Pedro and I have been trying to plan a trip to these falls pretty much since we started working in Uruguay. When Pedro’s sister decided to come visit us in Uruguay, we found the perfect opportunity to all go together, along with our friend Juanita. We thought it would be simple as Iguazu is relatively close to Uruguay – but many barriers forced us to be extremely persistent in planning and figuring everything out with the trip. Firstly, as an American I needed 2 visas – one for Argentina and one for Brazil. I already have an Argentine visa, but after gathering about 10 documents to apply for my Brazilian one, the consulate finally approved my application. Secondly, as flights were outrageously expensive, we had to get creative about transport. The impractical Uruguayans don’t allow rental cars outside the country, so we made tons of calls and research to see where we could leave our car in the north of Uruguay, where we could then get a taxi to the bus station in Argentina, what bus we should take for 12 hours to get to Puerto de Iguazu, and finally where we should catch a taxi to finally make it to our hotel in Brazil from Argentina. It actually ended up working perfectly because not only did we save money on airline prices, but the 12-hour overnight bus to and from Iguazu served as two hotel room nights as well (we should be travel agents, for real). Also, I was pleasantly surprised by the buses – they provided “cama” seats that turned into beds, played movies the whole way, served two meals and wine, etc…it was like the first class of a plane! We had opted to stay in the Brazil side of the waterfalls as none of us had ever been in Brazil and wanted to experience a little of the culture there.
Brazil side of Iguazu
The first day we headed straight to the park in Brazil to see the falls from the “Brazil side” after a short double-decker bus ride through the park. We were dropped off at the entry point to the pathway where you can see the falls and the first glimpse of the cascades was probably my “high” of the entire trip! You are somewhat blown away when you see the immensity of the waterfalls and the sheer amount of them! We paced through the trails stopping to take pictures every 2 seconds because literally every view was photo-worthy. There are even pedestrian bridges that jut out into the water so you can get as many up-close and personal shots as you want.
The second day was designated for Argentina! I have gotten mixed reviews on which side – Brazil or Argentina – is better to see the falls from, but they are actually both pretty different. Argentina has more of a “nature trail” feel to it – you have to hike a while to get to the viewpoint of the falls, with wildlife leading you the entire way. The waterfalls are also extremely stunning and even though it was a grey day, we managed to take equally as many photos as the day before – minus when we were on our boat tour. Our 20 minutes boat ride brought us literally underneath the falls and we were completely and utterly soaked. I was screaming the whole time and could barely see anything because water was continuously flooding our boat, our laps, our heads, and our shoes the whole trip!
Perfect Rainbow!
Before leaving for the trip I knew that the waterfalls would be picturesque, astonishing, and unrivaled. What I didn’t realize is how much I would love the Brazilian culture. Like I said, it was wonderful to stay in a hotel on the Brazil side. We entertained ourselves making fun of the Portuguese accent and learning Portuguese phrases (the only advice I can give in learning the twang is to speak Spanish with your throat – does that make sense?) The hotel had a nice outdoor pool; our nights were such a pleasant change from those in Uruguay – we could actually sit outside without sweaters, pants, and boots – instead opting for shorts, dresses, and Brahma Brazilian beer. The food in Brazil was also exceptional; every morning breakfast equaled feasts of fruits and dozens of tropical fruit juices. The sweet and salty breads were also unique and addictive – our favorite is a popular snack throughout Brazil named “Pao de queijo” (cheese bread) and is found all over the place – SO good! Nice people, beautiful backdrop, good food, fun language: pretty much everything you want when visiting a foreign country, no?
The whole gang on our boat excursion in Argentina!
Colombians and an American ventured to one of the most sought-after tourist sites in the Americas; we had the time of our lives not only because of the sights but because of each other. We all clicked really well and made the trip an unforgettable one. I’m going to have to bring up an old adage that is perfectly cheesy but perfectly fitting for this particular trip: It’s not the destination, it’s the journey. And that, damas y caballeros, is the most intriguing, captivating, and addictive element of travel.
