One morning, early in March, we left a drizzly, cold English day and headed off on the first leg of our South American expedition. It was meant to be a holiday but, looking at the itinerary, it was going to be anything but!
Many hours and no sleep later, after losing six hours along the way, we landed in Sao Paolo. We were collected by our personal guide and driven to our hotel. His name was Marco and his English was excellent.
Bright and early the next morning, after a delicious breakfast, our guide and driver were waiting to take us on the first leg of our journey to the Iguacu falls. We crossed the Tancredo Neves bridge over the Iguacu river which forms the border between Brazil and Argentina and entered Argentina.
Here there are three sections of the falls, the Upper Circuit, Lower Circuit and the Devil’s Throat situated in the Iguacu National Park, which is enormous. Elevated metal walkways, naturals jungle paths and ecological trains carry visitors deep into the jungle. What makes the Argentinian side of the falls special is that it offers a variety of perspectives. You can become immersed in the falls rather than just simply observe them!
The Upper Circuit was easy walking, offering spectacular panoramic views across the river to Brazil. The sense of scale from the lip of the falls is extraordinary. Peering down over the edges where the water gathers speed, you realise that the river is not just one waterfall. It is hundreds of channels, islands and cascades spreading for miles.
The Lower Circuit is more dramatic and physical. There were more stairs to climb and the humidity and spray became more noticeable. Here the magnificent waterfalls towered above us, filling our vision and drowning out any conversation. You coukd feel the vibration through the railings. The pathways curved through thick vegetation and emerged at astonishing viewpoints almost directly beside the cascades.
The Devil’s Throat was the emotional climax of the Park. You reached it via a long walkway. At first the river was deceptively calm and you saw fish gliding peacefully beneath the platforms. Then gradually the noise of the falls grew louder. Mist began to rise. The flow of the river became stronger. By the time you reached the final platform you were suspended over an immense boiling void of white water and spray with everything disappearing into a dense mist. This magnificence and sheer primeval power of nature took your breath away.
While around 80% of the falls are on the Argentinian side, Brazil reveals the entire stage. We saw the jungle, cliffs, mist, river and hundreds of cascades unfolding into one sweeping panorama. Our guide and driver took us through the subtropical forest in Brazil and on to the main trail, our first view across the canyon.
It was also the start of my severe irritation with selfish egotistical visitors, mainly young girls, taking photographs and waving their selfie sticks with gay abandon! Where some of us were trying to actually look at the view and absorb the moment, these idiots were continually capturing themselves in it! The walkways were often narrow with small platforms overlooking parts of the falls. Singles or larger groups would suddenly stop for selfies or photos and traffic would grind to a halt. We were forced into awkward shuffling queues, often having to miss the views altogether.
I really feel that travelling today has become performative! It’s not about sightseeing but more about proving that you were there! Watching these endless self-obsessed photo-taking gimps consumed by social media, was as irritating as it was sad. The beauty and natural wonder of the Iguacu Falls had been demoted to a mere backdrop. For them no one else existed. Queues were invisible. Blocking the entire platform was perfectly reasonable and the laws of spacial awareness ceased to exist! Instead of ‘Look at this extraordinary view’ it became ‘Look at me, with my wind-swept hair, great lighting, pretending-that-I’m-not-posing and false laughter,’ while one of the greatest spectacles of nature was roaring behind them! Unfortunately it was contagious! One elaborate selfie session encouraged another. Soon the entire viewing platform resembled a photographic studio! Mainly young girls, pouting, backing into strangers, shouting instructions, rotating and demanding retakes, totally obstructed the majestic, amazing, breathtakingly wonderful view of the glorious Devil’s Throat.
Rant over😂
Unfortunately and sadly, that’s my memory of the Iguacu Falls in Brazil. The highlight of the viewing platform extends towards the Devil’s Throat. It was unforgettable, but not in the way that I would have hoped. Instead of walking to the end, looking out across the river, seeing the waterfalls crashing down on every side and watching in awe as torrents of water poured into the Devil’s Throat, I stood drenched and stuck behind an immovable human shield!
I believe I should have been able to visually understand the scale of the falls, marvel at how the river breaks around forested islands before plunging over basalt cliffs. It should have felt less like a single waterfall and more like an entire landscape collapsing into space. Thanks ChatGPT!
All selfie sticks and mobile phones should be banned!
Jenny Burrell 