We touched down in Puerto Iguazu airport in what seemed like a blink of an eye compared to our initial mammoth transit across the Pacific Ocean. An airport shuttle dropped us at the doorstep of our American-style hotel which had a lovely pool area for us to lay low in our off day and work on our tans (not that Emily needed it too badly, she simply flashes a smile towards the sun & her skin turns black in colour). Puerto Iguazu had a very warm, but wet, tropical climate feel about it, much similar to that of Bali. We were soon to realise that the place itself was a ghost town during the day with very limited options for restaurants, supermarkets, bars or ATMs. It seemed that if you weren't at the waterfalls then you were departing to your next destination. Nevertheless, the following day we were going to be joining that crowd and witnessing the widest cluster of waterfalls in the world with a bright & early start, hence rest & an early night were on the cards.

Up at the crack of dawn on our very next morning and en route to the Iguazu national park for a 9-hour day trekking through the tropical rainforest in 35 degree heat & humidity that felt like we were trapped in a fan forced oven. Our first point of call on the day was to visit the peak of the falls called the Devils Throat, which was where the different points of the river met and headed north, and hence created a down pour of water that could fill 50 Olympic swimming pools in 1 second. A magnificent spectacle which provided a true Kodak photo moment! Moving on from that section of the park, we spent the next few hours scoping out the upper and lower trails for approximately a 5km walk, in which we came into contact with the wildlife of the national parks, sighting animals such as alligators, 2m long local catfish, turtles, spiders and monkeys. It also allowed us to witness the falls from differing angles and viewpoints, getting so up-close that you became drenched with the spray. Deciding to get as close as possible, and seeking a solution to escape from the suppressive heat, we took up the option for the boat ride on the river. This was definitely a highlight of the trip to date as we scored front row seats in the boat as it zipped around the river and plunged nose first into the waterfalls multiple times, providing a refreshing relief. The tour ended with a jungle safari of the park, back towards the entrance and meeting point, in which time the guide filled us in with interesting information about the flora and fauna of the jungle, as well as the history of it and significant events such as flooding.

Overall, a long but exciting day and definitely worthy of the visit to the border. I'd highly recommend for anyone travelling South America to make it a must-do fixture on their itinerary. We departed the following day by crossing over the bridge in a taxi and passing through customs into the Samba-mad, football-crazy country of Brazil for one day of pool-side tanning in Foz de Iguazu before venturing up to the beach-side city we were both most looking forward to; Rio de Janeiro.