After 10 hectic and fun-filled days, we left Buenos Aires behind to go to the northeast of Argentina to visit one of the wonders of nature: the Iguazu Falls. Our flight left at 5:00 a.m. and in about an hour and a half, we landed in the province of Misiones.
DespuΓ©s de 10 agitados y divertidos dΓas, dejamos Buenos Aires atrΓ‘s para irnos al noreste de Argentina y conocer una de las maravillas de la naturaleza: las Cataratas del IguazΓΊ. Nuestro vuelo saliΓ³ a las 5:00 de la maΓ±ana y aproximadamente en una hora y media, aterrizamos en la provincia de Misiones.
We were going to stay just two days in Puerto IguazΓΊ, a small town only 17 km from the falls, just enough time to get to know its both faces, between Argentina and Brazil.
Γbamos a quedarnos apenas dos dΓas en Puerto IguazΓΊ, una pequeΓ±a ciudad que estΓ‘ a sΓ³lo 14 km de las cataratas, el tiempo justo para poder ir a conocer sus dos caras, entre Argentina y Brasil.
At the airport we asked about accommodations and they recommended a good, nice and cheap one, so we took a cab there. It wasn't yet 8:00 in the morning, but we had to make the most of the time, we changed clothes, had breakfast and went to take the bus to the Brazilian side of the falls.
En el aeropuerto preguntamos por alojamientos y nos recomendaron uno bueno, bonito y barato, asΓ que tomamos un taxi hasta allΓ‘. No eran aΓΊn las 8:00 de la maΓ±ana, pero tenΓamos que aprovechar al mΓ‘ximo el tiempo, nos cambiamos de ropa, desayunamos y nos fuimos a tomar el autobΓΊs hacia el lado brasileΓ±o de las cataratas.
I had researched, and it was a little further than the Argentine side, about 17 km, and since we had to cross the triple border (Argentina - Brazil - Paraguay) and stamp our passport, it was going to take us longer, so I decided that we would visit this part on the first day.
Yo habΓa investigado, y quedaba un poco mΓ‘s lejos que el lado argentino, a unos 17 km, y como habΓa que cruzar la triple frontera (Argentina - Brasil - Paraguay) y sellar el pasaporte, nos Γbamos a tardar mΓ‘s, asΓ que decidΓ que visitΓ‘ramos esta parte el primer dΓa.
It was very hot, this region is also quite humid, but the sky was without a cloud, ideal for photos. We arrived in the city of Foz do IguaΓ§u, state of ParanΓ‘ (Brazil), where the entrance of this National Park is located, we paid our tickets, and to begin the adventure π.
HacΓa mucho calor, esta regiΓ³n es ademΓ‘s bastante hΓΊmeda, pero el cielo estaba sin una nube, ideal para fotos. Llegamos a la ciudad de Foz do IguaΓ§u, estado de ParanΓ‘ (Brasil), donde se encuentra la entrada de este Parque Nacional, pagamos nuestras entradas, y a comenzar la aventura π.
For the tour of the park, there was a double-decker bus, my mom and I sat on the open top to better enjoy the scenery. A few minutes later, we got off at the stop where the main trail to the falls begins.
Para hacer el recorrido por el parque, habΓa un autobΓΊs de dos pisos, mi mamΓ‘ y yo nos sentamos en la parte de arriba que era abierta, para disfrutar mejor del paisaje. Unos minutos despuΓ©s, nos bajamos en la parada donde inicia el sendero principal hacia las cataratas.
Here there is a spectacular jungle environment, as you go down you hear the sound of the water and then the vegetation opens little by little letting you see several of the waterfalls.
AquΓ hay un entorno selvΓ‘tico espectacular, mientras vas bajando escuchas el sonido del agua y luego la vegetaciΓ³n se abre poco a poco dejΓ‘ndote ver varios de los saltos.
I was fascinated with the landscape, I couldn't believe it! But my mom even more, because she hadn't even seen pictures of the place, I simply told her that we were going to visit some famous waterfalls, but without a doubt we were both shocked with the magnitude of these falls.
