Iguazu Falls Adventure

The Argentina Study Abroad program offers an optional 3-day trip to Iguazu Falls during the 4th week. The cost of the trip is about $550, and worth every penny. The Iguazu Falls are a series of enormous waterfalls that drop over 250-ft. The falls are found within Iguazu National Park, which is located at the meeting point of Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina. We stayed on the Argentine side, but Brazil and Paraguay were just a short bus ride away. The environment in Iguazu is a sharp contrast to that of Buenos Aires. Iguazu is in the middle of a tropic rainforest. There are no buildings over 5 stories and the every few roads are paved. The soil in Iguazu is red. A word of warning: do not bring white clothes on this trip because if you do, you will return with redish brown clothes.
The first day in Iguazu was nothing short of an adventure. It began with a 20-minute drive out to the jungle. The drive itself was exciting since we were loaded onto an open truck (resembling something out of the Indiana Jones ride at Disney World) and taken full speed down an unpaved road. The destination was a canopy tour. Canopying, also known as zip lining, is where you are strapped to a wire that is tied between posts above the ground and you soar through the jungle from one post to another. For those that are afraid of heights, this might not be for you. But for everyone else, it is an experience you cannot miss. Next, we took a short walk through the jungle to a small waterfall. There we propelled down a cliff wall to the river. After that we end back to the hotel for showers and dinner.
The second day was the Iguazu Falls. This day was spent entirely in Iguazu National Park viewing the waterfalls. The Park has a system of catwalks above the rivers that allow you to walk right to the waterfall´s edge. This view of the falls is breathtaking. The mist may get you a little wet, but ponchos are only 10 pesos ($3) at the gift shop. On the walk throughout the Park, we were able to see several birds, however no tucans, and a rainbow. In the afternoon, there was a chance to take a boat ride up to the waterfalls. Because of the close encounter with the Falls, you get soaking wet, but a poncho can keep you dry a little.
The last day was a relaxing day at the Sheraton, which has a great view of the falls. After lunch we were off to the airport and back to Buenos Aires. Overall, the Iguazu Falls trip is one you should not miss. It is a great opportunity to see a different area of Argentina.