We crossed the bridge over the Iguassu River into Argentina on a bank holiday (Columbus Day), which was a bit unfortunate as all the banks and moneychangers are closed. This has also meant that the number of visitors to the Iguassu Falls is very high. We had to queue for ages to get into the National Park on the Brazilian side.

It's not easy to describe the falls, which are listed in my book of top 100 places to see before you die, and therefore one of the world's top tourist sites. They must surely be one of the seven natural wonders of the world too. But to give you an idea of the sheer size, we have spent a day and a half in two different countries hiking the trails above and below the 250 individual cascades. Every turn presents a new view, and every one is jaw dropping. And even though the falls are so long and wide, the species of fish that live in the river are completely different above and below, because no fish has managed to develop the ability to penetrate this 250 foot high barrier.

It's hard to imagine what it must have been like for the Spanish explorers who first set eyes on this. With toucans flying from tree to tree (which we saw too) and huge colourful butterflies (which we didn't), and without all the visitors of today, it must have been paradise. There is one creature that isn't deterred by visitors though - the coati. This is a racoon type mammal with a long bushy tail and long pointed snout. Helen thinks they look like Wombles, and they do go around picking up litter and jumping on tables in search of food.

The weather has been a bit hit-and-miss here; overcast and occasional rain during the day, but clear skies and sunshine by early evening, so we got reasonably good views. It could have been better, but I feel fairly happy that it wasn't the washout that it can often be.

The town of Puerto Iguazu is really nice. The food is good. The people are friendly. It feels much more in keeping with the area than the sterile concrete streets across the border in Brazil. And it's much cheaper here too. The third border city in Paraguay is unsavoury and dangerous, so we will skip that.