July 24, 2002 |
July 24, 2002 |
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Today's ECHO activities brought to you by
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Boat Safari at Iguazu Falls |
Macuco Safari Trail Pull out your ponchos, kids, because we're going on a wild and wet ride, right into the massive waterfalls of Iguazu. Half of our group was brave (or foolish) enough to get into an orange motorized raft and venture upstream. But before arriving at the Parana River's edge, we hiked through the subtropical Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil's Iguacu National Park, where we learned about the 80-plus species of orchids there and an endangered but now protected palm that had been harvested for its heart of palm, located only in the upper, green portion of the trunk (the "hearts" are actually frond buds). One of the greatest delights of this forest is the 300 species of butterflies, which silently land on everything and everyone. The only problem is that they don't stay put for photographs!
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After attempting to waterproof ourselves and our cameras, we hopped
into the raft and took off for a "caiman's eye" view of many
of Iguacu's 275 waterfalls. At some points the rapids dipped and rose
like seesaws, but we took each plunge with a chorus of "whoops!"
Coming around the bend, we were dwarfed by the panorama of falls that
loomed hundreds of feet above our heads. Then our captain decided that
we needed a closer look, so he revved the motors and shot us directly
into one of the falls. The water roared and the spray stung our faces
as we all screamed with a mixture of fear and delight. Unsatisfied,
the captain drove us back into the waterfall two more times, until everyone
had transformed into wet rags. Back at the dock, we spread out our clothing
and bodies across the reddish rocks and soaked in the sun like iguanas.
The butterflies continued to flash and tease us with their brilliance,
and the safari was over all too soon. Also this morning, another less daring (or more prudent?) group had visited The Bird Park, which has a butterfly house and 900 tropical birds from around the world, including various types of toucans. These two groups actually bumped into each other after lunching at the top of the falls in Brazil. From there, we wound our way down the trail and into the most spectacular vistas of the falls. These falls cannot be adequately described by word or image … they are fearless and tireless, angry and tender. They seem to come from everywhere and go nowhere … they hiss and they roar. They are simply immense. |
Iguazu Falls, Guarani for "big waters" |
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Bird's Eye View of Iguazu Falls |
Luna Llena (Full Moon) Tour At nighttime, a small group of Carrie, Frank, Jenesta, Yohandre and Jim went back to the Argentinean falls for the Full Moon experience. The biggest surprise was that it only took us five minutes to cross the border. Once inside the park, the full moon served as our only lamp. We rode the jungle train through a forest of silvers, indigos, and blacks, and then walked the half-mile trail over the river and to the imposing "Garganta del Diablo" (Devil's Throat). This fall consists of a giant U that spews mist hundreds of feet into the air. Of course Yohandre and Jim had to stand in the spray until they were soaked clear through to their underwear. Others were more content to experience the moonlight undulating on the river. All of us marveled at the silver rainbow or "moonbow" hovering over the top of the falls. |
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The real "Toucan Sam"
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Tango |
The Brazilian Kapoera, a combination of dance and martial arts |
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Linda's Adventure |
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