Sunday, Mar 2 – Day 76
Iguaçu (Brazil) or Iguazu (Argentina) is widely regarded as the most amazing set of waterfalls in the World. The border between Brazil and Argentina is defined by Rio Iguaçu, which splits off from the nearby Rio Parana (Paraguay and Ciudad Oeste are on the other side of Rio Parana). The unique geology here has created more than 275 separate waterfalls, or cataracts, along a 5 kilometer (+/- 3 mi.) stretch of cliffs. The average height of the falls is nearly 300 feet, and while all of the waterfalls physically lie within Argentina, I think that the best views are from the Brazilian side.
There’s a city on each side of the river, the Brazilians call their city Foz do Iguaçu (population 300,000) and the Argentines call their city Puerto Iguazu (population 5,000). I got to the bus station on the Brazilian side at around 8:30 am, did a quick look around, and found a place to check my bags. It was still early, so I took a bus to the falls to have a look from their side first. My buddy John is flying in from BA this afternoon and he doesn’t have a visa for Brazil. He hadn’t really planned on going to Brazil, and the US$130.00 price tag might just be a little much for one day of tourism. So, I figured I might as well knock this out while I was here and had some time.
Most of the views are from quite a distance, but they are absolutely stunning. A walkway runs almost the entire distance of the Brazilian side, and it seems that there’s a “Kodak moment” every few feet. I don’t think that words could ever describe it, so I won’t. The only thing that I think I can say with any certainty is that these pictures will hardly do it justice.
The city of Foz do Iguaçu is actually quite impressive. There are numerous twenty to thirty story condo towers, nice parks and restaurants, and it all looked very nice. About 8 miles up the Rio Parana is Itaipu Dam, the largest hydroelectric generating station in the World. It produces 90 billion kilowatt hours per year, and provides about 25% of Brazil’s electricity.
Once I got back to the bus station, I picked up my bags, and then took a cab to the Argentine side. We’re staying at a hostel, which actually turned out to be pretty nice. It’s a large property with a swimming pool, large deck and common area, and a bar. Dinner was an all you can eat BBQ and all you can drink caipirinhas for $25.00 pesos (US$8.00). Man, I like being back in Argentina.
Iguaçu (Brazil) or Iguazu (Argentina) is widely regarded as the most amazing set of waterfalls in the World. The border between Brazil and Argentina is defined by Rio Iguaçu, which splits off from the nearby Rio Parana (Paraguay and Ciudad Oeste are on the other side of Rio Parana). The unique geology here has created more than 275 separate waterfalls, or cataracts, along a 5 kilometer (+/- 3 mi.) stretch of cliffs. The average height of the falls is nearly 300 feet, and while all of the waterfalls physically lie within Argentina, I think that the best views are from the Brazilian side.
There’s a city on each side of the river, the Brazilians call their city Foz do Iguaçu (population 300,000) and the Argentines call their city Puerto Iguazu (population 5,000). I got to the bus station on the Brazilian side at around 8:30 am, did a quick look around, and found a place to check my bags. It was still early, so I took a bus to the falls to have a look from their side first. My buddy John is flying in from BA this afternoon and he doesn’t have a visa for Brazil. He hadn’t really planned on going to Brazil, and the US$130.00 price tag might just be a little much for one day of tourism. So, I figured I might as well knock this out while I was here and had some time.
Most of the views are from quite a distance, but they are absolutely stunning. A walkway runs almost the entire distance of the Brazilian side, and it seems that there’s a “Kodak moment” every few feet. I don’t think that words could ever describe it, so I won’t. The only thing that I think I can say with any certainty is that these pictures will hardly do it justice.
The city of Foz do Iguaçu is actually quite impressive. There are numerous twenty to thirty story condo towers, nice parks and restaurants, and it all looked very nice. About 8 miles up the Rio Parana is Itaipu Dam, the largest hydroelectric generating station in the World. It produces 90 billion kilowatt hours per year, and provides about 25% of Brazil’s electricity.
Once I got back to the bus station, I picked up my bags, and then took a cab to the Argentine side. We’re staying at a hostel, which actually turned out to be pretty nice. It’s a large property with a swimming pool, large deck and common area, and a bar. Dinner was an all you can eat BBQ and all you can drink caipirinhas for $25.00 pesos (US$8.00). Man, I like being back in Argentina.
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