The next day, I was transported into a new reality that could not be more distinct from where I had just been. I was on the border of Argentina and Brazil, a two-hour plane ride north of Buenos Aires. I was in the middle of a tropical rainforest. It was at Iguazú Falls National Park.
I was still traveling with the same group although it had shrunk dramatically. Most had decided against this optional post-Antarctica tour. I was thankful to have the opportunity to not only experience the largest waterfall system in the world, but also to spend more time in South America!
Before checking into our rooms at Gran Meliá Iguazú, the only hotel inside the National Park, we walked the Upper and Lower Falls trails.
Between the warm summer temps and the crowds of people, we were all in a bit of shock. We were among the many who visited this national park on their summer holiday. Though this new reality took a bit of adjusting to, there was really nothing not to enjoy!
That evening for dinner we ate at a small restaurant near the hotel where we were served a traditional Argentinian feast: a giant (they are always giant!) steak, small potatoes, bread with butter, and flan for dessert. I had really come to enjoy Argentinian food!
The next morning we loaded onto a bus to cross the border into Brazil. Since 80% of the falls are on the Argentinian side, the view from Brazil is the most expansive.
Click on my Instagram link below to view a video of the area that best illustrates the scale. And sound!
Lastly, we experienced the falls most intimately, by traveling to the base of a section via boat. It was thrilling and very wet!
Lessons from: Iguazú Falls
- The Iguazú Falls are 1.7 miles (2.7 km) in length making them the longest waterfall system in the world.
- The falls range in height from 197 to 269 ft (60 and 82 m).
- Though the majority of the Iguazú River flows through Brazil, 80% of the falls are located in Argentina.
- Beginning April 10th, 2024 Brazil will be requiring tourist visas for Americans to enter. This will make viewing the falls from the Brazilian side much more complicated for Americans.
Something interesting: Argentina and time
We got very lucky. Aerolinas Argentinas scheduled a national strike on the one day in a four-day stretch that our group did not have travel booked. However, the previous day’s strike did cause residual issues that resulted in our flight back to Buenos Aires being delayed close to two hours.
Some in our group tracked the airplane as it made its way to Iguazú. They noticed that instead of landing it had passed the airport and was looping around. Eventually, it did land, we boarded, and off we went. But instead of heading to Buenos Aires we also were flying in the wrong direction. The pilot was heading straight for Iguazú Falls, no doubt to give us a view from the air as he had done with the incoming flight.
This was not just a casual fly-by; no, he kept the plane low and described the area in Spanish and then in English. After completing a full circle, he looped around and repeated the process for the other side of the plane. Once complete, he hit the engines and off we went to Buenos Aires, no double, even further behind schedule. I was flabbergasted. Now I had seen the falls from the ground, the water, and the sky, but more than that, I was marveling at the clear distinction between how Argentinians and Americans view time. There is absolutely NO WAY that a flight hours behind schedule (or even on schedule) in the States would ever offer a sightseeing tour.
I would learn that instead of prioritizing the flight schedule, the focus was on giving the passengers a gift as an apology for the delay. And in that way, I would say the Argentinians have us Americans beat by a long shot.
A look behind the curtain.
I sat with why it felt so difficult to leave Antarctica for a few days before something clicked.
My first answer was that I simply wasn’t ready. I wanted more time there. But that was too easy. That was so obvious. There was something more. Something bigger at play.
What I have come to realize is that it was not Antarctica, it was what Antarctica brought out in me. It allowed me to become fully present, immersed in my experience so completely that I was in perfect peace, my priorities crystal clear. Everything made sense. And everything was magic. It was that version of me that I did not want to leave behind.
I experienced a similar peace and clarity in Norway last summer and in Alaska over the holidays. Travel has allowed me to find this sweet inner sanctuary. One that I have been able to bring back to the ‘real world’ and I am a stronger, more confident, capable, and more pleasant person because of it. This was the final piece to my puzzle.
When I left Argentina, I decided that I would take my skill sets and experience from the world of advertising to the world of travel. I want to set the stage for others to have the opportunity to experience what I have. So I officially quit my job, and I am working with a company to rebrand myself. In a few hours, I begin my journey back to Norway, where I now have a new goal in mind: to break into the small group adventure travel sector.
She Simply Wanders 
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