Las Cataratas de Iguazú (Iguazu Falls)

Our weekend away ended with some spectacular views, hot, sticky hikes, and wet, roaring waterfalls!  Saturday evening when we got back from Brazil, we raced to the Falls to hopefully get in a few hours of sightseeing before the park closed in the early evening.  We were also thinking this might be a cooler option than going at, say, noon.  No such luck there.  Pretty sure this is the most humid place on earth.  (Jonathan thinks California has softened me and I'm not properly remembering summer nights in good ole Illinois)

 Our first view of the falls.

I wish the pictures could fully convey the exotic contrast of colors!  The bright shiny greens of the jungle, the bouncing white foam of the water, the black sharp edges of the rock cliffs...

Iguazú Falls are different than Niagra Falls.  While Niagra has the largest single curtain of falling water (or something like that), Iguazú has thousands of waterfalls falling over acres of cliff from the upper Paraná river into the lower in stair steps of varying heights.  

 Many of the walkways had you looking over the edge. Vertigo!

 Rainbow from all mist!

 The jungle.  

Some interesting and quite graphic signs warned us not to touch the wildlife as coatis and monkeys can apparently leave some gory bite marks!  Another sign warned us to stay on the path or else be subject to snake attack (okay, so it didn't say that, but it did say there we dangerous snakes in the nearby trees).

 This is our favorite view.

Once again, it doesn't do it justice.

We came back Sunday afternoon and did the train ride (exactly like Wildlife Prairie Park) and hike out to Garganta del Diablo (throat of the devil).  See all those thousands of waterfalls, some big, some small, some long, some short...now, get this!  Half of the river flow passes on three sides through one spot called Garaganta del Diablo.  Some crazy power in that water!  It roared!  

There's a reason it's one of the seven natural wonders of the world!

 Yes, I'm quite apprehensive. 

You should have seen those graphic warning signs!

They may seem harmless...

It was absolutely breathtaking!  Such exotic beauty!  So much raw power!  I couldn't help but stare in wonder and think, what happened here?  It's like God just raised black rock up out of a rushing river at spectacular heights, and then brought glorious green life out of it all while the river literally pours out endless praise to its Creator!  

You can't help but join in!