The first thing we noticed when we walked out of the hotel was that there was a rainbow over the falls. What a way to start the day.
Getting through the Brazil border was a breeze, but we got stuck at the Argentina border, because one of the people in our group didn't have the appropriate paperwork. Finally though, we were through, and we crossed the bridge over the Iguazu river. One half is painted with yellow and green for Brazil and the other half is blue and white for Argentina. We also stopped to take a look at the tri-border with Paraguay which is at the end of the photo, separated from the other two countries by the Parana river.
When we got to the park on the Argentina side, we had a bit of a wait for the train that would take us to the Devil's Throat, the walkway over the biggest part of the falls, so Jeff decided to sample the Argentine beer.
The train ride was fun, because it was open air, so we had a great view of everything.
We had a quick bathroom break, followed by photo ops, and then we were off.
Even before we got to the falls, we agreed it was absolutely beautiful.
There were also tons of butterflies, many of whom were quite friendly.
Jeff got several great pictures.
We could tell we were getting closer to the Devil's Throat, because we could hear it. Then we started to feel the spray. This was as close as I dared to get with my phone.
Then I sealed it up, and Jeff was in charge with the waterproof camera. There were people wearing full plastic ponchos, but we had opted for bathing suits. It wasn't too bad, but there was definitely enough spray to get you wet. The views were worth it though. The tricky part was getting pictures without water drops in them.
We took the walk back a bit faster, but towards the end everyone was tired, especially Elena. I was worried she was going to have a meltdown. She was especially upset that a butterfly hadn't landed on her hand, like they had for Jeff. Fortunately, as we were waiting for the train back, she made a butterfly friend, and her whole face lit up.
The train let us off at a shopping and restaurant area similar to the one on the Brazil side. Our buffet lunch was already included, but it wasn't as nice as the one we had had the day before in Brazil. The space was much more cramped, with no view, and the food wasn't that good. Plus, they didn't have Guarana, which Vivian was very sad about. We got through lunch quickly and waited for the bus to come and get us.
On the bus ride back across the two borders, the girls napped hard.
That was fine though, because the next item on the agenda was a boat ride under the falls. The problem was the girls really didn't want to wake up, especially Elena, so we bribed them with ice cream and Guarana, and then they were back on track.
The first step in getting to the boats was a ride through the jungle in what was essentially a truck with open air seats at the back. We bumped happily along, and then waited in line for the funicular to take us down to the boats.
Our guides told us this was much more crowded than usual, but we were fine waiting in line, especially when there was shade and a place to sit.
Finally, it was our turn, and we set off in our boat.
It was a pretty hot day, so the breeze felt wonderful and the views were spectacular.
We got really close to one waterfall, and then the driver took us into it. Jeff tried to capture the experience, but really, it was just a face full of water.
Our guides had told us that the boat people would dunk us two or three times, but since we were the last shift of the day, I guess they figured they'd go for broke, and we got dunked five times. By the end, we were drenched.
Even though Vivian couldn't quite manage a smile for the picture, she absolutely loved it. Both girls agreed it was their favorite part of the day. As a special bonus, we got a rainbow on our way out.
It was a short ride back to the hotel, and then we all got cleaned up. We didn't have a group dinner included that night, so we decided to get the girls room service, since they were pretty worn out. The table service they brought them was very elegant, and they were quite pleased with themselves.
Jeff and I weren't terribly hungry, so we opted for drinks and sandwiches at the bar at the front of the hotel. I figured a pink drink was needed to match my surroundings.
We ended up being joined by an Australian couple from our group who we had made friends with, which made for a fun evening. As we watched the sun set over the falls, I excused myself to get a couple more pictures.
This last one, I took from the bar area itself, looking out at the trees on the property.
It was a beautiful end to an incredible day in such a special place.
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