What a Waterfall

Next stop on my journey north was Puerto Iguazu, home to the spectacular Iguazu falls. The rivers that contribute to these waterfalls are the natural boundries between Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. This natural phonenenum is simply magical. From the Argentinian side I walked around the falls and took a speedboat ride under some of them. To say I got wet is an understatement. Even in the high 30´s temperature it took me all day to dry out. It was so much fun though. Not only does Iguazu have 10 or so smaller waterfalls, it also has a huge one known as the devils throat. The best thing about the Argentinian side is that you can get so close to this fall and be amazed by the sheer volume and power of the water cascading just a few meters away from you. Not content with seeing this up close, the following day I crossed the border and viewed them from the Brazilian side. Again the views were breathtaking but I decided to go one better. I took a helicopter ride and went aerial. Helicopters are nothing like small planes, the ride is alot smoother but so much noisier. The copter turned sharply a couple of times and you can really feel the g-force on your body. This is something else I would definately do again. Damian you would have loved this! I am travelling with a few people who have seen both Niagra and Victoria falls and this place beats them hands down apparently. Because of the power of the river (its one of - if not the strongest river in the world), Foz de Iguazu (the town on the other side of the falls) is home to the worlds biggest hydro-electric dam. Itaipu Dam was built on the river that divides Brazil and Paraguay. It took over 9 years to complete and become operational but nows supplies 90% of Paraguays power and 25% of Brazil´s power. The volume of the water coming through its spillway is 40 times that of the water going over the falls. This part of the world really knows how to do huge fast flowing rivers. Iguazu is ismply one of the most magical places I have visited so far - the beauty of the place is astounding. You come away thinking how amazing the natural world can be - cheesy I know but true. This place also symbolises the last leg of the South American trip for me. I have left Argentina for the last time and I am now in Brazil. Only a couple of weeks left before the carnival starts!