a life in words: the mighty falls of igauzu

7th June 2012

Igauzu Falls, Argentina

Returning to the hustle and bustle of Santa Cruz on the morning of the 2nd June having lived the hammock life in Samaipata for just under a week, I made my way back to the Bi-Modal bus terminal and booked a seat on the next departing service bound for the capital of Paraguay. At 7.30pm that evening, I therefore embarked upon yet another long haul bus journey into the twilight hours arriving in Asuncion around twenty three hours later just as night-time was settling into the strange new city. I spent three unexciting days in this dreary capital and if I'm honest I was not massively in awe of the rundown, mundane and depressing city that I came across and in many ways my arrival there felt like stepping back into the grim side of the 1980's. People had advised me against visiting Paraguay but I hate judging a place based on unfounded hearsay as many of these people had never actually visited the country. Ignoring the warnings and seeing as it was a natural pit-stop en route to Rio, I thought I would at least give the landlocked country a chance to prove itself. It didn't. I won't bore you with the lackluster days I spent in Asuncion as they mostly involved a great deal of writing and eating my body weight in empanadas. Needless to say, I was eager to move on as soon as possible and the new target I set my sights on was the fabled waterfalls of Iguazu which would hopefully prove to be a far more interesting affair. These mighty falls actually rest at the meeting point of three countries: Paraguay to the West, Brazil to the North and Argentina to the South and although Paraguay is very close to the waterfalls it is only possible to visit them from the Brazilian and Argentinian sides. Each of these two sides also offer very different experiences as viewing them from Brazil gives a wide panoramic perspective of the rushing waters as a whole whereas the Argentinian side allows you to get right up close to the action and the opportunity to look down into the famous Garganta del Diablo or "Devil's Throat"; a massive U-shaped ring where several powerful waterfalls conjoin to form a Herculean display of cascading water. The multitude of cataracts rest deep within the jungle and are located where the strong currents of the Igauzu river tumble over the edge of Southern Brazil's enormous Parana Plateau. Compared to the Niagara Falls, Iguazu is four times as wide, half as high again and carries seven times more water and in 2011 they were voted as one of the "New7Wonders of Nature" to crown them the king of waterfalls. I had been told by nearly everyone who had visited Iguazu that although the Brazilian view points undeniably offer some spectacular vistas, if they were to pick one side the impressive ability to get right up close to the base of the falls on the Argentinian sides gives it the slight edge. With money and time dictating everything I now do, I therefore decided to take their advice and headed towards the small Argentinian town of Puerto Igauzu which is the jumping off point for visiting their side of the falls.

"When we stand at the foot of this world of cascades and, raising our eyes, see 269 feet above us, the horizon filled with a line of waters, this awesome spectacle of an ocean pouring into an abyss is almost frightening." - Swiss botanist Robert Chodat.

Catching the first bus up to the Igauzu National Park, I arrived at the entrance when it opened at 8am and made my way straight towards the small electric train which ferries people back and forth from the main attraction of the park, the Devil's Throat, as I was eager to check out the 82 metre high powerhouse before the crowds descended upon it. Strolling towards the station, a flash of orange was caught in my peripheral vision and turning my gaze to the slender branches of a nearby tree I saw several Toucans perched in the early morning light; their instantly recognisable flaming beaks pointing towards a retreating moon which hung defiantly in the early morning sky:

Toucan.

The Toucan and the moon.

Location of Iguazu.

It was an extremely brisk morning in the national park as I sat rigid on the cold wooden bench of the open-sided train waiting for it to depart. At the stroke of 8.30am, we finally trundled out of the station and into the sunlight heading slowly but surely up to the top of the waterfalls; cutting a wide arc around the roaring ridge of water which was hidden from view by the thick bush. Alighting at the final station, I ran ahead of the crowds - as I had done at Machu Picchu - and headed onto a metal pathway that crossed the Rio Iguazu Superior towards the famed Devil's Throat. Traversing the metal gangway which hovered above the different channels of the river, I came across tree covered islands where dappled sunlight peeked through the branches to the metal path below. Breaking through one final island, the true scale of the Devil's Throat came into view as a huge plume of mist rose from the narrow gullet; joining the ruptured earth with a seamless sky. The roar of crashing water was electrifying as I covered the last 100 metres to a rectangular platform which stretched out to where a powerhouse display of natural forces was in effect. The agitated whitewater poured endlessly over the edge of the ridge; crashing over different ledges before plunging at great speed into the thick mist which erupted from the depths of the gorge. Looking into this morning cloud, a troupe of adventurous swallows dived through the spray; deftly flicking their wings as they raced past the colliding waters:

Getting on the electric train.

Walking towards the Devil's Throat.

Approaching the Devil's Throat.

Chaos.

Nearly 275 individual waterfalls exist in the park and the main rim stretches out from the Devil's Throat for nearly 4km making it one of the largest collection of cascades in the world. Some of the falls tumble unbroken into the Rio Iguazu Inferior whereas others topple and smash themselves upon different ledges of tough volcanic rock and solidified lava. The amount of waterfalls does vary depending on the time of year and during the height of the rainy season, the river swells to a Poseidon-style flood where over two million gallons of water flow over the Iguazu ridge every second. A truly phenomenal display of nature's power and after retreating back down from the Garganta del Diablo, I spent a couple of hours wandering along metal pathways which escorted me right up to the bases of these staggeringly powerful waterfalls - too close in fact as I got drenched on more than one occasion! Walking past Myriad islands and the soaring rainbows which had caught themselves among pouring rocks, the other cataracts which sit between the Union and San Martin Falls that flank the ridge were no less impressive than the main attraction I had seen at the beginning of the day. Endless channels of pulverized water were being pumped down into the plunge pools which sit among a rich tapestry of both tropical and subtropical flora and fauna. The craggy outcrops which stand marooned between the plummeting currents serve as a home to exotic parrots and although I didn't see any, the park also has a population of Ocelots and Jaguars which roam the dense forest wilderness. At 1pm I unfortunately had to leave this veritable Garden of Eden as I was due to catch yet another overnight bus although this time the destination would be the final chapter in my story.

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