Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil and Puerto Iguazú, Argentina

26-28 December 2012

So I came to this tri-national frontier to seek out a waterfall, and I leave moderately disappointed. I did get to see a waterfall and in terms of beauty, it is quite nice, but it didn’t quite have that X factor I was hoping for. I guess after the Galapagos Islands and the Inca Trail I have come to expect more from my wonders.

A highlight did come from a ‘safari’ that I undertook on the Brazilian side. The ‘safari’ involved a three kilometre journey via a much-promoted electric vehicle, followed by a 600 metre hike in the rainforest. This all seemed like padding for the main event, which was jumping in an inflatable dinghy powered by two 150 horsepower motors, and giving for a trip up the Rio Iguassu, and then consequently becoming absolutely drenched as we drove into a waterfall.

But it didn’t really matter, as for the entire half an hour or so I was sitting in the boat, and only this time, the boat was engulfed in a torrential rain storm. Needless to say, I was saturated, and it was quite enjoyable.

The statistics should have made it seem impressive, something like 1,746 cubic metres a second pass over the waterfall every second on average, with peak flow rates being much more. This is enough to fill Wivenhoe Dam to the brim 21 times a year. The destination just lacked the sense of achievement and just general all-round awesomeness of the Galapagos. It wasn’t helped that the towns constructed to support the tourism seem only to serve this purpose.