Iguazu

The name ´Iguazu´ means ´big water´. I think they need to rename it ´huge, gigantic, massive water´. For those that haven´t heard of them, the Iguazu waterfalls are the most spectacular and largest in the world, according to my guidebook. They are certainly the most spectacular I have ever seen or ever imagined. There are over 250 seperate waterfalls, some small, most of them huge, all fantastic. They are set in acres of rainforest, and the national park is really well managed, with walkways above and below the falls which get you really close - a bit too close sometimes and you get a good soaking! The best waterfall for me was called the ´Gargantuan del Diablo´, and was like a huge basin where the water seemed to be sucked into the ground. There was so much spray you couln´t see where the mist ended up. It was so powerful, it reminded me of what I imagine a black hole in space to look like, sucking in everything around it. The falls were so spectacular that we (me and 3 other Irish girls I met, Clina, Elaine and Siobhan), spent 3 days walking around the falls and in the forest. We even got a boat ride on the river to under the falls, you can imagine we got absolutely drenched. It was great fun and a lovely place to hang out. We even saw a few cool animals - coatis, which look like a cross between an anteater and a racoon, toucan birds with bright orange beaks almost as big as their bodies, and a gorgeous golden labradoor puppy in the hostel.