Iguazu National Park

Cataratas Falls is one of the seven natural wonders of the world and for good reason; it is one of the most spectacular landscapes I have ever experienced.  The falls are located inside the Iguazu National Park on the very northern, and remote, tip of Argentina.  It is a 17 hour bus ride from Buenos Aires to the falls, which is why we opted to fly there.  Once our flight actually left Buenos Aires it took a little under two hours to arrive at Iguazu.  Leaving was the part that gave us trouble though. 

We left the hostel around 3:40 in order to catch our flight at 5ish a.m. I can’t remember what time our flight actually was.  We arrived to find our flight was delayed a couple hours due to severe weather in Iguazu.  A couple hours passed and the flight was delayed again.  I was worried about not being able to go at all, but we finally boarded around 9 a.m.  Immediately upon arrival, a guide met our group and took us to the national park.  Because of the lost time we weren’t able to unload at the hotel first. It became apparent that we would be fighting the stormy weather, so it was a scramble for everyone to prepare for the day in the park.  I mainly wanted to waterproof my bag, and by that I mean put everything in zip-lock bags. 

Our first destination in the park was the top of the big falls.  A small train transported us to the beginning of the trail, and from there it was about a 15 minute walk.  There are no words to describe the energy of the water rushing over the cliff and plummeting to the river below. Nature is so powerful; it puts a human’s life into perspective.  Most of us got soaked from the mist of the falls.  I really appreciated my new rain jacket purchase.  It kept me dry!

It started to rain pretty steadily so our guide decided it was a good time for us to stop for lunch.  Unfortunately it was actually storming when we finished lunch.  Despite the poor weather, we began a hike that led us through the rain forest to several vista points across from the falls.  Each viewpoint led us closer to the falls and was more breathtaking than the last.  By the end of the trail we were all soaked, but I don’t think any of us minded.  If anything, it added to the whole rain forest experience.

Everyone in this world is a product of their upbringing, their experiences, and their education.  Each day our lives are being shaped by the choices we make and the relationships we build.  I am excited to see how my traveling and cultural experiences will fit in to the rest of my life.  Like I have written many times before, not many people get the chance to visit 35 countries by the age of 23.  There has to be a reason that I am one of the few.  It does not seem fair to me.  I am so lucky to have had the chance to make this trip, to stand on top of one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.  It has never seemed clearer to me than the moment that I was standing on top of the falls, that I have a purpose to fulfill in this life.  While I may not have the slightest clue of what it may look like at this point, I am confident that God has it figured out.  After all, he is the one that led me on these trips in the first place.