Iguazu Falls

The water starts lightly spraying down from the trees a few hundred meters away.  The trees are rich green and shining with moisture, so vibrant with health and vitality- reminding me to stay hydrated!  And the noise... it is so loud.  Water pounding heavily onto itself, creating an almighty roar; Cheering for the celebration of life!  It it the sound of OM, the pure vibration of heaven on earth.  The power of such volumes of water cascading from the high cliffs is somehow both stimulating and calming, invigorating and soothing.  We have beat the crowds-  9 a.m. and the park is virtually ours :)

Following the well paved path I can feel my heart begin to lift as my eyes finally land on the majesty we are here to see.  An expansive wall that would be amazing in itself, enclosing the lush rain forest floor and lifting up towards the sky.  But this wall has unexplainable amounts of water pouring down it!  "Taller than Niagara Falls, twice as wide with 275 cascades spread in a horseshoe shape over nearly two miles of the Iguazu River, ssIguazú Falls are the result of a volcanic eruption which left yet another large crack in the earth. During the rainy season of November - March, the rate of flow of water going over the falls may reach 450,000 cubic feet (12,750 cubic m) per second." Is what one website informs me, but it does nothing to describe the grandeur of watching an average of 553 cubic feet per second thundering down 269 feet!  Simply awesome.

And to top it off- a rainbow, a double rainbow in some lights, is giving me some sort sign.  An omen reminding me of all the beauty in the world.  Again, amazed at what water and light can create, such an optical phenomenon!  It's beauty is needed in order to stay calm with the masses of people who arrive by 11:30.  I will gratefully take the two hours of peacefulness we have just received and willingly leave as the families, couples, grammas and children begin to clog the small well guarded walk ways.  There is a 7km jungle trail that we can hike to a waterfall where the lesser able will not travel... so we head this way.

The jungle...  that which scares me the most.  Drop me off on a mountain top and I will survive for a bit, leave me in NYC and I could get by for a short period of time.  Middle of the ocean, I would swim until I couldn't, but  if you walked me to a jungle and let go of my hand... I would die.  Probably death by heart attack, pure panic.  I would just give up and freak out all at the same time!  So many foreign flora and fauna, SO MANY SNAKES, such a dark and dense place.  Fortunately, I felt mildly comfortable walking down a well used trail, but anything more than that- no way.  We had fun, hiking and talking.  It felt good to move the body after the 15 hour bus ride.  We hiked ourselves to the waterfall and Lauren was brave enough to jump in and swim in the natural pool!  It was beautiful and a day I will never forget :)  We strolled back to the park, hopped on a bus and headed home.  Laughing and full of energy- because I am pretty sure those are the gifts beauty and nature give you.