Wednesday 18 January The Argentine side of the Falls
We took off at 8am and were dropped at the falls. We walked round the inferior (lower) circuit, including a short ferry ride to the island at the foot of the falls. This was quite arduous in parts since it was hot already and there was a lot of up and downhill. There were quite a few different species of butterflies, birds and lizards, including a not shy monitor that walked along a path with us for about 50 metres.
We had been walking with Gordon and Yvonne (Sydney) and Sam and Colin and we sat down with them at the lunchstop. We didn’t actually eat anything but were very glad to get a drink. The lunch area was crawling with coatis (“koarties” raccoon-like creatures) that were very adept at sneaking up when anybody wasn’t watching and snatching their expensive sandwiches or other foodstuff.
Then up to the Devil’s Throat circuit, which was level and considerably shorter. It was a long steel walkway that went right out across some of the lesser streams to the very edge of the major drop. We had enjoyed impressive and attractive views of many of the falls all day, mainly from below, but this close-up view of the main falls was totally overpowering, not to mention just a tiny bit scary.
The rest had had enough but we took the train up to the starting point of the superior circuit. This ran round the upper edge of the right hand side, comprising a lot of smaller falls, many of which were quite picturesque. The walkway passed over the rushing water barely 5 or 10 metres before it went over the edge.
We got boat to island on left and stood above that huge waterfall
one of the smaller falls
Monitor lizard
We had been walking with Gordon and Yvonne (Sydney) and Sam and Colin and we sat down with them at the lunchstop. We didn’t actually eat anything but were very glad to get a drink. The lunch area was crawling with coatis (“koarties” raccoon-like creatures) that were very adept at sneaking up when anybody wasn’t watching and snatching their expensive sandwiches or other foodstuff.
Up to mischief...
up on the chair ... but we were too clever for her.. she got nothing
one of the babies ...sooooo cute
Then up to the Devil’s Throat circuit, which was level and considerably shorter. It was a long steel walkway that went right out across some of the lesser streams to the very edge of the major drop. We had enjoyed impressive and attractive views of many of the falls all day, mainly from below, but this close-up view of the main falls was totally overpowering, not to mention just a tiny bit scary.
here is the top of the drop into 'Devil's throat'
Just a tiny part of this fall ...totally awesome in size and power
Looking along with Argentine side on left and lower Brazilian side on right ... we were standing on top of those falls a few days earlier.
Enormous catfish
Tortoises mating ...boy they got at it for a long time
Whole tribe of very photogenic monkeys
The rest had had enough but we took the train up to the starting point of the superior circuit. This ran round the upper edge of the right hand side, comprising a lot of smaller falls, many of which were quite picturesque. The walkway passed over the rushing water barely 5 or 10 metres before it went over the edge.
Pity you can't get the power of the water in a photograph
Throughout the day we watched jetboats manoeuvring right up to the edge of the massive stream of water landing next to them. We could hear the squealing as the passengers got soaked. From the last walkway we watched a couple of rubber rafts heading off into the rapids. The first one seemed to fold in half when it hit the first patch of rough water and 3 passengers fell right out. Almost immediately, the raft turned a corner and we didn’t see what happened after that. We assumed (quite wrongly as it happened) that one was Peter and wondered who the other two might have been.
We had about an hour to recover from all this walking in steamy heat before we had to meet the truck to take us back. It was DannyT’s birthday and everyone went out for dinner at a nearby restaurant. We each had a risotto, which were both very well done.
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