Iguazu Falls, Brazil & Paraguay

What a difference travelling 1500km north makes. We were very happy to be back in the warmth and humidty of Puerto Iguazu, northenmost Argentina. We even celebrated the end of our 2.5 month southern hemisphere winter by posting home our ski gear :-)
With frequent tropical rains & night time lightning shows the theme for our time at Iguazu has been WATER.....and lots of it.
If it wasn't falling from the sky it was thundering over Iguazu Falls or stored behind Itaipu Dam.


Puerto Iguazu township lies at the convergence of two giant rivers, Rio Iguazu and Rio Parana, and borders Brazil and Paraguay.


Suvi in Argentina with Brazil over her left shoulder and Paraguay on her right.


Local delicacy - Argentine meat feast - ours included intestine, kidney & blood sausage amongst other stuff. The neighbourhood dogs were well fed that night :-)


At the entrance to Iguazu National Park.


Butterflies everwhere inside the park....


......most of them very friendly!


This guy was just showing off for the tourists.


These guys (Coatis, cross btw racoon and ant eater :) just stole food from unsuspecting tourists.


Dad porn....packed tourist train to the Pasarela Garganta Del Diablo (Devil's Throat).


Devils's Throat....we quickly realised that it was a little stupid to visit the falls on Sunday...should really have waited.


We finished off Sunday's viewing by walking the Upper Circuit....


....for amazing views of the upper cascades...


....whilst trying to dodge the tourist masses.


WOAH!


Difficult not to get a soaking walking above the falls.


Next day (Monday) viewing on the Lower Circuit.....no crowds today :-)


WOAH again.


Isla San Martin and the main flow on the Argentinian side of the falls.....deafening.


Suvi washing her hair below Salto Dos Hermanas....was noisy here too.


Finally, a safer distance.


Great background, questionable foreground :-)


Our third and final day at the falls - Brazilian side.


Up close and personal....inches from a soaking!


More Brazilian vistas.


The water levels were much higher on our third visit....huge storm the night before.


This upstream view of the falls reminded us of Victoria falls in Zambia.


At the border of Brazil and Paraguay. First impressions of a country are always important.....This was the Paraguayan welcome.....Nice !!


Paraguay's 2nd largest city Ciudad del Este.....what a dump.


One Spillway open - Itaipu Dam on the Rio Parana (worlds 7th largest river) between Brazil and Paraguay.


A small section of the 7km long dam. The volume of excavation of earth and rock in Itaipu is 8.5 times greater than that of the Channel Tunnel and the volume of concrete is 15 times greater.


Everyone, take cover....storm hits Puerto Iguazu whilst having dinner.


Couldn't resist including this bolt seen from our hostel window.