September 11, 2018

September 11, 2018

This morning we left early again, this time to visit the Argentine side of Iguacu National Park. Most of Iguacu Falls is in Argentina. The longest wall stretches over a mile broken intermittently with patches of intense green. To get around this extensive park, we take a tiny tourist train to the far northern section. We traverse a long catwalk over the river to the Devil’s Throat, the intense center of the Falls. A platform extends out over the cataract. Surrounded by the power of the torrent this part deserves its moniker. It feels like we are in the Belly of the Beast.

On the way back, we spot several fish in the river that are probably the Pacu we had last night for dinner. They are the larger cousins of the Piranha. We also see some birds on the water that we think are the Great Kiskadee.

We then take the train south to do the Upper Circuit. This trail follows the crest of the Falls. Around every corner is another massive amazing waterfall. Each of the waterfalls would be a separate National Park in another locale.

We stopped for lunch and had Empanadas and our first Argentine beer. The entire time we had to fight off a band of pesky Coatimundis determined to get a free handout. We have these raccoon cousins in Tucson but they are nowhere near as prevalent or persistent.

After lunch we walked the Lower Circuit that follows another long section of waterfalls. They are each different and spectacular. We watched a line of jet boats climbing the river towards one waterfall. After taking pictures, they rush the cataract enveloping the boat in the mist and torrent, soaking the passengers.

Iguacu Falls is surrounded by a thick rain forest jungle, I had been hoping to spot a Toucan along the trails. We were unfortunately shutout; instead we saw lots of other tropical flora and fauna. We spotted several Capuchin Monkeys, some unusual looking Plush Crested Jays, some Great Dusky Swifts that nest behind the curtain of the Falls, and some Red-Rumped Caciques that build an elongated hanging nest of twigs. We saw Kapok trees similar to our Cottonwood. In the past, the cotton from these trees was used for stuffing pillows and mattresses.

We returned to our same Argentine hotel for the evening.