Iguassu falls is considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Iguassu Falls isn’t just one waterfall, but a collection of over three hundred waterfalls each pouring huge amounts of water onto the rocks below.  The cascade’s impact creates huge clouds of mist that can raise as high as 500 feet into the air, moving and breathing like a living creature.  To get to the falls you have to walk on winding paths which you share with numerous animals. The most common inhabitant of the park is the Coati. They look like a raccoon crossed with a badger with a longer tail, a mostly tan and black color and a long snout. They are as common as squirrels in the United States. Our first morning at our hotel we saw one approach us and it didn’t mind us.  We saw a whole family of them run across the street. After a few minutes, there were about 40 – 50 coatis in the area about the same size of a classroom running and climbing palm trees. My favorite thing to do on the Brazil side was Macuco boat tours. The boat tours took us up the lower Iguassu river up to the Three Musketeers Waterfalls and into the downpour, drenching everyone. Before we boarded the boat they passed out rain ponchos and I didn’t take one but my family did and found out that they did not work too well. We were given a small hint on how wet we would be when the boat driver stopped the boat for a couple minutes to put on a dry suit. Both countries national parks have boat tours that take you into the falls but the Brazilian tour is more frequent and organized. On the Brazil side located inside the park is the Belmont hotel. We stayed in the Belmont and could walk across the street any time and see the falls. We were warned not to walk around at night because there were Jaguars and Pumas that stalk the trails at night. On the Argentine side is the Melia hotel. Many of the rooms, like ours, have a view of the Devils Throat, the biggest waterfall in Iguazu Falls. Like the Belmont, you can walk to the park from the hotel. The trails take you to the many winding paths that give you excellent views of the numerous waterfalls. In the food court at lunch time, monkeys and coatis looking for food climb tables and attempt to steal anything edible.

Trying to steal lunch.

The Argentine side has a trail that will take you to an elevated metal catwalk that extends for more than a kilometer across the Iguassu River to the Devils Throat, or as it is called in Argentina, Garganta del Diablo. To get to the trail you have to ride one of the slowest trains in existence. It was so slow I thought I could walk faster.  It rained for almost the entire day except when we were inside eating lunch.

Garganta del Diablo