Brazil > To the Iguazú Falls

At a quarter past five, the alarm goes off. Today I am leaving Argentina. Across from the hotel, breakfast is being served extra early just for our group. Bringing the luggage downstairs is a bit slow. There is only one elevator available. This is partly our own fault. Last night, there were too many people in the elevator. It got stuck and wouldn’t move. According to the receptionist, it would take five minutes. This morning, the elevator is still out of order. Oops. At seven o’clock, I take the bus to the airport—not the international airport outside the city, but the airport in the city for a domestic flight to Puerto Iguazú. Checking in, waiting, and boarding. Shortly after nine, I board the Argentina Airlines plane. The flight to northern Argentina takes one hour and forty-five minutes. I notice that I’m not fully awake yet from the early rising. I close my eyes and quickly fall asleep. When I wake up, the plane is already halfway there. At half past eleven, the plane lands in Puerto Iguazú. In the airport building, the guide is waiting for us. He will be our guide for the next few days. “Just call me ‘Junior,’” he says. “It’s easier than my Brazilian first name.” In fluent American English, Junior explains the border formalities and the schedule for today. Then he collects the passports to have them stamped by Argentine and Brazilian customs. Meanwhile, I transfer to a Brazilian bus. Apparently, it is not allowed for a Brazilian bus to pick up passengers at the airport in Argentina. Because of the morning flight, we have time this afternoon to see the impressive Iguazú Falls from the Brazilian side. Originally, that was scheduled for the day after tomorrow, but then we would also have a long drive to Dourados ahead of us. Before entering Iguazú National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, we stop for a buffet lunch. I don’t have any Brazilian money yet, so I pay with my credit card. I also pay the park entrance with my credit card. I’ll withdraw money later in the town of Foz do Iguaçu. I get off the bus at the luxury Belmond Hotel das Cataratas in the middle of the national park. Why aren’t we staying here? I can already hear the river and the waterfalls behind the trees. As I walk along the path toward the water, I see the waterfall cascading down in numerous streams. How beautiful this is! As I continue along the path, the waterfall seems to get more and more stunning.

Brazil - The impressive Iguazu waterfalls

It’s unbelievable that so much water is still flowing from the river, even though it hasn’t rained here for practically three months. I take photos from every angle and of every stream. Sometimes I put the camera away just to enjoy the sheer power of the water and the sound. At the Devil’s Throat, the highest horseshoe-shaped waterfall of Iguazú Falls, a walkway has been built above the water. I get wet from the splashing water. From the platform, I look into the Devil’s Throat and see the water being forced through the narrow openings with tremendous power. Amazing! At the end of the afternoon, I drive to the hotel in the town of Foz do Iguaçu. By half past six, I am in my room. I don’t have much time. At seven, we are scheduled to go eat. The menu at the nearby restaurant is disappointing—not so much in terms of dishes, but mainly the prices. The average dishes cost 30 euros. After the heavy lunch, this is too much for many of my travel companions. As an alternative, the restaurant offers a daily special: a barbecue for 110 Reais (24 euros). When we hesitate, the price drops to 89 Reais. Most of the group decides to just eat at the hotel—a simple buffet for only 25 Reais. I stay behind with a small group of five. The barbecue is in Brazilian style. Waiters pass by with fish and meat, and you can choose whether to have some served or not. Fish dominates and tastes excellent. Although it may have been an expensive restaurant, I ate very well. Tomorrow, I’ll try to eat a little less.