Yo estaba fascinada con el paisaje, Β‘no lo podΓa creer! Pero mi mamΓ‘ aΓΊn mΓ‘s, porque ella ni siquiera habΓa visto fotos del lugar, simplemente le dije que irΓamos a visitar unas famosas cataratas, pero sin duda ambas quedamos impactadas con la magnitud de estas cataratas.
In the language of the Guarani Indians, inhabitants of this region, the word Iguazu means "big water", a very appropriate name for this place with 275 waterfalls of different heights.
En la lengua de los indΓgenas guaranΓes, habitantes de esta regiΓ³n, la palabra IguazΓΊ significa βagua grandeβ, nombre muy apropiado para este lugar con 275 cascadas de diferentes alturas.
And the highest fall is where the main trail of the park ends: the Devil's Throat, which with its 80 meters high and its impressive amount of water, is the undisputed protagonist of this walk.
Y la caΓda mΓ‘s alta estΓ‘ donde termina el sendero principal del parque: la Garganta del Diablo, que con sus 80 metros de altura y su impresionante cantidad de agua, es la protagonista indiscutible de este paseo.
As you go along there are several viewpoints, from one of them we could also see the boat rides that take people closer to the Throat, for a more extreme experience, there they give them a baptism in some of the waterfalls.
Mientras avanzas hay varios miradores, desde uno de ellos tambiΓ©n pudimos ver los paseos en lancha que llevan a la gente mΓ‘s cerca de la Garganta, para una experiencia mΓ‘s extrema, allΓ les dan un bautizo en algunas de las cascadas.
As we continued walking we saw more water falling everywhere and how close we were to the footbridge that lets you see almost straight ahead the Devil's Throat.
Al continuar caminando vimos mΓ‘s agua cayendo por todos lados y lo cerca que ya estΓ‘bamos de la pasarela que te permite ver casi de frente la Garganta del Diablo.
To get to this walkway you have to go down an elevator, of course waiting a bit in line because there were a lot of people. By the way there were several coatis, cute little animals that as they are used to tourists, they ask for food, and if you are careless they snatch it, it happened to my mom π, a coati took several cookies from her and ran away, it was so fast that I couldn't even take a picture.
Para llegar a esta pasarela hay que bajar por un ascensor, claro esperando un poco en la fila porque habΓa mucha gente. Por cierto allΓ habΓa varios coatΓes, unos simpΓ‘ticos animalitos que como estΓ‘n acostumbrados a los turistas, piden comida, y si te descuidas te la arrebatan, a mi mamΓ‘ le pasΓ³ π, un coatΓ le quitΓ³ varias galletas y se fue corriendo, fue tan rΓ‘pido que ni foto pude tomar.
Once down, you feel the tiny drops spraying you, a refreshing prelude to the encounter with the majesty of the Devil's Throat.
Una vez abajo, sientes las minΓΊsculas gotas rociΓ‘ndote, una refrescante antesala del encuentro con la majestuosidad de la Garganta del Diablo.
And finally, here it is in all its splendor.
Y finalmente, aquΓ la tenemos en todo su esplendor.
According to what we were told, the name of this waterfall comes from an indigenous legend that tells that the devil was envious of the love that a Guarani princess and a prince had for each other, and that is why he turned the woman into this waterfall and the man into the surrounding jungle, so they would be close but without contact. But the legend also says that the rainbow that always appears here, joining the waterfall with the vegetation, is the sign that the couple circumvented that condemnation.
SegΓΊn nos contaron, el nombre de esta cascada proviene de una leyenda indΓgena que cuenta que el diablo sintiΓ³ envidia del amor que se tenΓan una princesa y un prΓncipe guaranΓes, y por eso convirtiΓ³ a la mujer en esta cascada y al hombre en la selva que la rodea, asΓ estarΓan cerca pero sin tener contacto. Pero tambiΓ©n dice la leyenda que el arcoΓris que siempre aparece aquΓ, uniendo la caΓda de agua con la vegetaciΓ³n, es la seΓ±al de que la pareja burlΓ³ esa condena.
