Welcome to Iguazu Falls, one of the seven natural world wonders and the widest waterfalls in the world - Iguazu Falls. The falls lie on the border of Brazil and Argentina, sitting at the northern tip of Argentina. This is the next and final segment of our 'Argentina Chapter' adventure with exploration journeys. (Warning: you might need a bottle of wine, not just a glass, to get through this blog).
Day 17 - Iguazú Falls
Arriving late during the evening at the airport in Iguazu, we were immediately whisked away by our local guides to the only hotel, 'Gran Melia', in the middle of the National Park with panoramic views of the falls. As soon as we entered the gates of the park, our driver switched the headlights off as we drove gently through the National park to appreciate and immerse ourselves in the jungle - all the sounds of the night and wildlife, the rainforest scents accompanied by the open sky and stars, it was a perfect introduction to this wonder of the world destination.
We soon arrived at the hotel, had a very efficient check-in and chuckled when guest relations reminded us the monkeys love to rack up our mini bar bill, so be sure to lock our balcony when leaving the room. They will pop in for a party and leave you with the check; this was a first!
We checked into our room and were impressed; we loved the welcome champagne and treats. We could only appreciate the gushing sounds of the falls, which was already thrilling; we were very excited for the morning as our room had views of the falls!
As soon as we settled into the room, we were on an email asking our lovely tour operator, Fred, to extend our stay for six nights; we needed to enjoy this slice of natural paradise.
The water volume is the highest in over 20 years, from 1500 to 2100 cubic square litres every second, so you can imagine the gushing sounds we were already hearing, the thrill of travel and being in the unknown; we couldn't wait for daylight to be upon us.
We popped up to the rooftop bar for a nightcap drink and to celebrate a new bucket list destination and the adventures ahead over the next few days, catching a glimpse of the falls under the evening sky.
Day 18 - Iguazu Falls, Argentina
A bucket list item is checked!
The morning was upon us; we were so excited to see the falls from our room. I was up with the sunrise; no words describe the falls. They are majestic and enormous; a total of 275 falls over 3km wide.
Today, we were booked on a jet boat experience to experience the falls from the water's edge, appreciate the falls, and feel part of the magnificent water flows. Our lovely guide, Veronica, met us, took care of our entry to the experience, and ensured we were safely on the truck. She also ensured we had water, repellant and SPF; we have started to call her Mum, and she is taking the best care of us.
After a short ride in an open-air truck through the national park, learning all about the sub-tropical jungle, we arrived at the water's edge.
You walk down 300 steps to the pier and join the boat. The team were experts, and everyone was quickly kitted out with a vest and waterproof bag and seated on the ship.
We navigated and sped through the Iguazu River and rapids to the falls. The three musketeers were first, and our captain put on a show. We were soon close and personal with the falls and hearing the roars. The mist and gushing waters soon drenched us; it was quite the experience. Everyone had a blast and was on cloud nine.
Although there was more, we soon sped along to the next set of falls, San Martin, where it was time for another shower, although once we started with the Aussie, Aussie, Auss