Iguazu Falls: Brazil vs. Argentina
"So what side did you like better, the Argentinian side or the Brazilian side?"
Iguazu Falls straddles two countries, so the big question here at the hostel is which side is better. Everyone I talked to yesterday said they liked the Argentinian side better and the Lonely Planet seems to agree, so I think I might be the only person who actually liked the Brazilian side more.
On the Argentinian side, visitors stand right on top of the Falls. It's almost like being inside, with the sounds and vibrations from the rushing water right below you. But somehow there's no sense of perspective. On the Brazilian side, with a panoramic view, there's more of a context. In Brazil, I felt more like I was surrounded by the beauty of the Falls instead of just being assailed by its power.
My theory about this debate is that the first side you visit ends up being the favorite because that side was where you first glimpsed the Falls.
Exhilirating. Vast. Powerful. Immense. Breathtaking.
Rainbows everywhere.
Butterflies of every color and size alighting softly on my arm, tickling me as I walk.
A natural high.
Am I still smiling?
Iguazu Falls is running a campaign for visitors to vote for it as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.
I just voted. (You can vote for the Falls or other beautiful places at http://www.new7wonders.com/).
I thought Iguazu Falls was going to be one set of waterfalls, but I guess I hadn't really looked at a map or really thought about what I had read in the guide book. It's actually a set of many waterfalls. On the first day, every time I thought I had seen the Falls, around the corner I would see more waterfalls and around the next corner even more impressive views.
At the end of the catwalk of the Brazilian side, under the spraying water of the Garganta del Diablo, with the thundering water as orchestra, a young couple started kissing passionately. That was exactly how I felt- a visceral exhilaration welling up inside of me. The same kind that makes you laugh out loud and smile at nothing.
Iguazu Falls Postscript: The Death of a Butterfly
I witnessed a gruesome murder right at my feet at Iguazu Falls. The butterfly had been resting on my sandal for about 10 minutes, not stirring even though I moved my foot and took at dozen photos inches from its wings. I felt like we had become friends. All of a sudden a lizard approached. I somehow didn't realize what was happening. Maybe I thought the lizard was just curious, or that the butterfly was going to fly away. But maybe sometimes it's just too late to stop something even though you see it coming. Suddenly, the lizard pounced. I screamed. The butterfly disappeared, swallowed whole.
The next photo is of a spider beginning its late afternoon meal of butterfly steak.
Butterflies-0, Predators-2.
Asà es la vida.
Iguazu Falls straddles two countries, so the big question here at the hostel is which side is better. Everyone I talked to yesterday said they liked the Argentinian side better and the Lonely Planet seems to agree, so I think I might be the only person who actually liked the Brazilian side more.
On the Argentinian side, visitors stand right on top of the Falls. It's almost like being inside, with the sounds and vibrations from the rushing water right below you. But somehow there's no sense of perspective. On the Brazilian side, with a panoramic view, there's more of a context. In Brazil, I felt more like I was surrounded by the beauty of the Falls instead of just being assailed by its power.
My theory about this debate is that the first side you visit ends up being the favorite because that side was where you first glimpsed the Falls.
Exhilirating. Vast. Powerful. Immense. Breathtaking.
Brazilian Side
Argentinian side
Rainbows everywhere.
Butterflies of every color and size alighting softly on my arm, tickling me as I walk.
A natural high.
Am I still smiling?
Iguazu Falls is running a campaign for visitors to vote for it as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.
I just voted. (You can vote for the Falls or other beautiful places at http://www.new7wonders.com/).
I thought Iguazu Falls was going to be one set of waterfalls, but I guess I hadn't really looked at a map or really thought about what I had read in the guide book. It's actually a set of many waterfalls. On the first day, every time I thought I had seen the Falls, around the corner I would see more waterfalls and around the next corner even more impressive views.
At the end of the catwalk of the Brazilian side, under the spraying water of the Garganta del Diablo, with the thundering water as orchestra, a young couple started kissing passionately. That was exactly how I felt- a visceral exhilaration welling up inside of me. The same kind that makes you laugh out loud and smile at nothing.
Iguazu Falls Postscript: The Death of a Butterfly
I witnessed a gruesome murder right at my feet at Iguazu Falls. The butterfly had been resting on my sandal for about 10 minutes, not stirring even though I moved my foot and took at dozen photos inches from its wings. I felt like we had become friends. All of a sudden a lizard approached. I somehow didn't realize what was happening. Maybe I thought the lizard was just curious, or that the butterfly was going to fly away. But maybe sometimes it's just too late to stop something even though you see it coming. Suddenly, the lizard pounced. I screamed. The butterfly disappeared, swallowed whole.
Hungry? The butterfly's last second of life captured on film
The next photo is of a spider beginning its late afternoon meal of butterfly steak.
Butterflies-0, Predators-2.
Asà es la vida.
Whoaa!! I must visit this one day. I do not mind which side..may be both ha..ha.. :)
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