Iguassu Falls

Iguassu Falls. Photo by Freyja Ellis

By Christopher Minster

Minster

Approximately two hundred and forty thousand gallons of water passes over Iguazú falls every minute, passing through more than 250 separate waterfalls before falling 170 to 350 feet and crashing to the rocks below. The deafening roar can be heard for miles. To the Guarani, the falls area was a spiritual place, and they named it Iguassu, or “Great Water.” As it falls and pounds the rocks, some of the water turns into a fine spray that rises in a cool plume over the falls area, dampening the miles of inconspicuous trails that line both the Brazilian and Argentine sides of the falls. Birds and insects flitter around a very special ecosystem where Iguassu launches constant mist into the surrounding vegetation. The souvenir vendors who hawk t-shirts and post cards keep a respectful difference, and the nearest Big Mac is in Buenos Aires. Small motorboats take visitors right to the roaring base of the falls, where they joyously shout to each other and come back as soaked as if they’d fallen in the river.

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