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Iguazu falls and the national reserve is divided between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. A magnificent display of over 250 cascading waterfalls,ย Spanning almost 3km across the borders of Argentina and Brazil, theย Cataratas del Iguazรบย (in Spanish)ย orย Foz do Iguacuย (in Portuguese) make a splash as the largest waterfall system on the planet; step aside, Niagara.
I flew to Iguazu straight from Buenos Aries . It was a long flight from all the way to London. In the peak of summer , the weather was very hot and humid. I had full 2 days to visit the waterfall . Next morning I left early from my hostel after breakfast. A regular bus carries tourist from city to fall and back.
2/3rd of the falls located on Argentinian side and one can get a very close and intimate view from here. I purchased a multi-day ticket (they give a discount on day 2) and it was well worth. There are few operators who offers adventure activities like canoeing , rappelling etc. , I booked ecological trip and great adventure from Iguazu Jungleย .
Day 1: First day I explored the park on foot. There are two routes lower circuit and upper circuit. I first tackled the upper circuit which is only half a mile long and takes just over an hour to walk. It crosses the top of the canyon and allowed me to look down over the edge of the falls, some of which are 60 meters (197 feet) tall. I also got the chance to discover the parkโs flora, including cacti and orchids. The circuit is best in the morning or close to sunset, when rainbows appear over the river. I also walked part of the Sendero Macuco (Macuco Nature Trail). This 3.75 mile (6 kilometer) round trip puts one in direct contact with the parkโs flora and fauna. It is far quieter than the Upper and Lower Circuits and I was able to hear the call of some of over 450 species of birds. The trail runs from Central Station to a waterfall on the Arrechea stream. I finally came back to Visitor center to have some food. The weather was super-hot and humid with temperature around 40+ . This was not a great day to walk , nevertheless next I set out to explore lower circuit. The Lower Circuit offers the best views of the waterfalls via eight designated lookouts, including the Dos Hermanos (Two Brothers) and Tres Mosqueteros (Three Musketeers) falls. The circuit is just over one mile and takes around two hours to complete. I extended the walk by climbing down a staircase at Salto Bossetti falls to a small pier. There used to be free ferry to San Martin island which was no longer operational due to land slide.
Day 2: This was the most memorable day in a negative way. I left the hotel early , first was great adventure tour by Iguazu Jungle. We entered the jungle by the Yacaratiรก trail in trucks specially designed for this environment.ย Guides introduced us to the placeโs natural and cultural resources. This 5 kms long stretch ends at Puerto Macuco. At its dock, we boarded on the boats that sailed in the Lower Iguazu River for as long as 6 kms, heading towards the waterfalls area, enjoying plentiful rapids. Upon reaching the Tres Mosqueteros Fall, we were able to see the falls of both the Argentine and Brazilian sides crowned by the view of the Garganta del Diablo (Devilโs Throat). At this point that freak accident happened to me. I was trying to take a picture by anchoring my feet and balancing myself , while the boat took a sudden turn , my whole body weight shifted to my right foot with a twisting motion . I heard a pop sound in my knee and all I could remember afterwards a very sharp pain in my knee ( Later I learnt that I ruptured my ACL with an associated fracture). This was the beginning of the trip and I somehow tried to place the dislocated kneecap in proper postions and continued to take a cocktail of painkillers during the rest of the trip. Today 3rd August 2018 while I am writing this I am still recovering from my surgery to reconstruct ACL) .ย Afterwards, the most exciting point came when facing the incomparable San Martรญn waterfall, the second in dimension and the hugest any boat may face. My enthusiasm of taking pictures went down a lot after the knee injury. But it was exciting and I completely drenched which was a huge relief at the pick of summer.We were then again picked up by truck and were dropped very close to visitor center. I took my time to relax had some food and mentally asses my situation. I realized something definitely went wrong with my knee but still decided to continue. So I continue walking slowly to Devil’s throat . It was a long and painful walk for me given my knee condition but somehow I managed to finish it with lots of resting in between. A lookout area grants the opportunity to watch the water rush from the river and down an 80 meter (262 feet) high sheer drop.
After spending time and getting drenched with spray I came back toย Garganta del Diablo (Devilโs Throat) train station. My ecological trip started here , it was a silent and quiet sailing experience on rafts covering different islands of upperย Iguazu river. We were connect with the rich flora and fauna that distinguishes this riverside environment.ย This peaceful trip ended at the Tres Marรญas Port where I returned walking to the Waterfall Station to catch a train to visitor center.
I left straight for Ushuaia from here. This was a super long day and I had to sleep at theย Buenos Aries airport.
