Into the 8th Wonder Wonderland

The cateratas of Iguazu falls may well be the 8th wonder of the world. Apart from that, they are completely unremarkable. Unremarkable only in the sense that words can do them no justice (neither really do pictures, though I did try). There is no way to describe the power and force behind the sheer amount of water rushing past at a dizzying speed in all directions as far as the eye can see. Let’s just say this is one falls you would not want to go over in a barrel. Indescribable, it’s the total experience of seeing and hearing the brute force of nature, and then getting completely soaked in agua dulce (ironically it is possible to feel both deaf and blind after staring/hearing the bright white water for lengthy periods of time).

Since the falls is something to be experienced and then left speechless about, here’s just a few random musings and un-factual based facts I can share to tickle your socks with:

• The National Park is located in the heart of la selva, and stretched across three countries Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. The Argentine falls, however, are the best, where you can get up close and traverse over the whole park

• This land is birthplace of the Guarani, one of Argentina’s indigenous tribes that still exist today where I was able to buy an authentically awesome blow dart contraption for my brother, who I’m sure will find a productive use for it in everyday life in Berkeley

• There are plenty cute and friendly coatimundis, resembling an oddly adorable mix of squirrel and raccoon, yet are far more social, throwing guavas on the ground to/at big groups below and chattering away. Apparently they’re only cute unless fed, when they become aggressive tourist attackers

• Even better than the cuddly coatimundis were the abundant and varied species of butterflies. In fact, Iguazu weirdly resembled a variation of a slightly more savage wonderland. Savage apart from it’s apparent mecca for butterflies fluttering about by the dozens combined with it’s proclivity for double or even triple rainbows just over every fall.

• The highlight of the trip (apart from watching the once dry people in the only 12 minute boat ride in front of the falls getting absolutely and completely drenched within seconds) was the hike through the jungle toward the swimming spot. A 3km hike through the jungle each way would bring you to the perfect swimming spot: a pool surrounded by slabs of unearthed rocks and a small (certainly in comparison to the rest of the park!) caterata of perfectly refreshing, sweet water. The hike had the added bonus of providing a more into nature experience with the surrounding tropical selva, less impacted than the rest of the park, as well as serving to keep away the crowds of tourists who don’t like trekking, which must have been everyone as we were the only people at the secret spot aside from one other girl, que buena suerte!