Iguazu Falls, Argentina and Brazil (January 2023)

 

Before our group tour to Patagonia began, we arranged for a short trip to Iguazu Falls, one of the world's three waterfalls, together with Niagara Falls and Victoria Falls. It is impossible to share the awesome experiences of seeing Iguazu Falls with some photos or video clips, but I hope that these photos and video clips will trigger the recollection of the wonderful memories.

The first leg of this trip was a pick-up from our hotel to the airport to fly to Iguazu Falls. The pick-up did not show up. We were told that the pick-up guy had a car breakdown and we had to take a taxi to the airport. But, we got refunded $20 per person, totaling $100. Since we spent only $6.00 in total for two taxis, we ended up saving $94. Not bad. It was Aerolineas Argentinas that took us to Iguazu Falls.

We checked in at Panoramic Hotel with a panoramic view of the Rio Iguazu. It also had a nice swimming pool, but we were not prepared to use it.

We went to La Rueda to eat dinner. The foods were excellent and affordable. It cost us only $22 per person.

But, we had another unpleasant incident on the way back to the hotel. Kristin fell on the ground and had one of her teeth broken on top of pretty bad facial bruises. The broken tooth was already loose, so she did not feel any pain, but it took Kristin several days before she felt better with the bruises. Yikes!

Our trip to Iguazu Falls included two sides: the Argentina side and the Brazilian side. The following day, we went out to check out the Argentina side of the falls.

The Argentina Side allowed us to look over the waterfalls from the top, called Rio Iguazu Superior, and also to look up the waterfalls from Rio Iguazu Inferior. We took the Great Adventure speedboat and we all soaked up in the boat.

Despite all these photos, one video clip may be more powerful to help you feel the sensation of the waterfall. Click below for a video clip of Iguazu Falls Superior.

We took the Great Adventure speedboat trip to the bottom of the waterfalls. On the way, we saw an iguana. 

On the truck to the docking station, the guide explained the history and facts of the Iguazu Falls and the rain forest we were passing through.

We had to put on a life jacket before we got on the boat and we had to put our belongings in a waterproof bag because we were going to get soaked up. The soaking was real. I could not take photos, but Mr. Yoon took some photos from the boat.

Again, a video clip will give you a more realistic sensation of the waterfalls up close at the bottom. Click below to watch a video clip.

After the boat ride, the tour guide took us to a small waterfall and it was too small compared to the magnificent ones we had just seen. 

The Danger sign about monkeys and coaties was somewhat gross because it showed a hand with a deep wound made by them.

The next day, we crossed the Brazilian border to see the Brazilian Side. A different tour guide showed up, namely Julierton who is actually living in Brazil. He was born in Brazil, but was able to speak not only Portuguese but also English, Spanish, some Korean, and even Japanese. Quite talented! My cell phone slipped out of my pocket while I was sitting in a van, but I was able to recover it without a problem. That was incident number 3. 

The Brazilian Iguazu Falls was completely otherworldly. We were able to see the Falls from across the Rio Iguazu and it was totally panoramic and magnificent. The highlight was going on a pathway on the river to get close to the Falls, namely Devil's Throat. The thunder and the flying mist were overwhelming. 

Click here to feel the thunder and flying mist of this Devil's Throat.

In Argentina, people drink tea called Mate. One thing quite interesting to us was that they share Mate with even strangers. They even share the metal straw with each other. It is a sign of friendship and Argentinianship. To Americans, it was strange, but it is their culture.

After we experienced the Brazilian Side of the Iguazu Falls, we returned to Iguazu Falls in Argentina and flew back to Buenos Aires. It was an amazing and unforgettable experience. - Jeffrey