A rich history and a little about the first European to see the falls
In the northern most point of the Misiones district of Argentina, the northeastern point of the country, sits a town with a lot of character. Puerto Aguirre was founded in 1901. Today it goes by the name Puerto Iguazú.
The area, known for perhaps what some consider the greatest waterfalls in the world, was first brought to the attention of the Europeans by Spanish explorer Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca in 1542.
prior to winding up in South America, Cabeza de Vaca had become famous for his exploration of the Gulf Coast of Florida, Texas and Mexico in years back. His exploits included getting captured and held by hostile Indians for a number of years but after his escape it’s said he became somewhat of an advocate for New World natives. He even went as far as performing the first ever surgery in what would become the State of Texas by extracting a large arrow point from a Native Americans chest that had become embedded close to his heart. Because of this feat he became endeared by local natives and highly respected. In 1915 a group of surgeons formed the Texas Surgical Society and accepted Cabeza de Vaca as the patron saint of the organization. His exploits gave him enough fame to raise money and carry on his passion for exploration in South America. It’s believed he had developed a good relationship with the native Guarani natives who inhabited the Iguazú area. Cabeza de Vaca had stumbled upon the Iguazú Falls after hearing their roar from several kilometers away. Unfortunately, for Cabeza de Vaca, in later years he found himself arrested after a stint as Governor in the region. It’s believed his preference toward treating natives with high regard was his political downfall. He was returned to Spain where he was jailed and put on trial and even though he was exonerated, he never returned to the Americas and died penniless in Seville, Spain around 1560.
It would be my guess that Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca's amazingly full life made him richer than most by the time of his death. Not everything can be measured with a dollar.
Guïra Oga Animal Shelter and Wildlife Center
If I’m to be honest, visiting animals in cages is no longer tops on my things to do but Guïra Oga is a different kind of "zoo' for the region and should be respected as such. Plus, it was right next to where we were staying. Kids will always enjoy these types of activities obviously and it’s always an opportunity to learn about endangered animals and the efforts to reintroduce them back into their natural habitats.
Through the efforts of a few, the self-funded sanctuary implements several important practices.
· They focus on healing injured wildlife
· Reintroduces wildlife back into historic environments and ranges
· When animals are seized from illegal traffickers they reintroduce those animals back into the wild
· Other zoo or circus animals go to Giïra Oga to also be reintroduced eventually
· If an animal is just too sick or weak then it is simply taken care of
· The sanctuary has also begun breeding programs for endangered wildlife
If you have a spare half-day to visit and support the sanctuary, know that you are ultimately doing a good thing. It is opened year round. Understand that when you go, the animals do not have the greatest amount of room. We were taken aback since we envisioned a pristine environment for the animals if it’s considered a “sanctuary”. You have to keep in mind the park survives solely on donations and entrance fees. No government agencies help them with funding.
So simply breathe in the air and enjoy your experience while you’re there. You’re walking through rain forest after all in a park run by people with nobel intentions.
Iguazú!
Ultimately, why most people visit Iguazú, is for the Falls. Depending on the list you look at, either Iguazú or Victoria falls in Africa are part of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage site… all for good reason. There’s nowhere else in the world like it. When compared against other mega falls like Niagara and Victoria, they are the largest amongst them in width hold the record in annual flow rate. They are simply breathtaking. Niagara can’t come close in their majesty and I have yet to visit Victoria at the time of this writing.
On the Argentinean side, the National Park is more laid back with a feeling of more freedom to do your own thing. You have options to walk the trails to view the falls or take tours. I usually don’t opt for tours but in this case it was a lifetime opportunity.
I had purchased our tickets online to take a boat tour to the cataracts as well as the park pass we’d need to enter the National Park. We had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know if the trip would be a fairly standard boat trip where maybe you get a little wet and simply get to see some great sites or if the trip would be more adventurous than that. The bottom line… do this if you can. Nothing could have prepared us for how fantastic the experience was. The falls along the canyon feel prehistoric. You can feel the power they wield as the specially designed boat takes you up river and through the rapids to ultimately visit Devils Throat. It’s here where you feel how alive the falls are and how insignificant you are. The world becomes bigger at this moment when you realize how fantastic it really is outside of those mundane days spent inside an office performing some task that can never be as big or powerful as that moment right then and there.
Enjoy it, take it all in. Hope the next person gets out of the experience as much as you will.
Las Tres Fronteras
There’s so much to do in the region. After all, you sit at the border of three countries. Brazil and Paraguay are just a short drive away. Prior to arriving we had lost a day due to a day long ‘strike’ by our Argentinean airline (Crazy stuff can happen in other countries with transportation). We had fully intended to pay the Visa fee to enter Paraguay but in the end decided the $100 dollars per person fee to simply walk into the country was too steep to only spend a few hours so we focused heavily on Brazil and the Argentinean side instead. We found the Argentinean side to be the most quaint and warming of the two sides. The restaurants were great, the atmosphere was warm and the walking around felt safe. The Brazil side was fine. We definitely enjoyed the time we spent over there and I’ll provide information on Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil in another article. Our preference was simply the Argentinean side. It felt more familiar. We had become somewhat familiar with some limited Spanish at this point but once you cross over the border, the language is Portuguese so another learning curve begins.
Still, there’s not too much cooler than the street venders at the park Hito Tres Fronteras in Puerto Iguazú. There you can visit various venders selling their wares like unusual handmade jewelry as well as more traditional souvenirs. You can also stand at the lookouts at the park and view both Paraguay and Brazil from across the Paraná and Iguazú rivers.rs.
One of the best times we had was the simplest. Everyone is always looking for "where the locals go to eat" when you travel. Well in Puerto Iguazú look no further than Salus Restaurant, which sits across from a lovely park called Paseo La Identidad. The food was so inexpensive and with the live entertainment, we felt like we were stealing. The locals sitting along side us at the other outside tables appeared to be having a great time. OK… so the pizza we go wasn’t five-star but it was still pretty good and completely perfect for the moment. It was exactly the type of place we wanted to be at.
I could absolutely spend a lot more time in laid back Puerto Iguazú.
PHOTOS BY: Angela Erdmann and Thomas Lonero
