Getting there - There are 2 main bus lines 'Pluma' and 'kaiowa'. Costs are not cheap for a regular crappy bus 130 REALs or for a basic sleeper bus 204-215 REALs. This was a shock as we had heard so many great stories of the bus system and great prices. Our experience with other bus companies was great. It was just to this destination that was not as well covered. The time to travel is about 14 hours.
I really recommend getting the more expensive sleeper buses. We basically slept the whole way there so we arrived early in the morning totally refreshed and ready to go exploring. The seats were wide, softer and reclinded nearly all the way flat.
The history - Iguazu Falls, Iguassu Falls, or Iguaçu Falls are waterfalls of the Iguazu River located on the border of the Brazilian state of Paraná and the Argentine province of Misiones. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu.
Their name comes from the Guarani or Tupi words water and big. Legend has it that a god planned to marry a beautiful aborigine named Naipí, who fled with her mortal lover Tarobá in a canoe. In rage, the god sliced the river creating the waterfalls, condemning the lovers to an eternal fall.
The waterfall system consists of 275 falls along 2.7 kilometres (1.67 miles) of the Iguazu River. Some of the individual falls are up to 82 metres (269 feet) in height, though the majority are about 64 metres (210 feet). The Garganta del Diablo or Devil's Throat (Garganta do Diabo in Portuguese), a U-shaped 150-metre-wide and 700-metre-long (490 by 2300 feet) cliff, is the most impressive of all, and marks the border between Brazil and Argentina.
Our experience: Don´t take any tours from the hotel or the hostel. The local bus comes every 30 min to go to the National Park look for ´Parque National´ on the detination cards. Entrance fee is 20.50 REAL each. Where you take the bus to the falls for a long stroll along the falls. Don´t get hasseled into doing the boat rides if you plan to go to the argentina side - they are much cheaper there. On the Brazil side 130 REAL compared to 60 Pesos (35 REAL) in argentina.
As we strolled along we couldn´t help but smile at the great weather we got. Sunny, very hot but the falls mist was cooling and refreshing. The falls are SO LONG. So many of them and over such a wide long space. We were awestruck. We walked the trail 2 times it was so gorgeous and just sat around really enoying it. We spent about 5 hours there just walking, taking pictures and enjoying the moment.
We saw wonderful wildlife up close and personal and of course I nearly fell off when we tried to cross on the tightrope! Lucky Briel was there to save me hehehe.... well are you convinced it happened?
If you do a tour from the hotel/hostel you only get 1 hour to be at the falls which is really not enough.
We went back to the hostel feeling great refreshed for having a walk around. It is great ot be on the road again and what a way to start them!
Ciao for now!