After this incredible view, we went back up with the elevator and I took some general shots. These falls originated 200 million years ago by a volcanic eruption.
Luego de esta increΓble vista, volvimos arriba con el ascensor e hice algunas tomas generales. Estas cataratas se originaron hace 200 millones de aΓ±os por una erupciΓ³n volcΓ‘nica.
At the end of this trail, we took the internal bus of the park and went to another stop, to see the stores there and have something to eat, then it was time to return to Puerto Iguazu in Argentina.
Al terminar este sendero, tomamos el autobΓΊs interno del parque y fuimos a otra parada, a ver las tiendas que hay allΓ y a comer algo, luego ya era hora de regresar a Puerto IguazΓΊ en Argentina.
The next day we went to see the Argentinean side of the falls, we left very early and took a bus to the Iguazu National Park, by the way the oldest in the country, created in 1934. In a few minutes we arrived, bought the tickets and went to the station, here there is a train service that leaves you at the beginning of the trail to the Devil's Throat.
Al dΓa siguiente nos fuimos a conocer la parte argentina de las cataratas, salimos bien temprano y tomamos un autobΓΊs hasta el Parque Nacional IguazΓΊ, por cierto el mΓ‘s antiguo del paΓs, creado en 1934. En pocos minutos llegamos, compramos las entradas y nos dirigimos a la estaciΓ³n, aquΓ hay un servicio de tren que te deja en el inicio del sendero hacia la Garganta del Diablo.
This day began cloudy, although it was still hot, but the clouds gave a more dramatic aspect to the landscape, my first impression was that the view of the falls from the Argentine side is more raw, like more savage.
Este dΓa comenzΓ³ nublado, aunque igual hacΓa calor, pero las nubes le daban un aspecto mΓ‘s dramΓ‘tico al paisaje, mi primera impresiΓ³n fue que la vista de las cataratas desde el lado argentino es mΓ‘s cruda, como mΓ‘s salvaje.
All this impressive amount of water is collected by the IguazΓΊ River in its extensive basin, falls through the gorge and then flows into the ParanΓ‘ River.
Toda esta impresionante cantidad de agua la va recogiendo el rΓo IguazΓΊ en su extensa cuenca, cae por la garganta y luego desemboca en el rΓo ParanΓ‘.
When we got off the train we took the path that leads to the viewpoint of the Devil's Throat, which has an extension of 1,100 meters, it was an incredible feeling to walk along the walkway in the middle of so much water falling on all sides.
Al bajarnos del tren tomamos el sendero que lleva al mirador de la Garganta del Diablo, el cual tiene una extensiΓ³n de 1.100 metros, fue una sensaciΓ³n increΓble caminar por la pasarela en medio de tanta agua cayendo por todos lados.
What a spectacle! Look how the force of the vital liquid falling forms a mist so thick, like a veil, that it barely allowed us to see the Devil's Throat.
Β‘QuΓ© espectΓ‘culo! Miren cΓ³mo la fuerza del vital lΓquido al caer forma una niebla tan espesa, como un velo, que apenas nos permitiΓ³ ver la Garganta del Diablo.
After a good time contemplating, we returned along the same trail and went to see other routes available in the park, two circuits, one lower and one upper, which take you to other waterfalls, viewpoints and activities.
DespuΓ©s de un buen rato contemplando, regresamos por el mismo sendero y nos fuimos a conocer otras rutas disponibles en el parque, dos circuitos, uno inferior y otro superior, que te llevan a otras cascadas, miradores y actividades.
On the way we saw a lot of life, this is a protected area with great biodiversity. In addition to some 2,000 species of flora, there is the fauna: 450 species of birds, 80 varieties of mammals, about 10 species of reptiles and a countless number of insects.
En el camino vimos mucha vida, esta es un Γ‘rea protegida con gran biodiversidad. AdemΓ‘s de unas 2.000 especies de flora, estΓ‘ la fauna: 450 especies de aves, 80 variedades de mamΓferos, unas 10 especies de reptiles y una cantidad incontable de insectos.
