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Sighting the Iguazzu Falls: <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Monday, June 8, 2015: At Foz de Iguazzu Going through Immigration was painless at Rio de Janeiro\u2019s Galeao airport, but retrieving my baggage from the Claim area took forever: the No-Win Unwritten Rule of International Travel is that if Immigration is a snap, the wait at Baggage Claim is endless; if Immigration takes an… <\/p>\n
\nthat it was our family friend and physician, Dr. Edward Pinto, who had told me
\nthat the Iguazzu Falls were one of the most spectacular sights he has ever seen\u2014and
\nhe is well-traveled. He had advised me to make a detour and go and see them, no
\nmatter where in South America I happened to be. Since I always heed my doctor\u2019s
\nadvice, there I was! At 3. 00 pm, there was plenty of daylight left and at
\nleast three hours to see the place. Once off the bus, I hurried to the Main Entrance
\nto buy my ticket (R54, approx. $18) and was directed to the bus that ferries
\ntravelers through the vast expanse of the National Park in which the Falls are
\nlocated. I took a seat on the top deck and within ten minutes, the bus took off
\nwith about twenty passengers on board. I was very grateful for the strong
\nbreeze that blew throughout that ride (on the open upper deck) that threatened to
\nblow my baseball cap right off but cooled me well!
\nis something akin to the Hop On, Hop Off bus service found in many of the world\u2019s
\ncities. You get off wherever you please (usually an Observation Deck) and wait
\nfor about 20 minutes for the next bus to come along and take you to the next
\nstop. I had done my homework and had found out that Stops 14 to 19 were the
\nmost crucial because they offered the most stunning views. At Stop 14, most of
\nthe passengers alighted and climbed down the ramp leading downhill for their
\nfirst glimpse of the Falls. From that point, I walked for about 4 kms (2 miles)
\nalong the periphery of the canyon stopping frequently to take pictures and
\nappreciate the sights from many varied vantage points. For what is unique about
\nIguazzu is that, unlike Niagara, is it not just one gushing wall of water but
\nseveral different falls\u2014some narrow, others wide; some very tall, others much shorter;
\nsome close at hand, others far in the distance; some a drop over a single shelf,
\nothers comprising multiple tiers. <\/span>Overall,
\nthe variety of scenes and the fury of the Iguazzu Falls make Niagara look like
\na trickle! With every step I took further along the trail leading eventually to
\nthe piece de resistance<\/i>, Devil\u2019s
\nThroat, at Stop 19, I was awed! At some points, there are simply no words. You
\njust gaze and try to get your camera to do justice to what you see\u2014but you soon
\nrealize that the impact is only partly visual. Much of the effect is audio\u2014you hear
\nthe gushing, you take in the deafening roar. And tactile\u2014for you are sprayed
\ngently at some points and well soaked at others. It is a completely sensual
\nexperience to be drenched by the spray of hundreds of tons of gushing water as
\nthe mighty Iguazzu goes over a succession of rapids and plunges into a foaming
\ncauldron of white blindness! What is also spectacular about this spot are the
\nmultiple rainbows that form across the ravine as the tearing waters catch the
\nsun\u2019s rays. Cameras work overtime to capture it all\u2014and often fail. But I did
\nspot at least two rainbows through the length of my stay at this spot.
\nsolo travelers, you request fellow sojourners to take your picture against the sound
\nand the fury\u2014and before you know it, you have a new friend. This was the case
\nwith me as I requested a sweet young man to take my picture and in turn offered
\nto take his. He happened to be one Mohamed Saad, Algerian by parentage and heritage,
\nFrench by birth (he was born and grew up in Lyon) and now working in Bristol,
\nUK, as a petroleum engineer. I enjoyed trying my French out on him for size and
\nwas delighted to receive compliments on my fluency! We got into the natural
\nrhythm of discovering each other in French as we discovered the Falls and were
\ngrateful for each other\u2019s company. As we trekked through the rain forest to the
\nnext vantage point, we squealed at the sight of raccoon-like furry brown wild animals
\nwho stomped around in packs. They are called Quatchi in the local lingo and
\nthey amused one and all with their hunt for food.
\nan hour, we arrived at Devil\u2019s Throat<\/i>,
\na spot where visitors actually walk right over the falls on a concrete trail
\nthat takes you to the heart of the ravine. This part of the Falls is very similar
\nto Niagara and boat trips (similar to the Maid
\nof the Mist<\/i>) take visitors to the base of the Falls (for an additional fee
\nearlier in the day). We contented ourselves walking to the absolute edge of the
\ncanyon and watching the water swirling in mighty pressure beneath us. Right
\nacross the ravine is Argentina\u2014and, as in the case of the Niagara Falls where
\none has views from the America and Canadian sides of the borders, so too here,
\none can view the Falls from both countries. There were many people across on
\nthe Argentinian side also walking along a concrete trail\u2014which led me to investigate
\nthe possibility of getting on the opposite side the next day. However, I nixed
\nit when I discovered that US citizens need a visa for Argentina which is
\navailable at the border but costs a whopping $160! Not worth it, I thought for
\njust a few hours! Overall, I was very thrilled with the visit to the Falls from
\nthe Brazilian side and did not regret my inability to cross international
\nborders to see them again. <\/span> <\/span> <\/span>
\ntrail was wet with the constant spray and we were quite drenched by the time we
\ntore ourselves away from the Devil\u2019s
\nThroat <\/i>and returned to the bus stop to take the bus back to base.
\nRestaurant, restrooms, souvenir shops and other amenities are frequently available
\nalong the trail. Had one the entire day to spend at the falls, one could do all
\nsort of trails, take the boat to the base, etc. But I was perfectly content
\nwith the three hours I spent there and felt that it had certainly been worth my
\nwhile to make the long two-hour flight to South Brazil to catch a glimpse of
\nthis astonishing natural wonder.
\ndrive to base took another 20 minutes, at which point I spied the public bus
\nthat would take me back to my hotel. Mohamed and I took the same bus and got
\noff at the same stop\u2014he had reservations at the local Youth Hostel near by. We exchanged
\ncontact information and parted and I walked to my hotel. En route, I spied a McDonald\u2019s<\/i>\u2014yes, I have to admit that
\nwhen I am alone in a small outpost where I cannot speak the language, I am
\nrarely tempted to enter a restaurant. McDee\u2019s<\/i>
\nsuits me just fine and with a salad, a fish burger and a cold chocolate milk, I
\nwas content to return to my hotel, eat my dinner and spend the rest of the
\nevening catching up with email\u2014for I had free wifi. Sadly, the TV only transmitted
\nin Portuguese\u2014of which I do not understand a word. One hot shower later, I
\nprepared for bed and having taken the red eye flight from New York, slept the
\nsleep of the dead!
\nuntil tomorrow\u2026 <\/span>