Dear diary

If you ever get the chance to visit Iguazu Falls, you will probably come away thinking, they're big. They are big. It's a bit bizarre that this natural wonder gets so little international recognition. I mean, we knew it was one of the key items on the South American to do list, but didn't anticipate just how impressive it would be.

From the Argentinian side we were amazed by the width of the River Iguazu upstream of the falls. The word river doesn't seem adequate, it's more of a giant floodplain during the wet season. You walk along metal bridges above the water until you reach the Garganta de Diablo (Devils Throat) where it all smashes down in a giant horseshoe. Of course, you have to wait patiently for all the Latino girls to finish their flaunting/posing for the camera before you can get to the edge and really appreciate the awesome view. They contort and pout while their boyfriend directs from behind the camera. The favoured pose is to face away from camera and with the back arched one overlooks the shoulder back at the camera. A cheeky wink is optional, but possibly the last of the sequence when the serious smouldering is complete (a lighthearted sign off reminiscent of the 'and finally...' section of the evening news).

The next day from the brazilian side we could see the full series of 'cataratas' (waterfalls) from further away which helps to understand the sheer size of the area they cover. Each section is impressive in its own right but as a whole it is an awesome sight. The photos don't really do it justice, which is partially why we have hundreds of photos. It becomes a compulsion to keep taking more and more photos in search of a definitive shot which doesn't come.

We walked along another bridge which took us deep into the spray at the bottom of devils throat. In my 7 reale rain poncho I was put in charge of videoing this little walk, to capture the sound and the spray and all, but just managed to get a recording of the sky. Nick has now barred me from future filming.

Two days was enough to see both sides of the falls. We have dipped into Argentina to get our first taste of their famous steak (yes it was good) but are now back in Brazil. A 16 hour bus ride will take us to Florianapolis where we will pick up where we left off, beach time and caipirinhas...