Thoughts of a Flowertot…Brazil and Argentina – Iguazu Falls (with Compact Camera Snaps)
(Part of a series of articles by Fi trawling the archives for photos taken on the tiny compact camera way back when).
I was worried that I would be disappointed by Iguazu, much like worrying that Uluru was just going to be a big boring rock and in both cases I have been pleasantly surprised at how natural attractions can be so awe-inspiring and magnetising that you just stare and stare in wonder. The Iguazu falls span the borders of Argentina & Brazil. We took a day trip across the border to experience from the Brazilian side first (Foz de Iguacu) which gives a real sense of scale as you walk past hundreds of waterfalls before reaching the lower end of ‘Garganta del Diablo’ – the Devil’s Throat – where you can step out on a platform into the shower created by 2 to 3 tonnes of water per second pummelling past you. Possibly not the best environment for cameras but we had fun running back and forth trying to capture pictures of the rainbows caught within the mist.
The next day we visited the Argentinian side of Iguazu which was a little like visiting a theme park, with miniature trains connecting to various areas of the falls via overpriced restaurants and tourist stalls. Still, nothing can take away from the supreme sight of ‘Garganta del Diablo’ from the seat of a small boat heading straight under the falls. Amazeballs!
After a walk in the sun to dry out we reached the raised Argentinian side where the powerful force of water cascading through the Devil’s Throat creates a giant bright white cloud of mist from the spray that rises up to 100 feet high. It seems to draw the ‘spiritual nutters’, rows of people standing arms stretched out to feel the power, but as mental as it looks I could actually understand the madness for once! Staring into the heavenly beaming white clouds with rainbows bouncing through you do feel surrounded by the force of nature and its pretty moving, indescribable in words really and just breathtaking.