Today I went on one of the most incredible excursions of my life. I took a short ride over the border into Argentina from my Brazilian hostel, to visit what must surely rank amongst the wonders of the natural world.  It is one of those places to which it is impossible to do justice, either in words or in pictures. You stand in awe, wishing that those special people in your life were there to share it with you.

Iguassu Falls can be visited from the Brazilian and Argentine sides. I forked out for the Gran Aventura (Big Adventure) which included a guided jeep ride through the jungle and a white knuckle speedboat ride that took me to right beneath the waterfalls that crashed down upon us.  The driver speeded up towards them, taking us through the squall created by the many cataracts that fall from above you as the river divides into its many different channels. You are given a life jacket (because people do drown here) and a heavy duty waterproof bag to put your things in before you get a “shower.” This is what the guide called it. It was more like a drenching from a cyclone. The force of water was so strong that it unzipped the top of my ultra waterproof jacket and flooded down my chest.  It was an awe-inspiring ride, bearing testimony to the unbridled power of nature. After a number of “showers” under a number of waterfalls, we disembarked and spent the next few hours drying out whilst walking round the national park, and getting close to the tops of the waterfalls. The most amazing of all is called Garganta del Diabolo (Devil’s throat). You reach it by train and then walk along a series of walkways over the incredibly wide river Iguassu. The semi-circular Devil’s Throat roars and spews forth endless gallons of clear white water. The crowds stand spellbound peering over the edge at this wonderful monstrosity, taking endless selfies of course.

The national park, which is basically a partly developed jungle, boasts an immense variety of flora and fauna, mammals, birds, insects and every other form that nature takes. We saw brightly coloured butterflies, unusual birds (such as the plush crested jay above)  and a host of coati, acute scavenging creature like a cross between a baby anteater and a racoon (see pictures above).

Words and pics by Si @cre8ivation