Foz do Iguaçu (AKA - Iguazu Falls)

We just got back from seeing the AMAZING Iguazu Falls! These are the biggest, grandest, and longest falls I have ever seen, and I have been to Niagara Falls. According to a quick google search they are taller than Niagara Falls and wider than Victoria Falls. You can't really see the whole series of falls in one shot because they keep going and going. We would see more waterfalls around the next bend as we walked the trail next to the river.

We ran into some rain on this trip, but it didn't matter because the waterfall got us plenty wet. We weren't even sure if it was the rain or waterfall that had us soaked by the time we walked away from the Devil's Throat. It was like this on both sides of the Brazillian and Argentine border, although the Brazillian side sprayed more water on us from the falls. (There is a Devil's Throat on both sides). Brazillian Side Devil's Throat:

Argentina Side Devil's Throat:

On the Brazillian side, the sun started shining after we saw Devil's Throat, so we were able to dry off as we walked along the board walk and trail to see the rest of the falls. (We had taken the bus to the last stop, which was Devil's Throat, and walked back to the first bus stop. Note- if you decide to visit Iguazu Falls, I recomend starting at the bus stop at the Bellmond Hotel and then walking down to Devil's Throat. That way you see the grand finale at the end instead of the beginning like us). The waterfalls were gorgeous. You can tell that they really are a natural wonder because the park on both sides of the border was packed. We heard a lot of English with many different accents, and our driver told us that people come from all around the world to see these falls. Here are some more pictures from the Brazillian side: (Take note that most of the pictures are just a little different. It is because I kept taking pictures at different points on our walk. They were so breathtaking at every turn, I didn't want to miss a memory).

We SAW most of the falls from the Brazillian side. We WALKED ON TOP of the falls on the Argentine side. How they built the walkways is a wonder in and of itself because the water was so powerful coming to the falls. As I mentioned earlier, it was busy on both sides of the border, but I feel like the Argentine side was even more crowded. There was a steady line of people on the walk-ways, and when we were ready to get back on the train to head back, it was so full that we didn't even get on the train when it came. We had to wait for the next one. That just gives you an idea of the crowds. I felt like it was as busy as Yellowstone in the peak of summer. We also saw a lot of coatis, a South American animal. They were in the food areas begging for food, and one lady tried to touch one right next to us. Right after we saw her try to touch one, we saw the sign that said "don't touch them," and saw a picture of a bad bite mark on someone's hand. It's good the coati just ran away from her instead.

Before I move on from the falls to the next part of our trip, I want to share our experience of the border crossing between Brazil and Argenintina. First off, it was super cool to go across the river on the bridge. The river is the border of both countries. (We could see a ferris wheel in Paraguay, but we didn't make it into the country). As we crossed the bridge, the cement sides were painted green and yellow for Brazil, then half way across the bridge the colors changed to light blue and white, Argentina's colors. To cross the border, I recommend hiring a taxi or a driver. They get a special line that is 15 times shorter than the line that personal or rental cars have to go through to cross. This is true for both sides of the border. Because we are foreigners to Brazil, we had to get out of the car both leaving and coming into Brazil to show our passports. They did not have a booth for us. The Brazillians did get a booth for their cars, but their line was super long because they drove their personal cars. We did not have to get out of the car on the Argentine side. Our driver told us that gas is cheaper in Argentina, so Brazillians will drive over the border to fill up on gas, and then drive back. It seemed a little silly to me because they would just sit in those super long lines to cross the borders both ways and waste the gas they just bought. Another highlight of our trip was the Parque dos Aves, which means bird park. It was really well established and structured. We were all impressed. Plus, we got to see the rare blue macaw, rare rainbow toucan, and the cassowary, which is considered the world's most dangerous bird. (Don't worry- the cassowary was not roaming in the open). We saw many beautiful birds of Brazil, and we really enjoyed our time there.

I can't finish this post without raving about our awesome airbnb. We stayed in a beautiful, new house with the nicest host. She had toys for our kids to play with, a macaw and bunnies for us to hold, and her house was clean a lovely. We felt safe and secure, and she even came to our aid when Zaylee had touched some kind of cactus from earlier in the day and got a bunch of tiny black cactus hairs in her finger. (I didn't bring tweezers, so our host let me borrow some). She recommended a great pizza place and even ordered for us. Her and her son have a pet macaw they rescued 3 years ago. They nursed it back to health, and then it wouldn't leave. They let us "hold" the macaw. It was a dream come true for Payson. He loves macaws! Avenly didn't want to hold the macaw, but loved holding the bunnies. Trexton just wanted to run around and play with the toys she got out for him.

We could have done another day in the area. We almost did the helicopter tour and went to the border of Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina. Surely with more time, we would have done these things. We enjoyed the trip, and it just made me love Brazil even more!