We got out and walked a path along the river that gave us fantastic views of the waterfalls.
Today is our last full day of this vacation and that's very sad. Still, it's been a very fun trip. So what did we do today?
After breakfast, we got on a bus and went to the Brazilian park for Iguazu Falls. Our bus took us across the border from Argentina to Brazil, so all our passports were gathered and validated with the authorities, and that took a while.
Of course, the park is near the border, so once we crossed, it didn't take long to get to the park.
We
got out and walked a path along the river that gave us fantastic
views of the waterfalls.
Yesterday,
the Argentinian side of the falls was incredible. I couldn't see how
the views could be any better from the Brazilian side. But it was. It
was just amazing.
Every
place we walked, we saw a different set of waterfalls and incredible
beauty.
Around
every corner, we would stop and say, “Wow!” We would wonder how
it could get any better.
There
were rainbows everywhere.
There
weren't as many butterflies
or
wet T-shirts to look at. Maybe there were but I didn't notice
because I was just overcome by the sheer beauty of the place.
When Kathy and I were in Africa, we saw Victoria Falls up close and personal. It was very beautiful. But believe me, Iguazu Falls is ten times better. I'd have to say that this surpasses both Torres del Paine and Machu Picchu as the most beautiful place on Earth.
The view from Argentina is great because you can get right on top of the falls. It's in-your-face. You're surrounded and engulfed by the beauty. The view from Brazil is great too because you can see the entire spectacle. You're face to face with an enormous landscape of incredible beauty painted by the Grandmaster who will never be surpassed; call him God, Yahweh, Brahma, Tao, Allah or whatever else you choose.
Naturally, we took hundreds of more photos.
After we left the park, Kathy and I went on an optional tour. The only other couple who took this tour was Dave and Roddy; the rest of them went back to the hotel. But Kathy would never stand for sitting around at the hotel. She would go crazy. So off we went.
In the optional tour, we rode on an electric cart through the jungle and then on a half-hour ride on a rubber raft with huge motors.
The
raft had two huge motors that zipped us up the rapids of the river,
and we saw the waterfalls again from the river below. This was yet
another vantage point. Going up and down the rapids in this raft was
quite a rush.
We
opted to leave my camera on the docks because the boat got right up
next to one of the waterfalls and splashed water on us. We were
completely soaked. But it was a hot day and the water was quite
exhilarating. It was great. Fortunately, we were smart and planned
ahead: we packed Kathy's camera inside multiple layers of plastic
bags, inside the camera bag. Nothing was damaged.
We were driven back in a jeep that had a bright green cover, and it made Kathy's face look green.
When
we got back to the hotel, we visited the hotel's zoo. It was
actually quite nice. There were peacocks in heat, so the males were
displaying all their feathers.
There
were also other birds, including toucans.
They
even had tortoises.
Kathy
kept trying to take photos of the Rheas, but there was one in
particular that kept bothering her. At one point, it pecked at
Kathy's camera, nearly damaging it. Luckily, she moved it just in
time. I stood by, amused, and took photos of the two of them.
This
has really been an outstanding vacation, and now I've seen the most
beautiful place on Earth. I think it will be hard to choose the next
vacation, but I told Kathy I would let her choose, since I picked out
this one. I think I picked wisely!