We left Asuncion and made our way across Paraguay to Ciudad Del Este, 'City of the East'. CDE makes up a third of the triumvirate of border towns for Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina which are known for two things... shopping and the mighty Iguazu Falls. Each city has it's own monument and viewpoint where it's possible to see all three countries.
CDE is the Paraguian border and was to be our exit stamp for Paraguay. However for many CDE is a day trip as it also goes by the name 'The Supermarket of South America' due to its low prices and very close proximity to it's more expensive neighbours Brazil and Argentina. More like the Tottenham Court Road of South America... As you approach the border crossing (a 500m long suspension bridge spanning the Rio Paraná) the streets turn into the home of hundreds of hustlers selling mostly electronic goods but also anything else you might consider. Despite the lower prices in CDE, Brazil have a 300% tax rate on goods bought in Paraguay so hustling turns into smuggling very quickly. Motorbike taxi's zip constantly across the bridge ferrying day trippers back and forth as they are rarely stopped by immigration and have by far the quickest queue.
Fortunately electronic goods weren't on our shopping list so we made our way across the border, but not before a visit to one of the seven wonders of the modern world....
The Itaipu Dam is the highest producing hydroelectric dam, and second biggest in the world. A joint venture between Paraguay and Brazil costing over $25 billion USD and taking 14 years to complete, it is a sight to behold. The power harnessed is so great that it supplies 90% of Paraguay and 25% of Brazils electricity demands. Our visit to the dam had us driving along the bottom of the dam, crossing into Brazil and driving along the top of the 200 metre high, and 2,000 metre long, power producing reservoir creating concrete wall.
CDE is the Paraguian border and was to be our exit stamp for Paraguay. However for many CDE is a day trip as it also goes by the name 'The Supermarket of South America' due to its low prices and very close proximity to it's more expensive neighbours Brazil and Argentina. More like the Tottenham Court Road of South America... As you approach the border crossing (a 500m long suspension bridge spanning the Rio Paraná) the streets turn into the home of hundreds of hustlers selling mostly electronic goods but also anything else you might consider. Despite the lower prices in CDE, Brazil have a 300% tax rate on goods bought in Paraguay so hustling turns into smuggling very quickly. Motorbike taxi's zip constantly across the bridge ferrying day trippers back and forth as they are rarely stopped by immigration and have by far the quickest queue.
Fortunately electronic goods weren't on our shopping list so we made our way across the border, but not before a visit to one of the seven wonders of the modern world....
The Itaipu Dam is the highest producing hydroelectric dam, and second biggest in the world. A joint venture between Paraguay and Brazil costing over $25 billion USD and taking 14 years to complete, it is a sight to behold. The power harnessed is so great that it supplies 90% of Paraguay and 25% of Brazils electricity demands. Our visit to the dam had us driving along the bottom of the dam, crossing into Brazil and driving along the top of the 200 metre high, and 2,000 metre long, power producing reservoir creating concrete wall.
The next day we collected our exit stamps for Paraguay and set off for Puerto Iguazu (Argentina). You have to pass through Brazil for 20 minutes to get there but fortunately you don't need to get off and do Brazilian immigration on a short non-stop bus.
So Iguazu Falls.... another UNESCO world heritage site but this time an entirely natural one. The Argentinian side of the falls is a full day with plenty of different walkways giving you views from below, alongside and above the falls. A stupidly hot day had us go for the view below the falls first so as to cool off directly below them....
The falls themselves are made up of over 250 separate waterfalls which span the horizon for nearly 3km. After traversing the lower walkways we made our way to the upper walkways to admire the views from above.
Saving the best till last we made our way to the Garganta del Diablo, the 'Devils Throat', the climax of the falls and a marked difference to the others. The majority of the falls provide a grandeur of graceful elegance that only fresh water falling from such great heights surrounded by lush green vegitation can do. The Garganta del Diablo however is natures way of saying 'Don't Mess!'. A raw energetic show of machoism that appears to have swallowed up anything that has had the misfortune to be in it's path. The elegance of the white watered falls gives way to an almost yellow gigantic distribution of water providing uplifts and water sprays higher than the falls! A truly awesome sight.
After the exhiliration of the falls, it was time to go off the beaten track with a 7km round trip hike to a lagoon with it's own waterfall where we could experience the delights of the water first hand. The hike had us cutting our way into the jungle and encountering hundreds of overly-friendly butterfly's, several Iguana's and even a Toucan! A short hike through the undergrowth in the blazing heat of the sun, but the reward at the end pays for itself 10 fold.
Back to our hostel where we managed to negotiate 40 pesos (£6) PP for a four bed dorm with ensuite, buffet breakfast, wifi, computers and even a swimming pool, we decided to cash in on this and spend a few days relaxing by the pool!
Mother nature however had other plans as the following day the heavens opened and refused to close! Our first rainy day in two months, so it's not a complaint. In an effort not to be drowned by the rainy season we have set off in search of the sun on the Atlantic coast, next stop Florianopolis and the Isla de Santa Catarina, home to over 40 of Brazils best beaches....
Ciao Chicos
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