Go look at these photos and videos. Then we’ll talk.
The OAT tour ended with visits to Parque Nacional do Iguaçu in Brazil and to Parque Nacional Iguazu in Argentina. These visits gave us a chance to get up close with some of the most stunning waterfalls anywhere on the planet. With 275 individual cascades ranging in height from 196 to 270 feet, it is the largest waterfall system in the world (depending on such things are measured).
There’s not much of a story to share about visiting the falls. We went to the Brazil side first, then came back to Argentina and checked into our hotel in Puerto Iguazú. The next day we spent pretty much the entire day in the park in Argentina. Mostly we saw the falls by walking above, around, and in front of them. We also took a boat ride on the Argentina side. There were many opportunities to get wet, and many more opportunities to be awestruck. We also saw some interesting birds and other animals, many of which I caught with my camera.
I haven’t got much to add to what you can see in the photos. If there was ever a time when a picture was worth far more than a thousand words, this would be it. Except the photos and videos really can’t do justice to the magnificence of the falls.
Poor Niagara
–Eleanor Roosevelt
I’ve seen some great waterfalls elsewhere. Plitvice Lakes in Croatia. Gulfoss in Iceland. Niagara. The falls along the Columbia Gorge. And many more. All beautiful. All thrilling. But the enormity of Iguazu Falls truly amazed me. The power of nature is a remarkable thing. I loved seeing it, and I loved imagining the formation of it. I try to compress time and imagine these falls forming in minutes. They came into existence 100 million years ago as the result of volcanic and seismic activity in the area. How interesting it would be to witness such a thing!
In the end, I can only say that these falls have to be witnessed in person. Nothing I can share begins to convey the experience of seeing them up close.
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