Big ol' fat rain in IGUAZU

"We been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stingin' rain...and big ol' fat rain, rain that flew in sideways, and sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath." --Forrest Gump

DAY 6
After landing in Iguazu, mom and I decided to explore the town a little. Most of the stores were closed for siesta, so we walked down to the river.  The streets, the river, and our hostel were all the same dirty shade of brown. At the river, we watched fish literally jump onto children's stick-and-string fishing poles in hopes for a better, less contaminated life on a platter.

(We later found out that the water was brown not from contamination, but from the red clay sediment beneath. In the 1970s, the jungle around the falls was cleared out for its timber. Despite efforts to counter the effects of deforestation, the river has slowly collected sediment ever since and turned its color from a crystal clear blue to a murky shade of brown.)

DAY 7
Iguazu Falls: We visited the falls with a British couple that we met at our hostel in BA. The park was covered in lush green and there were animals everywhere.  We saw birds, iguanas, butterflies, and these cute, but conniving little raccoon-looking creatures. At lunch, one jumped on our table and tried to steal our friend James' empenada.

Unfortunately, the riverboat ride beneath the falls was inoperative. And for good reason. There was no "beneath the falls" per se, only a massive load of water dumping into the river then rebounding up in a shifting mist. The "mist" looked quite tame from above; however, when we ventured lower it absolutely pounded us.

Soon thereafter, it began to rain. Hard. But we still had one more sight to see--the Garganta del Diablo--the Devil's Throat. This was definitely worth our venturing out into the torrential downpour to catch a glimpse of this beast with less of a crowd. The incredible size and ferocity of this waterfall is amplified during the rainy season. The water was flowing inches beneath the bridge that we walked over, and the lookout point for Garganta del Diablo made us feel as if were could be swept away by the strength of the falls at any second.



DAY 8
We thoroughly enjoyed being dry today. Lots of travelling. Plane back to BA, then a 15 hour bus ride to Mendoza.