IGUAZU FALLS (ARGENTINA/BRAZIL)

On sheer 'initial shock value' Iguazu falls was almost certainly the most amazing location I visited during my tour of South America and I think it is reasonably safe to say that there isn't anything much like it in the world with possibly the acception of Niagra Falls. Situated right on the Argentinian-Brazillian border, Foz do Iguazu could be described simply as an amazingly large quantity of water (sourced from the Rio Parana and Rio Iguazu) spills over a massive chasm. At the time of my visit, the two rivers sourcing the falls were full almost to the point of bursting because of some recent heavy rain. As such the falls were certainly in fall swing and I found myself soaked to the skin after only 5 minutes, the result of torrential downpours and the enormous quantity of mist generated by the falls.

On my first day in the national park I viewed the falls from the Argentine side and it was from here that I was able to get very close to some of the largest cascades such as 'El Diablo' where the thundering roar of the falling water made it difficult to make myself heard (surprising I know!). One of the most amazing things from this first day was just how large the falls were and it seemed that they continued on forever, for around every corner there were another 5 or so falls to marvel at. I found myself having to remove previously taken pictures from my memory card so as to free up space to capture some of the sights I was witnessing. After a long day walking around the entire park, I returned to my hostel and enjoyed a massive steak, my last in Argentina.

The next day, after taking a bus to the Brazillian side of the national park, I realised that the parts of the falls I had viewed the previous day on the Argentine side was only a fraction of the total site. Whilst not being able to get quite as close to the falls in Brazil, I thought this side provided better opportunities to comprehend the true size of the falls. Thankfully I had plenty of room for taking literally hundreds of photos !