As we were walking along the lower and upper circuits, we saw that they were promoting boat rides, to get you closer to some of the higher waterfalls and give you the famous "baptism". It wasn't expensive, I thought my mom wouldn't want to do it, but I was surprised, she liked the idea, so we signed up.
Mientras Γbamos caminando por los circuitos inferior y superior, vimos que estaban promocionando los paseos en lancha, para acercarte a algunas de las cascadas mΓ‘s altas y darte el famoso "bautizo". No era caro, yo pensΓ© que mi mamΓ‘ no iba a querer hacerlo, pero me sorprendiΓ³, le gustΓ³ la idea, asΓ que nos anotamos.
When we got on the boat we were given some instructions and a special bag to put the things we didn't want to get wet, like the camera for example. Those who didn't have a waterproof camera like me, could opt to buy the pictures they took, but they were very expensive, so I resigned myself to not having pictures of those moments.
Al subir a la lancha nos dieron algunas instrucciones y un bolso especial para que pusiΓ©ramos allΓ las cosas que no querΓamos que se mojaran, como la cΓ‘mara fotogrΓ‘fica por ejemplo. Los que no tenΓan cΓ‘mara impermeable como yo, podΓan optar por comprar las fotos que ellos te tomaban, pero eran muy caras, asΓ que me resignΓ© a no tener fotos de esos momentos.
I was also carrying a video camera apart from the photo camera, and guess what: I didn't close the bag properly, but of course, I realized that at the end, after having fun, baptized in several waterfalls and getting soaked π. When the excitement was over and I went to take the stuff out of the bag, I saw that the video camera had gotten wet, and no longer turned on π, in the end, that ride was expensive...
Yo ademΓ‘s cargaba una cΓ‘mara de video aparte de la de fotos, y adivinen: no cerrΓ© bien el bolso, pero claro, de eso me di cuenta al final, despuΓ©s de haberme divertido, bautizado en varias cataratas y haber quedado empapada π. Cuando la emociΓ³n terminΓ³ y fui a sacar las cosas del bolso, vi que la cΓ‘mara de video se habΓa mojado, y ya no encendΓa π, al final me saliΓ³ caro ese paseoβ¦
We then went to a very nice green area, and while our clothes were drying, we started to watch some animals that appeared around us.
Nos fuimos luego a un Γ‘rea verde muy bonita, y mientras nuestra ropa se secaba, nos pusimos a observar a algunos animales que aparecieron alrededor.
As we were leaving the park, we met a group of Guarani Indians who were performing some songs for the visitors, and so, with the music of the natives, we bid farewell to this great natural wonder.
Cuando ya Γbamos saliendo del parque, nos encontramos a un grupo de indΓgenas guaranΓes que estaban interpretando algunas canciones para los visitantes, y asΓ, con mΓΊsica de los nativos, nos despedimos de esta grandiosa maravilla natural.
Well travelers, I hope you enjoyed this tour, and if you have the opportunity to go to Iguazu Falls, I recommend you to live the full experience visiting both sides, you will remember the adventure forever π See you next time!
Bueno viajeros, espero hayan disfrutado este recorrido, y si tienen la oportunidad de ir a las Cataratas del IguazΓΊ, les recomiendo que vivan la experiencia completa visitando ambos lados, recordarΓ‘n la aventura por siempre π. Β‘Hasta la prΓ³xima!
If you want to see other posts of this trip to Argentina, here are the links:
Si quieren ver otras publicaciones de este viaje por Argentina, les dejo los enlaces:
When I met Buenos Aires - Argentina π¦π· Cuando conocΓ Buenos Aires - Argentina
Buenos Aires Zoo, a place that no longer exists - Argentina π¦π· El ZoolΓ³gico de Buenos Aires, un lugar que ya no existe - Argentina
THANKS FOR VISITING MY BLOG! / Β‘GRACIAS POR VISITAR MI BLOG!
All photos are my property / Todas las fotos son de mi propiedad
