Iguassu Falls

I can say, Iguassu didn't disapoint, eventhough it is very dry here at the moment. Apparently it hasn't been seen this dry here for the last 30 years or so....So all that rain in Chile: GO to BRAZIL!!!! You're needed there!

Three days ago I went to the Brazilian side of the Falls. Here you get to walk on a boardwalk to get a really good overview of the falls, and I can imagine that it's the best side to see the falls from. But then, most of the "falls" had completely dried up, so the main attraction was "Gargante Del Diablo" (The Devil's Throat)...the part where the biggest drop and the most of the water falls over the edge. I only had 4 hrs in Brazil...but the general overview as a good thing. Oh yes, another stamp in my passport, and I'll get another one just like it on Saturday, when I cross the border again!

Oh and a photo to show you....this was taken from the Brazilian side and was sent to me by one of the couples here in the hostel. Thanks guys!

The next day I paid another 10 US dollars to see the Argentinian side of the falls. Becuase you approach the "Gargante del Diablo" from ABOVE and you're only about 10 meters from the waterfall, this side was A LOT more impressive. The sheer power of the water was evident, and at this point you could actually feel the waterspray. Absolutely amazing!

Another stunning aspect here is the birdlife....loads of very noisey little birds and all very brightly coloured as well as the butterflies! HUNDREDS of different kinds and flitting by all the time...it almost got annoying when I was attempting to eat a sandwich! Lol! I suppose what makes them stand out more is the fact that there is just GREEN forest all around you....and a lot of water. That's about it. So they really stick out! I think the coolest bird I saw was the Toucan....the famous black and white bird with a long orange bill/beak. Really cool to watch them as a "cloud" of them fly over your head (though they do make a racket!!!!).

I've also had the pleasure to visit a very interesting museum, La Aripuca, which has made a "house" from logs of ancient wood. These trees were felled by tree loggers and they took only a small part and left eh rest to rot. Imagine: A tree that's more than 1000yrs old and you chop it down in less than 2 hrs and you don´t even make use of the whole thing???? It's illegal to cut down these trees, butthat doesn't top the poachers. So these people at this museum decided to pick up these logs and use them to educate people. Quite stunning. They also dig up the roots of these giant trees and make funiture out of them...very unique.

After visiting the Argentinian side of the falls, I went with one of the staff members here in the hostel to a church that's just 25 min walk away from here. It's next to the Iguassu river and in the middle of the jungle. Very tranquil and beautiful. We sat on the side of the river, watching a fisherman catching fish on the Brazilian side of the river. For the rest we just enjoyed the company of hundreds of birds, fish and butterflies.

Now, I'm jsut hanging around Iguassu in this very cool hostel till Satuday evening, when i'll be going to Curitiba, Brazil, where my firend lives. Two days to relax, read books, hang out by the swimming pool and update my scrapbook!