TRAVEL
122 MIAMI LIVING
By the end of the 19th century, the finer Brazilian and Argentinean gentlemen had begun
taking trips to the falls. More importantly, they had started recognizing the value and
importance of protecting such beauty.
At the turn of the 20th century, two national parks were founded for just
this task: the first – about 212 square miles – became the purview of
Argentina in 1934, and the second – some 656 square miles – that
of Brazil in five years later. The UNESCO designated them World
Heritage sites in '84 and '86, respectively.
Both parks are united by a common watercourse, the Iguazú
River (you will note that I am referring to it as "Iguaçu"; that is
because I flew into Foz do Iguaçu, which is in the Brazilian side).
Each is home to a wide biodiversity, much of it threatened by
man, including some 2,000 plant species, 400 bird species (the
vinaceous-breasted Amazon parrot comes to mind) and as
many as 80 mammals (like the jaguar and the ocelot).
"Iguazú," btw, means "big water." The word, naturally, comes from
the language spoken by the actual first inhabitants of the area, the
Caingangues Indians, who were disrupted by the Tupí-Guaraní – but
that's a history lesson for another time.
How to get there
I flew into Foz do Iguaçu from Lima, Peru. It was an almost-four-hour flight,
super-easy, no big whoop. My trip was very conveniently packaged, though, so I shan't
bore ya too much with those details.
If you decide to research (a must!) visiting the falls, you may find that a trip to Foz do Iguaçu
will probably require a visa (yes, even if you're an American), a layover (probably in Rio), and
that, depending on when you are planning to go, it might be a rather pricey proposition.
You definitely want to take in the
sights on a clear day: you might see
monkeys or get photobombed in
some unexpected ways.
