Have you heard of the term "YOLO"? It stands for "You Only Live Once". I headed up to the incredible Iguazu falls for less than 36 hours for a quick YOLO trip during my final time in Argentina. How did this happen? In summer 2012, I went up to Iguazu falls but had some misfortune on the journey there and was pickpocketed. That resulted in me not having all the money I was supposed to have in order to full enjoy Iguazu falls. The falls border Argentina and Brazil so last time, I also only went to the Argentine side of the falls because I did not have a Brazilian visa. Now I do. I also wanted to take a solo trip before leaving the country. So I went to the airline ticket office on Thursday morning hoping to book a trip for the following week. They said well next week is quite expensive but we have a deal if you leave tomorrow at 9am. I said great, lets do it. So off I went!
I arrived to my hostel, Mango Chill (recommended), at 12:10pm and they told me a bus would be leaving for the Brazilian side at 12:20. YOLO. I quickly jogged to the bus station so I could buy my ticket and board the bus. After going through immigration and customs, we arrived on the Brazilian side of the falls. The biggest difference between the Brazilian and Argentine side is that on the Brazilian side, you first see a panoramic gorgeous view of the Argentine side of the falls. Spectacular! Further down the path you get to get up close and personal with the falls that lie on the Brazilian side. The sheer size and volume of water that flows from the falls is incredible. I stood there (getting soaking wet even through my poncho) just taking in the sounds and feelings of the water rushing all around me. It is truly impressive. Thankfully with my timing I even got to witness a gorgeous rainbow that spread over the falls and made them appear even more impressionable than they already are. 
If you have to choose between seeing the falls from the Argentinian or Brazilian side, here are the differences. As I said, the Brazilian side you get to see more panoramic views of the falls and then get a short time being up close and personal with the falls. There are less paths to walk around the falls so you can see most of it within a couple hours. On the Argentine side, you get to walk to the "Garganta Del Diablo", Devil's Throat, which is one of the most impressive things I've seen. There are also many more paths on the Argentine side so to properly explore the falls, you'll want a full day. If you have the chance to do both, I would definitely suggest it.
My next day I spent rappelling and zip lining in the morning through the jungle around Iguazu and then walked to a beautiful place called Hito Tres Fronteras for a picnic. Hito Tres Fronteras, Three Frontiers, is where Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay meet at the forging of two rivers. It is a beautiful place and fun to see two other countries across the river. About a 30 minute walk from the central bus terminal, its a fun activity in Puerto Iguazu on the Argentinian side if you have some time to spare. I had gone there in summer 2012 so wanted to go back again because its such a peaceful beautiful place. There are many local artisans selling crafts so its always fun to see what types of things they are selling as well.
My YOLO trip ended up being a huge success! I am now heading into my final ten days in Argentina and can't wait to see what they will bring!
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