“Free Falling" in the Iguazu Falls

To contrast the lyrics of the R&B group TLC… Do go chasing waterfalls. Located on the Argentina/Brazil border, the Iguazu Falls, a.k.a. Foz de Iguazu, are absolutely phenomenal.
2 years ago, during my near one year stint with Nortel Networks, Julia and I had the pleasure of spending a long weekend in and around the Toronto area. During our stay, we made a trip to the surrounding wine country (odd locale, but great wine), and the Niagara Falls. Niagara, the city, is a depressing Vegas wanna be. Niagra, the falls, are impressive, but are absolutely dwarfed to the size and natural beauty of Iguazu. In the words of late Eleanor Roosevelt upon first seeing Iguazu, “Poor Niagra!” Using some Starwood points, we were able to stay, for free, at the Sheraton, the only hotel located inside the national park boundary. Our room provided an eagle-eye view of the falls and surrounding jungle.

Giddy with excitement, we entered the park like two children entering Disney World for the first time. Starting at the first of three park segments, we saw the big daddy, el Garganta del Diablo.

The following two park segments were truly a feat of engineering. Mesh-steel bridges and concrete platforms snaked through the miles of waterfalls. Although my description of the materials (steel/concrete) used to build the pathways may seem invasive, everything blended perfectly with the environment, providing sometimes slippery close encounters with the falls,

and local wildlife,

Each fall was more spectacular than the next, this place is pure magic!