The exquisite Iguazu Falls!

On Sunday 3rd May we took a 20 hour overnight bus from Buenos Aires to Punto Iguazu. We checked into 'Hostel Park Iguazu' and headed to the supermarket. The llamas have been consistently grazing and so not to go off course, we had oats, fruit and yogurt for lunch AND dinner. Being a budget traveller means very few proper meals and more Scooby snacks- that goes without saying how fantastic the meals we've treated ourselves to have been! In the evening after a hot and powerful shower (hallelujah), we walked to another hostel called 'Mango Chill Hostel' and here everyone was being briefed on the Iguazu Falls excursion options-we knew this as two fellow travellers, one we'd met in BA and another in Mendoza happened to be staying there and messaged us saying so. Mango Chill was more like a 5 star hotel compared to where we were staying- but once again we had chosen the most budget hostel, paying £6 a night, compared to their £10. They were given free cocktails between 6.30-7 and for roughly £12 were awaiting a 3 course gourmet bbq. Temptation took over pretty much instantly, along with the fact there were actually people at their hostel and so we booked ourselves into Mango Chill for the following night. Personally for me, seeing the Iguazu Falls on both the Brazilian and Argentinian side was a no brainer as I felt we absolutely had to experience it properly while we were there- but it took a little while to all come around to that conclusion- money monitoring always cripples decision making! After our nights stay in Hostel Park Iguazu and a heinous bread and butter breakfast, we happily checked out and made our way to Mango Chill. The sun was piercing down and with not a cloud in the sky we were promised sunshine songs all day. Together with a girl named Katherine whom we'd met on the winery tour at Familia Di Tomaso in Mendoza and had happened to be on our bus to Punto Iguazu, we headed to the bus station to make the short 30 minute journey to the Brazilian side. We hopped off to get our passports stamped indicating we'd left Argentina, but we never received any Brazil stamp. We came to the conclusion that the Iguazu Falls on the Brazilian side almost sits in no mans land between the two countries. We arrived at the National Park entrance where I found out that Mastercards don't work and furthermore later found out, don't actually work anywhere in Punto Iguazu- thank goodness for Lou and Dais! The Brazilian Iguazu Falls park is far smaller compared to that of the Argentinian side and we were told it would only take a couple of hours to complete. I can't put into words how to describe my initial reaction to the Iguazu Falls because I was completely speechless- that sounds so cliche and uncool, but it was true! The volume of water and sheer magnitude of the falls is absolutely astonishing! On the Brazilian side, a panoramic view of the falls showcases what the Argentinian side cannot and its supreme surrounding presence makes it difficult to not feel utterly insignificant and engulfed. The rainbows are the pinnacle to the already awe inspiring ambience and they add that extra something special to an already perfect picture- not that photographs can hail mother nature compared to that of the naked eye. There are wooden walkways running alongside the falls and we slowly worked our way along- some are even built within the water and getting soaked was definitely no burden in order to witness the spectacle! The unassuming, slow moving water at the crest of the falls is a marvel- it couldn't have been more of a contrast to the powerful water roaring down. As if we weren't completely spellbound from the Brazilian side, our second day in Avatar land on the Argentinian side left us further enamoured. The three llamas had to break off from Katherine as catching a taxi from Iguazu Punto over the border and boarding our bus to Rio at 6.45pm that evening left us very tight for time. Upon entering the Argentinian National Park, the contrasting expanse is instantly noticeable to that of the Brazilian side- one local man greeted us with: "Welcome to Disney!". We had a vast rainforest to get lost in but nowhere near enough time to play! On our way to the jungle train that would take us to 'Devils Throat', we were absolutely delighted to be halted in our tracks by a monkey that had decided to pose for the public paparazzi. This was an extremely rare sighting and it felt so special that we were able to capture it. We boarded the train to 'Devils Throat' and here we were once again flabbergasted by the enchanting falls that explode down in a circular arc- hence the name 'Devils Throat'. The power of the water is unbelievable and a little like an optical illusion; I found my eyes captivated watching as the water began its descent from top to bottom. I am definitely beginning to sound a little monotonous as I run out of adjectives to describe just how spectacular the Iguazu Falls are....my advice is you'll just have to see it for yourself! I think we all agreed that it is definitely an underrated South American wonder- none of us had actually really heard anything about the Iguazu Falls until on our travels; sharing stories with fellow backpackers. We raced back to the train after Devils Throat in order to make our 2.40pm boat ride booking. This was extremely exhilarating and giggles galore. The jet boat took us right up alongside the falls and we got absolutely drenched! I couldn't stop laughing, I think the adrenaline infected me with a case of the giggles/ watching Lou and Dais's faces definitely contributed. One little observation was how impressed I was by all the adorable little oldies visiting the falls. As we got off the boat, an old women dressed in a smart pair of camel coloured trousers, a cream blouse and pearls around her neck, stood up utterly soaked; her curly grey hair had gone all fluffy and her lipstick was only outlining her lips after the water had removed the rest and she had a great big smile across her face- it melted me. It's pretty physically demanding walking around the National Park- hills, steps etc. and I thought it was so amazing to see elderly couples out there having the time of their lives (no doubt staying in the Belmond Hotel das Cataratas to rest their tired little limbs). Unfortunately time was ticking, and after the boat ride we had to make our way back to the entrance where we'd board a bus back to Punto Iguazu. Luckily we stumbled across a bus drop off zone within the park and as if by fate, the bus we needed was sitting there waiting for its soggy llama passengers. It was all a bit of a rush getting showered, finding food (most important) before jumping in a taxi to cross the border to the bus station in Brazil. Crossing the border was a breeze- it involved hopping out the taxi to get that all important final country stamp, taking all of 5 minutes. We'd allowed ourselves plenty of time and all was going smoothly as we bantered hard with our taxi man (taxi routine) when he pulled into the airport and just like that our banter came to soul destroying stop. We had to explain (with many hand gestures and shocking spanish) in a panic it was the bus station we needed...our 'plenty time' suddenly vanished and the clock was eating the minutes far too quickly! The race was suddenly on and we pulled into the bus station with 5 minutes to spare and handed the taxi driver a ridiculously fat fee that he had tripled because obviously it was our fault he went to the airport...maybe we should of confirmed the destination. The bus was in fact 15 minutes late so we did have time to breathe and get over what had just happened- 24 long hours lay ahead but the bright lights and sexy beaches of Rio were in sight! The Iguazu Falls is one of the most breathtaking natural wonders I've ever seen! Had we known more about the falls, there is no doubt our expectations would have been higher, but we were blessed to have experienced the falls on both the Brazil and Argentina side with no preconceived expectations. Before commencing our South American adventure, the llamas could only reel off 'Machu Picchu' and 'The Salt Flats' as the wonders- however, Iguazu Falls is without doubt an absolute wonder and an underrated one. It is truly beautiful and I am so happy that we knew so little before as it emphasised the spectacle. It is one of the best things I've ever seen and I hope to go back with more time to swing with the monkeys (Eliza Thornberry style) and maybe even stay in the beautiful Belmond Hotel das Cataratas, positioned right across the falls- when my hair is grey and I have my pearls around my neck!