Time to head to the majestic Iguazú waterfalls. I have heard a fair amount of people reveling about it. They make up the largest waterfall system in the world. Not hard to imagine while you’re standing out there.

After I arrived here I walked around this very sleepy city. The weather was not very cooperating, mostly gray with a drop of rain. I ended renting a bike and went to the corner where the Iguazú river and the Paraná river come together. Now I could say that I saw (but not visited) Paraguay and Brasil, two other countries in South America. Including Argentina, I saw the majority of South America. Yup, right.

No photo of Tres Fronteras, but I saw this giant butterfly on the way back to the hotel.

The night was filled with thunder and lightning. That morning I read in a Dutch newspaper that the flow of water in the waterfalls turned 10 times higher than normal because of heavy rainfalls in Brazil.

I made my way to the national park using a city bus (that runs every 20 minutes). I made my way up to the upper walking trail. The Devils Throat trail was closed because of high water levels, the battery-operated train ran no further than the first station.

All these photos are taken on the upper walking trail. Even though it was raining, there were a fair amount of visitors (while I was secretly hoping to have the entire falls for myself, because of the rain 🙂 ).

A rain poncho was a strict necessity, although mine failed after 20 minutes (or so). Tip: buy a heavy-duty one at home, especially when you’re taking photography gear with you.

Later on, I read that Brasil allowed helicopter tours above the falls. Argentina does not, due to ecological reasons. I agree with that, and even though there were no helicopters to be seen today, I don’t miss the constant buzzing of those helicopters. It made for a more serene experiment, especially with the rainy weather.

Of course, I only realized that I could have jumped over the border and spend a couple of hours in the Brasilian town of Foz do Iguaçu, if I had taken my Dutch passport. No visa required for Dutchies. But that is ok. I will dedicate some time to Brasil on a next trip. Maybe one that requires two wheels and a helmet.

I did go on the lower walking trail, but the majority of that trail was closed, again because of high water levels. Apparently, park management did not want you to get too wet. Coffee and empanadas were served somewhere on that trail.