It’s almost sunset when we reach the end of the jungle trail. Through the trees comes the roar of a hundred phantom armies, while golden mists gallop through the valley, playing hide-and-seek with a panorama of tumbling cascades – 275 in total - that flow into the Iguassu river. Below, a flashing patchwork of platinum races along the banks that bridge Brazil and Argentina’s natural frontier.  One of the world’s ‘Seven Natural Wonders’, witnessing Iguassu Falls’ immensity cannot be overestimated, but experiencing it all alone, drenched in spray and on a sliver of walkway that hangs alongside the ‘Devil’s Throat’, where Iguassu’s steepest and most dramatic of falls leaps into the abyss, is a sensation that borders on transcendental. As the fiery sky paints a silhouette of the tallest palms, birdcalls echo through the valley and a tumult of swifts swoop and dive above in celebration. It’s total rejuvenation for the soul. Cathartic, hypnotic, therapeutic, to stand in the midst of such a mighty tumult of water is a pure bolt of energy. If you have sins to atone for, then this is the place to do it.

The first time I came to the Iguassu, I made two mistakes: the first was to approach it like a race — how quickly could that box be ticked? 36 hours, a breakneck trip around each side of the falls and then I was gone, onto the next leg of a Latin American tour.  My second error was to stay outside the park, joining the crowds for the first 9am bus to tread trails in what felt like one long queue. Surrounded by so many people, nature took a back seat.

This time it’s different...

Published in 2016 for Belmond Magazine