Reflecting back upon our experience at Iguazu Falls is like reliving a rather elaborate dream. The scenes imprinted within my memory are all so vivid and yet they seem to belong to another world, too mesmerising to be a part of this reality...
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The park is almost empty when we arrive and eerily quiet. Following the silence, we pass the visitor's centre and take the green trail through the jungle. Whilst we'd expected to find floods of tourists, we're instead met by a family of coatis, meandering their way across our path. At first glance, these strange racoon-like animals look adorable with their aardvark's snout and bushy tails, which do well to distract the unknowing human from their sharp teeth and menacing claws. We rush past them quickly, taking note but simultaneously trying to ignore the numerous signs warning us of crocodiles, snakes and tarantulas along our way.
On the upper trail we catch our first sight of the waterfalls. Everything about them feels infinite; not only the sheer number of falls, but the endless streams of water appearing from behind the horizon; the constant ripples tipping over the edge, sacrificing themselves to the greater good; the continual crashing of curling water colliding into chaos; and the long lasting echoes booming from cliff to cliff. Breathtaking is an understatement.
The scene surrounding the falls is no less ethereal. Where the sunlight catches the spray, the white water acts as a blank canvas for the colourful rainbows which appear overhead. Higher still, eagles soar, gliding effortlessly as though humouring those pretty butterflies beneath them, flapping their wings so excitedly; their wings, which are so exotic in colour it seems they can only have been born from the rainbows below. I couldn't have imagined something so beautiful.
Tearing ourselves away from the viewing terrace we board a small train which takes us up the mountain side. We're now level with the top of the falls but a wide river separates us from them. Though the wind carries with it the faint whispers of crashing water, this is the only telltale sign of the fall's existence. The river water is so still and serene that it's hard to believe what awaits us on the other side.
More butterflies lead the way as we take the route along the wooden bridge. Though expertly camouflaged, we can just about make out a baby crocodile basking in the sunshine on the rocks to our left. A little further on we find a turtle to our right, marooned on an island no bigger than its shell. A heron spreads its wings to pose for our photographs whilst flashes of colour between rustling leaves expose the hiding place of a toucan's nest. Seriously, what dream is this?
We're approaching the edge now and what had previously looked like an inviting infinity pool at a luxury hotel resort, now reveals itself as a death defying drop. For ages we do nothing but stare in awe at the power of these falls. The spray rises so high above the water that it obscures our view of the valley beyond. It's as though we're standing at the very edge of the world, gazing out as it fades into nothingness.
Finally we embark on the lower trail, the third and final one of the day. The park's trails have been cleverly built so that we can view the falls from various different distances and heights. We find they look incredible from every angle and no matter how hard I try telling myself that it's only water, I remain completely mesmerised.
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Though I've done my best to describe Iguazu Falls, it's a wonder that needs to be seen to be believed. Even then, if you're anything like me, you'll have a hard time convincing yourself that what you saw was real. It genuinely is too good to be true, a natural beauty so unnaturally beautiful!
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