We Visited Foz do Iguacu and Iguassu Waterfalls from 27 to 29 April 2017
Panaromic view of Iguassu waterfall at Devils Troat
After a two hour flight from
Rio we landed in Foz do Iguacu a small touristy town mainly catering to tourists
visiting the famous Iguassu Falls. The city is a melting pot of many
nationalities that come to visit the waterfalls. Foz is a fairly laid back city
with a large number of restaurants catering to the diverse gourmet requirements
of the tourists. Chinese, Italian, Spanish, Pizza, Tapas compete with the local
delicacies. The city is very well spread out with broad roads, elegant
footpaths and avenues. The weather is very moderate and comfortable. Shorts and
a light cotton shirt fit the bill. Street cafes are a very popular form of
dining. They provide every variety of food, beer and free wifi. We thoroughly
enjoyed sitting in the open and enjoying the atmosphere. Unless you decide to
visit a pub or disco restaurant, the town shuts down fairly early. Our hotel ‘Aguas
do Iguacu Hotel Centro’ was located right in the middle of the action area. The
hotel travel desk staff goes out their way to help with all tours and visits. Planning
your activity, hiring taxis, buying entrance tickets are all done from the hotel.
Various aspects of the visits are well coordinated and meshed together in a
seamless fashion.
Foz
do Iguacu has the distinction of bordering Argentina to the South and Paraguay
to the West. With such a broad mixture of various cultures, it’s not hard to
find a variety of artifacts being sold in the roadside kiosks. Earrings, bracelets,
necklaces and other forms of junk jewelry are aplenty. We relished the sweet
thick purple juice made from the Açaí berry, an energy drink. The Açaí Juice is
a very popular drink of Brazil.
In the afternoon we visited Bosque Guarani Zoo which
is a refuge and sanctuary for many bird species,
including macaws, golden parakeets, harpy eagles and toucans. Displays also
include other animal life such as reptiles, snakes and tarantulas. It also carries out valuable research into the
Iguazú forest environment and has a breeding program for endangered species.The idea is to rescue,
recover and reintroduce specimens that get to this place because they were
victims of an accident, confiscated or delivered by regretful owners. An
afternoon well spent.
Place for the monkeys to play
Harpy Eagle
Elusive Black Panther
Capybera freely roam about outside the park - the largest rodent in the world
Next
morning we visited the largest bird park Parque das Aves in all of Latin America
spread over 40 acres of sub-tropical rain forest. This park provides shelter
for around a thousand birds (150 species) as well as butterflies and reptiles
from both all South America and other exotic places.What is different about this park when compared to
other zoos or similar parks is that the most of the cages are huge and the birds
and animals can roam and fly free. Also, it's possible to enter those
enclosures and admire all the beauty of the exotic colorful birds: a wide
variety of parrots, toucans, eagles, owls and others. It's a perfect place for
photography as there's no fence between the camera and the object so the photos
look as if they were taken in their natural environment. The toucans even seem
to pose for photographs.
Cariama Cristata
Wild Fowl
Red crane perched on a tree
Budgies - Yellow Parrot
Blue and Yellow Macaw
Blue and Yellow Macaw with Eclectus
Cariama Cristata appreciating herself in the mirror
Budgies - Yellow Parrot
Great Egrets and Cranes
As recommended by our hotel
travel guide we took a bus across to the water falls around noon time. As we
alighted from the bus the wonder of the world ’Iguassu waterfalls’ was there
right in front of us. The initial reaction was one of disappointment and a
slight feeling of being let down when we saw one waterfall in the distance. The
sadness was evident on all our faces. Soon we realized that it was just the beginning
of 275 different falls which extend to 2.7 Km in length, ending up at the famous
and spectacular ‘Devils Throat’. Their height varies between 200 feet and 269
feet. A large proportion of the water is thrust down Devil’s Throat, a long
chasm that is 82 metres high, 150 metres wide and 700 metres long. We had seen the
Niagara and Victoria Falls earlier and had been overawed by them. It was now our
turn to enjoy Iguassu. As one treks along the 2.7 Km narrow pathway which runs
parallel to the deep gorge, the beauty and the enormity of the waterfalls begin
to unfold. This phenomenal spectacle seems never-ending as rivers Iguassu and Parana
continuously empty themselves into the gorge. The visual treat is enhanced by
the roar of the waterfalls and the cooling water spray. The trek is never
ending and one needs to stop for a coffee break or a photo shoot to recoup.
The entrance to the National Park
At the entrance
The maiden view
As you progress down the track
Still Further
A Photo Op
Sushama engrossed
Yet another view
Prior to Devils throat
Each part of the waterfalls
is different, giving an impression that we are watching a different waterfall each
time. The intensity and the dynamics of each waterfall is distinctive making
Iguassu very unique and unforgettable. At ’Devils Throat’ you stand face to
face with the most powerful manifestation of nature. Experiencing the power of
water at such close quarters will remain with us for a very long time. The
ringside view is breathtaking.The Devil’s
Throat is also the border between Argentina and Brazil, splitting the falls
between the two countries.
The trek gradually takes you
to the bottom of the gorge where they have built a viewing platform in the middle
of Devil’s Throat. The best part is the lift which takes the tourists back to
the top.
Totally drenched
Devils Throat
As it flows
Thereafter we took a 6 Km speed
boat ride in the river. The last part of the boat ride takes you directly into
the ‘Three Musketeers’ water fall. As the boat enters the waterfall, an enormous
amount of water from a height falls on the boat completely drenching one and
all. This experience was something new and totally exhilarating. The water fall
is so thick and intense it becomes difficult to breathe through the nose.
Screams and shrieking from the boat is deafening and addictive. As one recovers
from the episode the boat re-enters the fall for the second and third time. The
boat ride was an amazing unforgettable experience.
The entire Iguassu forest
area is well maintained by the authorities. The drive to the waterfall, the
facilities, restaurants, toilets, roads are in excellent condition. On the
whole the visit was exhilarating and great value for money.
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