We decided a few weeks back that with the Grandmas in town we should go somewhere special. After some searching we came to the conclusion that Iguazu falls was that place. Iguazu falls are one of the seven natural wonders of the world. It is the largest waterfall system in the world consisting of 275 separate falls.

We left Buenos Aires early Wednesday morning for the hour and a half flight to Puerto Iguazu. After landing we took two taxis from the airport into town. Everything was going smoothly until we came upon a traffic jam. Our first thought was that there was an accident. After a little while we were told there was a protest in the middle of the road blocking traffic in and out of town. Our driver told us we would have to walk a few blocks hauling our luggage on a hot sunny day to get through the protest and get a taxi on the other side. He drove us as close as he could and then we grabbed our stuff and started walking. Once we reached our side of the protest we realized this was not going to be as easy as we thought. They would not let anybody on foot get past either. Some tourists from the other side barged through causing a lot of yelling, pushing and a few punches to be thrown. It got pretty scary for all of us. We were finally able to convince a woman that our 5 year Mason had diabetes and needed to get through. She went to the head guy who said the sick could pass. Apparently this meant only Chelsea and Mason. Chelsea told them the rest of us had to come with because we did not speak Spanish. They finally relented and we were all able to safely pass and get a taxi on the other side. This was the first time on our trip that we felt like we were in a dangerous situation. We could see fear on our kids faces as we passed through the protest. It sounds like traffic was blocked for most of the rest of the day. Tourists on the other side could not make it to the Argentinan side of the falls or the airport. We were not sure once we got through if we would be able to go to the falls the next day like we planned.

We got to our hotel without any further incidents. After settling in we walked down to the hito de las tres fronteras monument. Three countries Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay all meet at this point. They are divided by two huge rivers the Paraná and the Iguazú that intersect at this point forming the borders.

We ate dinner at Bocamora Grill & Wine which was the only restaurant close to us. Luckily it was very good and not busy so that the kids could run around on the terrace below where we were seated. We tried some of the local fish Pacu and Surubí both were excellent. We took a different route back which lead to a park and then we went up a dirt path through a very poor run down part of town. We all agreed we were glad that it was still daylight!

Our plan was to visit the Argentinian side of the falls on our first full day. Because of the chance of more protesting we decided to explore the Brazilian side of the falls first which were on our side of the blockade. At 9AM our driver Humberto picked us up at the hotel. Leaving Argentina we had our passports stamped in the drive through lane and then crossed a giant bridge that divides the two countries. The half way point of boarder is obvious because the side of the bridge changes from white and blue to green and yellow. The boys were so excited that Brazil uses their favorite colors.  Once in Brazil, we parked at another immigration station and went in to get stamps to enter Brazil. As of June, no Visa is needed for Americans to enter Brazil.  We finished up and continued the drive to the falls, or cataratas in Spanish.

After purchasing tickets, we entered the park and boarded a double decker bus. The bus brought us through the jungle to the area of the falls. We briefly thought about taking a boat ride near the bottom of the falls, but decided against it after we saw how fast they went and how choppy it was. Our first view of the falls was unforgettable. We took stairs down the hill until we finally reached the viewing platform. Off in the distance were waterfalls as far as the eye could see.

We followed trails as we began to view exactly how expansive the falls really are. Along the way we had our first encounter with a sneaky little animal called a Coati (Spanish) or Quati (Portuguese). They are curious and always seeking a tasty snack. Guard your bags, because Coatis will rip them open. They can also scratch and bite.

The path continued to lead us towards “the devils throat” portion of the falls. Along the way there are several lookouts. Each one is closer to the falls and more incredible than the next. Once you get close to the end of the trail there is a metal walkway that leads out into the river directly in front of “the devils throat”. It is one of the most exhilarating things we have ever experienced. The water is so powerful and the sound is so loud. You get completely soaked by the spray from the bottom of the falls. It’s a moment we will all remember for the rest of our lives.

A butterfly with transparent wings landed on grandma Nadine’s pink raincoat making its wings look pink. The butterfly really took a liking to her and returned several times. The kids found a butterfly shirt in the gift shop and talked her into buying it because of her new friend. The final stop on the path by the gift shop is right beside the waterfall. You can almost reach out and touch it.

We took an elevator up a few stories closer to the top of the falls to catch a bus back to the entrance of the park. As we were leaving Chelsea spotted a huge iguana on the side of the path.

Across the road is the Parque Das Aves bird sanctuary. We walked over to check it out with our few remaining hours before our ride came back. The sanctuary is located in the rainforest and full of all kinds of unique plants, trees all types of animals, and of course birds. We saw flamingos, owls, parrots, tucans and many other beautiful birds. It is a giant place that is well worth the visit if you have time. The kids even got to share a fresh coconut drink.

We reversed course back to our hotel. Everybody was exhausted and we decided it would be best to have dinner at the hotel. Unfortunately the hotel only had a meat and cheese platter, so fortunately we ended up having another great meal at Bocomora Grill. To cap off the amazing day we walked back to the park where the three countries meet. It was a totaly different experience this time because at night they have colored fountains that shoot up and dance to music.

On our last day of the quick three day adventure we got up early to have breakfast and pack our bags. Humberto once again picked us up at 9am and we were off to the Agentinian side of the falls. The protests had been stopped when the Army stepped in the day before so we were able to do everything as planned. Just in the reverse order.

On the Argentinian side of the park you need to take a slow electric train to get to the falls. We knew the first stop can take a lot of time, so we hiked the Sendero Verde up to the second stop. The path wound its way through rainforest and we came across a small bridge. When we looked down there was a little Alligator right next to us. It made us wonder what else could be waiting for us in the jungle. We got our free train tickets at the next stop and after a brief wait were off.

Our first stop of the day was the Garganta del Diablo trail or “The Devils Throat” trail. This trail is an architectural wonder. It’s a steel bridge that leads out over the river on top of the falls. We crossed at least 7 of the largest river openings we had ever seen to get to the spot where the falls are. They were all the same river with islands seperating them. It was close to a mile of bridge leading us across the chain of rivers. We did not think the falls could be as good as the day before on the Brazilian side. We could not have been more wrong! We started seeing people coming back that were drenched with water so we decided we better get our raincoats on. As we started to get close to the devils throat, you could hear how powerful it was. It looked like you were walking into a hurricane with the wind, water flying everywhere and the noise. The path took us right up to the edge of the falls. It was a spectacular view.

Next up we took the Inferior (Lower) trail which follows the river up on a cliff. It goes past several smaller waterfalls (Lanusse and Alvar Nuñez) on it’s way to the middle of the Argentinian side of the falls, then finally past Chico Fall and Las Dos Hermanas (The Two Sisters) Falls.

There are many places to stop for magnificent photos along the way. We saw a rainbow too. It ended up being almost 8 miles of walking and nearly 50 flights of stairs according to Grandma Cathy’s Fitbit. Everybody was exhausted by the end of our little adventure. On the way to catch the train back to the entrance we finally got to see several monkeys playing in the trees and coming down close to the tourists. It was fun to see them in the wild.

Humberto picked us up one last time and drove us straight to the airport. It was nice that the park had lockers to keep luggage in while we explored the falls. It ended up being such an amazing adventure that we are thankful we got to spend with family. If you were to ask a Brazilian which side of the falls is best they will say its without a doubt the Brazil side. Likewise an Argentinian will say it’s there side. If you ask us we will tell you that both sides are incredible and that words can’t describe the falls beauty.