Costs pp: Hostel El Guembe dorm bed in a 4 bed dorm room with aircon, tv, ensuite, breakfast and WI-FI 25p weekday 30p on weekend, bus from Puerto Iguazu to the falls 5p one way, entry to falls on Argentine side 60p
The day after we arrived was perfect! We decided not to chance it and headed straight out to see the falls. Catching a bus from the terminal just a couple of blocks away the journey took about 20 minutes and ended with the bus dropping us at the end of the parking area in the National Park. No problems with entry in fact Kent was free which seems to be the thing in Argentinian National Parks, a nice touch.
The visitors centre we whisked through, it was about 50 meters into the grounds. We were more intent on trying to keep ahead of the crowds so carried on walking down to the viewing platforms on the green trail (sendero verde) as the train had another 20 minutes to wait. The walk was better anyway, it's not far and is shaded. First we headed down to along the top of the main body of the falls, there is a walkway out (circuito superior) and small jetties taking you to look over each waterfall area. It is very well laid out and you get exceptional views of everything. Carol became the photographer for lots of others who wanted to be in their own shots.
The lower walkway (circuito inferior) giving a view of the bottom of the main body of the falls was through lush green forest and very cool. Waterfalls were everywhere and the views were marvellous, actually words fall a bit short in being able to describe this natural wonder of the world. Kent says you can use every descriptive word beginning with the letter 'A' eg AWESOME! but you have to put F***ING in front of it!!!!
After doing those two areas we still hadn't gone to the most spectacular part of the falls, da da dada - Garganta del Diablo! We caught the train along to where a 1.1km walkway takes you out across the river to where the falls drop into a huge hole, this is near the Brasilian side. The walkway ends right at the edge of this huge drop and you look right into its mouth. The amount of water going over these falls was mindboggling. We will have to let you look at the pics as it is hard to describe.
Sorry if there are too many pics, you can imagine how many we actually have in storage!
It was a great day and we returned to the hostel happily exhausted. The next day Carol went out on her own again while Kent had a sleep-in. Heading off just after lunch with a cloudy sky but looking fine enough, she was at the Garganta del Diablo watching a dark grey sky and thinking how amazing it would be to get pics with lightning crashing about when down came the rain. She completely forgot about that part of it. No lightning then but just rain and gusts of wind making it sting. It arrived so fast and everyone had to go the 1.1kms back to fill up the train and get out of there. Luckily it was late afternoon by then and she had seen all she wanted for a second day anyway so all good.
Tomorrow Ciudad del Este and Itaipu in Paraguay.
