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The Awe of Iguazu Falls

Iguazu Falls
The Awe of Iguazu Falls
JT Sarmento
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When planning our trip to South America, a friend of mine insisted that we must see the incredible Iguazu Falls. Initially, both Thalia and I concluded that it was too far out of the way, as we wanted to focus our travels on the west coast of South America. However, upon landing in Buenos Aires and discovering how affordable flights and accommodations were (flights were $70 and Airbnb was $61 for 4 nights, or $7.50/night for my girlfriend and me!), we decided to make the trip. Boy, am I glad that we made this decision, because the next four days I am convinced will be one highlight of our travels we will not forget. Leaving the hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires and entering the lush jungle was a breath of fresh air. Iguazu sits on the border of Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil, each separated by the Paraná River and Iguazu River. Flying in, it looks like one big city, but in reality, the city skyline spans across all three countries. We stayed four nights in Argentinian Iguazu. The town was very small, mostly walkable, and affordable compared to Buenos Aires. But it was extremely hot and humid—I'm talking Midwest-style humidity of 97 degrees with 95% humidity. It was disgusting to walk in, and luckily, it rained on and off, which provided significant cooling.

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Nevertheless, we spent the next three days touring Iguazu Falls, visiting both the Argentinian side and the Brazilian side. Upon arrival at both sides, it seemed like a tourist trap, almost like an amusement park entrance, with many stalls, information areas, and vendors selling overpriced food, clothes, and trinkets. After we made it past, however, we were transformed into straight jungle vibes. Wild coatis, toucans, monkeys, and other rodents were common sightings in this area. Walking through the jungle, we began to faintly hear what sounds like a white noise machine, and you realize that it is the falls way off in the distance. As we got closer, we began to feel the rumble and power of the falls in your chest. I'm not kidding—the sound becomes so loud that it is almost deafening. Eventually, we saw the falls for the first time, and my breath was absolutely taken away, almost as much as the first time I saw my current girlfriend. It was spectacular to see in person—waterfalls everywhere, the amount of water, the sounds of the falls—just breathtaking. It's hard to put into words the sheer power of the falls in totality; it was mesmerizing.


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The Argentinian side has more trails to walk around, offering many spectacular views of the falls. The platforms you walk on allow you to walk over the falls at certain points, giving epic viewpoints and unique angles to look from. You also see how enormously wide the river is that flows into the falls. The Brazilian side has only one loop to take but lets you get up close and personal to the Devil's Throat, an area that has waterfalls flowing from essentially 360 degrees around you—my personal favorite spot to witness Iguazu Falls. We ended up spending two days on the Argentinian side and one day on the Brazilian, which in our opinion would be the perfect itinerary for visiting. Each day was very different, as the water level significantly changes day to day. On our last day, we saw about twice as much water as the first day because it had rained in the upper rivers. If you are spending any time in South America, Iguazu is a must for anyone.