The Falls Were Definitely Falling!

So, it's a week since I left home for my epic trip around South America, and I have been going virtually nonstop.  I finally decided I needed to take a break, so I downloaded the pictures from the camera, and I hope I can remember everything that has happened in the last 7-ish days!

My trip from Seattle, WA, USA, to Foz do Iguacu, Parana, Brazil, was uneventful, though long.  Flights were all delayed.  Seems they kept forgetting to clean the bathrooms!  Seriously, that's what they said the problem was, both leaving Seattle and leaving Houston!  The flight from Sao Paolo to Foz do Iguacu was delayed because of me.  I always wondered what it would feel like to have them hold a plane for you.  Now I know.  It's a little embarassing to be the last one on the plane while everybody has been sitting waiting for you.  But, any discomfort is short lived.

When I got to Foz do Iguazu (which means Mouth of the Iguacu, named for the Iguacu River), it was raining.  So, I took a taxi to my hostel, which wasn't at its address.  The taxi had GPS on and I had Google Maps going, and we were at the given address, but there was no hostel there.  So, I asked the driver if he knew were Hostel Tetris was, and he took me there.  I hadn't planned to stay at Tetris because this hostel has mostly all dorm beds, and I try to avoid dorm beds.  I'm old.  I snore.  I fart in my sleep.  I hate pajamas and my nightgown rides up in my sleep.  It's really best for all involved if I have a private room.  Really.  But, I needed someplace out of the rain to sort this out, and the owner of Hostel Tetris is involved in my trip to Antarctica.  I was planning to stop in and have a drink with him at some point anyway, might as well make it right away.  Turns out, he had a triple room available for just the time I needed and he let me have it!  Life saving!  Turns out, I got an email from the initial hostel during my flight from Sao Paolo giving me a different address, which was significantly off the main drag, especially for someone relying on public transport with some mobility issues.  Some back and forth arguing, including reminding her that I would just charge it back to my credit card and she could pay not only the refund amount, but also the chargeback fee from the card, and I was given a full refund.

Turns out, that night, Ricardo at Hostel Tetris was hosing a local university having a lecture about medical marijuana, skin cancer, biodiversity in Antarctica, and something else.  I'm old and was tired.  I tried to stay up for it.  I failed miserably.  But, judging from the number of people there and the enthusiastic-sounding responses, the lecture was a huge success.  I have since been told that this is not uncommon in the US, either (bar lectures), but it's the first time I had ever heard of it!  I thought it was amazing!

I slept like a rock right next door.

I woke up bright and early the next morning, repacked my camera bag, and headed for the falls.  It's a good thing Ricardo had told me what bus to take and where to catch it.  Google Maps doesn't work with the public transportation in Foz do Iguacu!  But it was easy enough to get to the park.  All the information I had been given was the you had to pay in cash.  Cards were not accepted.  Exactly the opposite.  You had to pay by card.  Cash was not accepted!  Easy enough.  I didn't take out a much extra cash in Reals when I landed, so I should be able to spend most of it even without spending this entry ticket.  I got my entry ticket and hopped on the bus back into the falls area.  You have the option of getting off on the "falls trail" and see the complete panorama unfold or you can just ride to the end of the line and see the Devil's Throat.  Of course, I chose the trail.  I mean, really.  Miss the unfolding?  I got off the bus and headed along the trail.  I turned a corner, and this is the view that hit me!

All of that haze in there is water splashing up! That's how much force was falling! Like I said, there had been some rain. Apparently, these falls are usually clear. This view was so awe inspiring that I almost missed the little coati scurrying along the edge of the mirador!

And the guy at the ticket booth said the animals would mostly be out of sight because of the rain! Hah! This little guy ain't afraid of no rain!  Of course, it was between showers.  As we moved along the trail, more and more of the falls came into view!

Look at that little tree hanging on with all that water bearing all that force down on it!  At this point, there was a little snack bar and a set of restrooms, and it was raining pretty hard, so most of us went under shelter.  So did another little coati!  In fact, this little guy was just waiting for somebody to have food and not be paying any attention to him.  He knew it was going to happen!

With many people staying under the shelter and the excitement over (not to mention the little girl crying who lost her sandwich!), I headed back out to see the rest of the falls unfold!

As I got to the walkway out on the Devil's Tongue, they closed it.  I mean, did I mention there had been a little rain?  The falls were carrying 10 times their normal capacity, and from what I understood, there had only been one time before when they carried more.  There was significant flooding upriver, and all that force was carrying all that water and mud down river to the falls.  Watching the water splash over the walkway, I'm not sure I would want to be on that walkway, pelted by that force!

And right behind the walkway was - the Devil's Throat!  I picture could not be taken because the splash was so fierce that it obliterated the fall.

All the way back to my hostel, I continued to marvel at these falls, and I had only seen one side!  I went to the Tres Fronteras later that same night, but I'm getting tired and have another day of exploring in front of me tomorrow.  So, I'll write about the rest of my time in Foz do Iguacu sometime in the future!