On March 5 and 6 we visited first the Brazilian side of the Iguacu Falls and then the Argentinian side or the Iguazu Falls - I have seen so many spellings of the this name, but haven´t quite sorted them all out! The Falls cover an enormous area consisting of about 275 (plus or minus) waterfalls, sometimes falling in two tiers. They lie between Brazil and Argentina surrunded by large parks and are protected by Unesco. Both sides are equally impressive, but different. The walk along the Falls on the Brazilian side gives a more panoramic view of the Falls, but less contact with the water. The walkways constructed on the Argentinian side take you across ravines, some of the falls, and the river with the result that you are much closer to the pounding of the tons of water cascading over the Falls to the river below. Their power is spelling binding and its hard to take your eyes away. The water is like a Laura Secord pralines and cream ice-cream, or a butterscotch icecream, tumbling over and over with all the power in the universe until you become totally mezmerized and feel yourself being drawn into the middle. People asked us how they compare to Niagara. It would be something like comparing the ski slopes at Collingwood with those at Aspen. There is no comparison. We also took a Zodiac boat ride into the Falls - I mean right into and under some of the Falls. How we didn´t hit the rocks I don´t know, but we didnt - and we were absolutely soaked by the torrent of water flooding into the boat. It made the Maid of the Mist look very tame.
At the end of the day after the Brazilian Falls, we visited the Parque das Aves (Bird Park). There were over 800 species of colourful birds, caiman, snakes, and butterlfies. The Park serves two purposes in addition to providing an opporunity to study the birds. Some of the birds have been injured and were resued and nursed by the Park, and secondly, it serves to promote the breeding of endangered species. As with the fish in Bonito, the parrots, parakeets, toucans, pink flamingo, etc. are brilliantly coloured, have amazing personalities, and again were not in the least bit scared of us.
For us, one of the special parts of our visit to the Iguassu area were the butterflies - hundreds of them - brightly coloured and perfectly formed, they landed all over us, on our heads, our hands, our sunglasses - at one point there were hundreds of yellow and green butterflies heaped on the ground in front of us. As we approached they started fluttering up and around us - an awesome experience. They are so delicate, pretty, and totally trusting of us intruding on them in their natural territory.
At the end of the day after the Brazilian Falls, we visited the Parque das Aves (Bird Park). There were over 800 species of colourful birds, caiman, snakes, and butterlfies. The Park serves two purposes in addition to providing an opporunity to study the birds. Some of the birds have been injured and were resued and nursed by the Park, and secondly, it serves to promote the breeding of endangered species. As with the fish in Bonito, the parrots, parakeets, toucans, pink flamingo, etc. are brilliantly coloured, have amazing personalities, and again were not in the least bit scared of us.
For us, one of the special parts of our visit to the Iguassu area were the butterflies - hundreds of them - brightly coloured and perfectly formed, they landed all over us, on our heads, our hands, our sunglasses - at one point there were hundreds of yellow and green butterflies heaped on the ground in front of us. As we approached they started fluttering up and around us - an awesome experience. They are so delicate, pretty, and totally trusting of us intruding on them in their natural territory.
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