The falls have two distinct sides with entirely different experiences. Argentina and Brazil. To get onto the Brazil side, you need a visa. We went to the Brazil side. We had no visas. We had Sulva. An obese woman who our hotel recommended we contact. She drove us (using her belly to steer) in her car with tinted windows across the border while we crouched down and hid. She waited for us and drove us back, presumably while she ate a meal or four. She stopped the car and gave something (food? money? to the border guards). Was this wrong? YES! Was it worth it…absolutely. Go to both sides of the falls. But do it the legal way.
- We saw a lightning storm with horizontal lighting for over an hour lighting up the sky. Not vertical like here. Horizontal. Does it have anything to do with the falls? Not likely. But it was wild.
Wendi, Gina and Jan travel together every year. Our next trip is to Banff, in October.
Wendi – Single, former travel wholesaler owner, NYC resident
Jan – Separated, two kids, advertising, NYC resident
Gina – Married, two kids, internet writer , lives in Virginia