Russell: Paradise Falls, a land lost in time.-"Up" 2009
Though I didn't quite get a chance to see the same Paradise Falls that "Up" refers to, I did visit another set of extraordinary waterfalls this past weekend: Iguazú Falls.
After a 20-hour bus ride, we arrived in Puerto Iguazú, a tiny little town on the outskirts of Iguazú National Park. I was quite surprised to find that, considering its emphasis on tourism, the town was incredibly small and run-down. Nonetheless, we quickly grew to appreciate the quaint character in all of Puerto Iguazú's shops and restaurants.
The two days that we spent in Iguazú National Park were absolutely amazing, though I spent a great deal of time wishing that I could have shared my experience with everyone back at home. I know that this blog entry and its accompanying photos and videos will not capture everything, but I will do my best. :) All I can say is that if you ever have the chance to visit Iguazú in your lifetime, by all means, do it!
There are four trails in the park that each offer different views of the waterfalls:
-The Lower Circuit brings you to the bottom of the falls and offers an amazing panoramic view of the area. It's also the starting point of the Nautical Adventure, a boat ride that carries you along the river and below some of the most powerful waterfalls. It basically leaves you completely soaked afterwards! :)
-The Upper Circuit is the trail that takes you waterfall-hopping and consists of a series of bridges on which you stand and watch water rush by directly beneath your feet. It is mind-boggling to imagine how all the bridges, paths, and supports were constructed to grant such close access to the falls.
-The Devil's Throat is by far the most impressive and gigantic waterfall of all of Iguazú and is located at the border between Argentina and Brazil. A trail brings you across the river directly to the side of the waterfall. The view is absolutely breathtaking, though it is quite frightening to look down to find tons of water falling into an oblivion of mist, rocks, and more water.
-And last, but certainly not least, is the Macuco Trail, a small path on the southern end of the park that is relatively isolated from all the major attractions. It brings you through the forest, where you can get up close and personal with a ton of butterflies, spiders, coatis, and other neat animals. At the very end of the 3-km trail is a single waterfall with a small, natural pool at the bottom of it. It is quite common for local families to bring their swimming gear on weekends to enjoy the tranquility of the place.
Quite simply, Iguazú is impossible to describe in words. The sheer beauty and grandeur of the place are nearly unfathomable.
The sight of water everywhere reminded me of a book I read for my English class last year called The Secret Knowledge of Water. Both the book and my experience at Iguazú characterize water so well. Our lives depend so much on this invaluable resource for sustenance, transportation, and so much more. However, both the presence and lack of water can reap such destruction on the world, be it through floods, droughts, or rapid currents that sweep beings and things away into oblivion. Such is the natural course that water takes.
It is, after all, nature that creates landmarks as grand and magnificent as Iguazú. If you really think about it, a waterfall is simply comprised of water succumbing to gravity as it passes into a deep canyon below. However, the effects of this simple act of nature are astounding, as they generate movement so powerful and views so beautiful that they leave you awestruck.
Of course, this entire conception changes when you put people into the picture. It was a bit disappointing to find that the layout of Iguazú National Park had an uncanny similarity to that of Disneyland. I cannot even begin to imagine how commercialized the place would have been were it in the US. In addition, it was common to see trash in the river, people smoking as they admired the falls, and teenagers poking lizards with sticks just to see how they would react.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment was simply the sheer number of people who were present in the park. We decided to visit both the Devil's Throat and the Lower Circuit twice - during different times of the day - just to see if we could avoid the crowds pushing and shoving to reach all the prime viewing areas. Perhaps that was why I liked the Macuco Trail so much, simply because it offered the opportunity to escape from the chaos for a few hours.
All of this pondering left me in a very conflicted state. I can complain all I want about the problems that humans reap on the world, but the fact is that at least to a certain extent, I, too, contribute to them. Would I have rather not visited Iguazú simply to say that I avoided being yet another visitor in the park? I really don't think I would have.
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