Iguazu Falls

Feb 11

It was 7am and Brenden and I were ready to head to the National Park of Iguazu to roam around the beautiful falls. Once we arrived at the park we were greeted by lush jungle like trees, stone walkways, and company´s waiting for you to book a boat trip to see the falls. We decided to enjoy the park by foot. The park offered three easy and enjoyable trails that took you around the park to view the falls at different view points. We headed out on the lower circuit trail first. This trail was like being in the middle of the jungle with wild animals all around. We were immediately greeted by several small
ring tailed animals who were similar to racoons. They were very friendly and would come up to you in hopes of getting  some food. As we continued on down the trail you could hear noises coming from all around, a true feeling of nature. After walking for a bit longer we were lucky enough to come across a monkey! He was high above jumping from tree top to tree top. Enjoying the sights so far the closer we walked the closer we came to the sound of rushing water. Around the corner we were braced with a breathtaking view. Through the trees we could see the mist coming up from ¨The Devil´s Throat¨ and to your right we could see the beauty of another waterfall. Though it is not as big as ¨The Devil´s Throat¨ the beauty of the green grass and lush trees surrounding the water as it feel from the cliff above was breathtaking. We stood to view the waterfall, being covered by its mist but enjoying every minute. We continued on the trail to see waterfall after waterfall, big and small. Once we were to the end of the lower circuit we continued on to the upper circuit.

The upper trail led us around the different waterfalls from a birds eye view. It was interesting to see the water flowing along the river before going off the cliffs. We were surprised to see that the water above (except for the devils throat) was not flowing very fast. It was amazing to see how this steady stream of water from the river became so powerful once
it hit the ledge. After walking the upper trail and seeing the river and top of the falls we found a pleasant place to sit and talk about the things we had just seen.

Eager to get a closer view of the Devil´s Throat we took a small train through the jungle to get to the beginning of the trail. This trail lead us across the Iguazu River. On this trail we were able to enjoy a different view than the lower and upper trails. Here we felt like we were on top of the world, walking on water. Finally we were here! We could hear the roar of the water falling to the bottom. Once at the rail we could not help but to be amazed by what was before us. The volume and speed of the water falling was like nothing I had ever seen before. I could not look at the fall as a whole for too long without my eyes going crossed. I had to pick a spot and stare to really see what was going on. The mist from the falls was massive. We could not see the bottom, only a cloud of mist rising into the air. The only thing I would say to myself was WOW! Words nor pictures could ever do this Fall justice. Brenden and I just stood there for a few minutes to take in the great beauty what was in front of us.

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Colorful Mountains in Purmamarca

Feb 15

Here in the small desert town of Purmamarca you can see the Cerro de los Siete Colors (Seven Colored Mountain). The different colors in the rocks here are like nothing I have ever seen. Not only do you get to enjoy lush green mountains around you but also mountains with hints of purple, orange, pink and blue. A rainbow of colors….beautiful! Brenden said this was the most beautiful desert he has seen. In this little town you will not find any big commercial businesses, only small local shops, dirt roads and locals mixed in with backpacking hippies. We started our walk towards the Seven Colored Mountain. We found a path leading up to a hill. Once we reached the top we had a excellent view of the mountain. We stood on top of the hill to take in the panoramic view around us. We then decided to climb up a mountain. Of course Brenden did just fine going up. Me…not so much, but I made it to one of the view points. Brenden wanted to keep going while I decided to head back down and take the path around the mountain to get to the other side. After meeting back up with Brenden we wondered around the deserts valley on a quest to find the perfect cactus. We could see one ahead that was not perfect but a pretty good one. The valley we walked in was a dry river bed surrounded by tall clay and rock mountains of dark orange and colored rock covered with cacti. After making it to the cactus we turned back and headed towards the town.