We were trying to catch a bus out of the town that evening, and we wanted to beat the crowds to the Falls, so we woke up early and caught one of the first buses to the National Park. A public bus leaves every half hour from the town center and the ride costs $5 pesos. We took the second bus of the morning out to the park at 7:30AM, and the workers were still opening up the ticket windows and stores when we arrived. There were a few other foreign travelers on the bus, but it was too early for Argentines. As we entered the park, and rushed to find the train to the falls, I felt like we were in Wally World. All the information booths and stores were empty and no one else was around.
The park cost $60 peso for foreigners to enter and, once inside, we were happy to see that those pesos were being put to good use. Everything in the park was very well maintained. From the train, to the extensive walkways leading to the falls, everything was first rate. Because we arrived so early, we had the park practically to ourselves for about an hour or so. This isolation made it easier for James and I to speculate about what it would have been like to stumble upon this sight when the Americas were first being explored. We imagined a European explorer being guided down one of the rivers and hearing the rumbling of the falls getting louder and louder as he approached.
A train takes visitors to the starting point of trails where the waterfalls can be seen from various angles. The falls can be viewed from both Argentina and Brazil. Apparently, Brazil provides a panoramic view of the falls and Argentina's side has more vantage points and close contact views. I do not know this from experience, because the visa to enter Brazil was pricey (for citizens of the U.S.). However, I was more than satisfied with the Argentine angle and did not feel like I was missing out on anything.
Credit should be given the the National Park Service of Argentina. Iguazu is an enormous tourist attraction, but the Park is able to maintain the natural wonder of the area despite the large flow of tourists. Restaurants and cafes are simple and there are few tacky or gimmicky aspects of the experience. I was later told by an overzealous tour guide in the city of Santa Fe (that's a story for another day) that President Reagan had the same observation of the Park. He apparently appreciated the nature surrounding Iguazu Falls and made a comparison with the lack thereof surrounding Niagra Falls.
Now, for some pictures: one of the resident birds, a coati (which roam freely about the Park), and the Falls:
Looks and sounds beautiful
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