Iguazu or bust

Faced with another long weekend due to a national holiday that falls on next Monday, I--completely on a whim--decided to visit a place I have dreamed of visiting for years: the Falls at Iguazú. So yesterday I crossed into Argentina by ferry, spent a nice, lazy day in Concordia, then boarded my bus. Twelve hours later, I am writing you from the tropical and very green town of Puerto Iguazú.



Reportedly, Eleanor Roosevelt said "Poor Niagara!" upon first seeing the Falls at Iguazú. Known not only for its waterfalls, but also for the nearby Jesuit ruins and "Triple Frontier" between Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil, this region is extremely popular for tourism. On the trip here I met backpackers from Denmark, Australia, South Africa, and Ireland. The town of Puerto Iguazu reflects the heavy influence of tourism--hostels that look like bungalows line the streets, images advertising tours of the falls are everywhere, and I seem to run into caucasians wearing backpacks more often than locals.

Traveling north from Salto to Puerto Iguazú, the change in scenery is apparent. The vegetation gets increasingly lush, the flat terrain transforms into rolling hills, and lakes and rivers appear with increasing frequency. I really felt as if I had arrived in Brazil--Amazon jungle and all! The arrow on this map shows exactly where I am:



I found a few sites that have more information on the Falls. The first site (whether or not it's reliable, it's entertaining) was created by a guy who identifies himself as an authority on the "Modern Wonders of the World." He listed Iguazú as #8 on his list of the top 100 wonders (http://www.hillmanwonders.com/iguazu_falls/iguazu_falls.htm)

Wikipedia probably provides the best information and pictures of the Falls. I think it's section "Comparisons to other famous falls" is especially interesting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iguazu

Alright, that's enough time for me in the Internet cafe--it's time to go see the Falls! I'll be writing again soon, and posting my pictures once I get back to Salto on Monday. Have a great weekend!