Iguazú Falls

Certain things in life are simply impossible to adequately capture in a mere photograph. Iguazú Falls is definitely one of them, and above is my best effort to convey the epic expanse of ‘The Devil’s Throat.’ Situated on the border of Brazil and Argentina, the falls are the watery dividing line between the two countries at this exact point. I accessed the falls from the Argentinian side, via Iguazú National Park and took a mini train (the Rainforest Ecological Train, to be exact), some trails, and more than a few catwalks to reach this particular vantage point. Unlike some falls in the US and Canada, in the southern hemisphere you can get dangerously close to the roaring waters of these grand spectacles. The sound is deafening, the spray is enticing, and the visuals are simply amazing. As I stood there, trying to take it all in, all I could do was feel my heart pounding as I stared into the mouth of the devil. Most depictions of Lucifer entail horns, a tail and copious amounts of fire meant to terrify all who are witness to his power. I can assure you, though made of mere cliffs and water, THIS devil could douse any other devil and never look back.

If you are in Argentina, and looking for some dramatic waterfall action, Iguazu National Park is a must-see spot. The crown jewel of the visit is ‘The Devil’s Throat,’ which is as big a spectacle as the name implies. However, along the way you will be mesmerized by the sheer number of waterfalls that greet you on your journey. There are simply too many to count, and half the time you are waiting for something from Jurassic Park to come stomping out of the surrounding brush and gobble you up. And if you are looking for that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, well, you’ll have plenty of searching to do as you’re constantly surrounded by what looks like a spilled bag of Skittles drifting through the mist. As the saying goes, ‘it’s not the destination, but the journey,’ and Iguazu National Park surely lives up to that expectation.

The roar is deafening. The wind shifts and a new sheet of mist covers me and my camera. I am standing above Devil’s Throat and it feels like one wrong step might send me straight to hell. It’s easy to see why it’s called Devil’s throat. The 250 ft drop separates the upper and lower Iguazu Rivers along the border of Brazil and Argentina is not something you want to take a ride down. But it is something you want to see. Viewed from the Argentina side, you are able to take a series of metal catwalks over the wide river and eventually you will hear the roar coming out of seemed to be a pleasant little river. Take a camera but make sure you take a plastic bag or casing to protect it when the wind shifts and covers you in spray which happens quite often. National park entry ticket required - 130 pesos.

Iguazu Falls are some of the most spectacular in the world. People come from all over the world to see the cascading water falling from the many cliffs of the Earth’s widest waterfall. What makes the falls so stunning, however, isn’t just the falling water. It’s the jungle environment. The bright yellow butterflies darting about, the calls of the monkeys from the trees, the birds and the jungle flowers, and the rainbows, which transform the majestic waterfall into a incarnation of paradise. In the morning, waterfalls can be best seen from the Brazil side, when the sun hits the water from behind. In the afternoon, stick to the Argentine side of the falls to witness the dance of the rainbows in the thick, falling mist.

Throughout Iguazu Falls, you can find yourself within feet of many wildlife. Although these coatis kept their distance, they were unafraid of people. They found food in the trash bins along the walkways in Iguazu.

Over 1700 waterfalls and ubiquitous rainbows. The real Garden of Eden

Walking through Iguazu falls, got a magical peek

My friends in Argentina decided it’d be fun to go check out Iguazu. So we jumped in their car and headed out. When we got there, the falls were going off beautifully - but full of mud from the spring run-off. Still, rainbows were everwhere and we loved the spectacle!

The falling water thundered so loudly it was hard to talk! But with such a spectacle, we were glad to just enjoy this amazing scene on our own.

They say that Argentina got the Iguazu Falls and Brazil got the view. I don’t know about that. They are pretty spectacular in Argentina. (complete with a real rainbow) http://havefunflysafe.com/2013/06/16/things-i-have-learned-in-argentina/

Iguazu Falls lie in a tropical forest on the border of Argentina and Brazil. They are a series of breathtaking falls that have been featured in films like The Mission. I got to Iguazu on an hour-long plane ride from Buenos Aires. There is also an overnight bus. Inside Iguazu park, you can walk on trails leading along the falls, almost to their edge! Another good way to see them is with a boat tour. Bring a raincoat. You’ll definitely get wet!

I stayed in the park at the Sheraton Iguazú Hotel. The morning I awoke to sounds of monkeys, birds and the thunder of the falls. Iguazu Falls, is to me one of the great geological wonders of the world. Devil’s Throat is simple an area among the 270 or so falls that are connecting to one another to make this world wonder one site instead of many. It has something like 450,000-liters of water per second going over its falls, at any given time, and has around a 300 foot drop, and is close to two miles in circumference. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/484672

During our time in Iguazu we will visit the Argentinian and Brazilian side of the falls. At over 2 km long, Iguazu Falls are actually a series of cataracts. There are over 270 falls in all, and with some reaching up to 80m in height, they are wider than Victoria Falls and higher than Niagara. Legend has it that a serpent god intended to marry a beautiful girl called Naipi. She escaped in a canoe with her mortal lover Caroba and in a jealous rage the god chased them, collapsing the river before them so that Naipi plunged over the falls to become a rock, while Caroba became a tree, forever unable to touch his love. A more scientific explanation is that the Rio Iguazu flows over a riverbed of basalt that ends where the lava cooled, leaving the water to fall. The falls were ‘discovered’ in the modern day by the Spaniard Juan Alvar Nunez who named them Saltos de Santa Maria. The name we know them by today means ‘Great Waters’ in the Tupi-Guarani tongue.