We didn’t feel the need to get to the falls at rope drop, particularly since we got in late yesterday evening. We wanted to get a bit of rest. We are currently in a time zone that’s actually ahead of U.S.east coast time, so our body clocks are slightly confused. Anyway, we set off for Iguazu national park around 1030am, having purchased an 11am slot the previous evening. This helped us a bit upon arrival as we noticed a rather large line just to buy tickets.
The crowds were a bit much, and the whole experience at Iguazu was a bit tarnished by SO. MANY. PEOPLE. It was shocking. We did the upper trail first, just in case we got wet doing one of the lower trails. That way we wouldn’t be walking around all day with wet pants.
It is very scenic when you can sneak up against the railing to actually see the falls. The expanse of it is very impressive. I suppose it’s what Victoria Falls in Africa would have looked like if it hadn’t been dried up. With that being said, we couldn’t help but compare the two internationally famous waterfalls. We shared our Victoria Falls experience with about five people tops during our entire hike. Iguazu seemed more like five thousand. The trails themselves are often on narrow metal boardwalks and people tend to block them frequently.
The upper trail seemed to be a bit busier than the lower trail, so at least things improved slightly when stairs and other obstacles came into play. I felt the views from the lower trail were better, but it is still quite impressive from any angle.
There is a thing called the Jungle Train that takes people from the park entrance to the area where the trails begin and another stop much further down the rail at a place called La Garganta del Diablo. We had to wait about 25 minutes or so for the train, but I spent the time taking pictures of a butterfly that was mesmerized by my shoe.
The train eventually arrived at La Garganta, and we went on another elevated metal trail that took us to an overlook just over the falls. Unsurprisingly, there were a lot of people here at once, which is an inevitability considering they all arrive by train at the same time.
We eventually jostled our way in for a few rushed photos before feeling compelled to retreat to get away from everyone. It really is a bit of a mess.
We worked our way back on the Jungle Train, which was packed full of people. It seemed a bit slow going back to the main station, but we eventually got there, and fifteen minutes later were in a taxi back toward our hotel.
I’m not sure why Iguazu is so much more popular than its African cousin, but its immense popularity kind of kills the vibe a bit when you’re sharing a small space with hundreds of other people at the same time. I suppose we should be thankful that we are lucky enough to be able to compare such things, and the fact that we had such nice weather today. It just would have been so much nicer without all those pesky tourists and world travelers. Yes, I realize I am one of them.
Obviously we are glad we went, but we’ve been cursed with the ability to compare. I thought it would be crowded, but not this crowded. I listed us for a flight out of the Iguazu airport in Brazil for tomorrow afternoon. We could have time to see the Brazilian side of the falls in the morning, but I just don’t know if either of us is really that into it at this point. It’s supposed to be quite a washout for tomorrow morning, so that could make our decision even easier. Right now, it’s just kind of nice to be relaxing outside on our patio listening to the sounds of the birds in the jungle. It’s more our speed.
passports & pepto bismol 