Ladies and Gentleman....have you ever seen such a beautiful sight? This is the Iguazu Falls or Foz de Iguaçu (Cataratas do Iguaçu) In Portuguese. It is the world's more incredible waterfall that finds its home in the area of South American where the borders of Brazil Argentina and Paraguay meet.
Now, travel back in time with me for a moment. The date is May 14, 2013. We arrived at the small, very very small Foz do Iguaçu International Airport in the middle of some light rain showers. We weren't phased, we were too stoked about what adventures the next day would bring. (Please keep this rain in mind as it will be a significant factor in today's post). We get to the hotel, check in and ask about the next day's forecast. We're told that it might rain a little....understatement of the century. It stormed all night.
The next morning, we get up super early to meet our tour guide. The first thing he does is hand us clear plastic ponchos. This can't be a good sign.
After getting some administrative things situated, we finally arrived to Iguazu National Park. It's already raining and...this is not just any kind of rain. This is the kind of rain you'd want to take cover from - torrential rain that would normally have caused me to cancel the tour and go back to the hotel and seek refuge in a door's threshold, a bathtub or something. Our guide assured us that the downpour wouldn't last long, he'd given the tour in the rain before and we'd be just fine (He was wrong). We strapped on our ponchos, tried to cover ourselves and our belongings as best as possible and headed out.
This is what it looked like....all. day. long. I've never actually seen so much rain. Ever in life.
Let me also point out that our clear plastic poncho did little to nothing to shield us from the rain. The tour lasted the entire day and it rained the entire day. Our guide had to lay towels down in his back seat for us to sit on. We were beyond drenched...all the way down to our underwear.
Despite the unwelcome, over-abundance of rain, we still managed to experience the awe-inspiring falls and it was just as magnificent as it would have been on a clear day. It's likely that I would not have appreciated the experience as much if it had not rained.
Seriously...isn't this jaw droppingly, slap your mother, hold the phone amazing? The whole time I was there I was thinking...I can't believe places like this exist on this earth. It's like something straight out of a dream.
Every time I look at these pictures I consider photography as a hobby. Despite the hurricane-style deluge, I managed to snap some pretty amazing pics; without completely ruining my camera or falling over the railing in the process.
So, it rained on our parade. Literally.
In the end, I learned an alternate meaning for the phrase, "Life's not about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain". Of course mine was a less than figurative interpretation because I actually hiked through the forest in a monsoon but it was totally and completely relevant. Just imagine, if we had chosen to cancel the tour that stormy day, I never would have seen this with my own green eyes. I would never have this story to tell. Having stories is part of the adventure, right? I think having a story to tell is one of the best parts about traveling. Of course that's not the only reason I do it but I think it makes me a more interesting person. I have stories to tell about the places I've been, tons of them, and I'm just beginning. In fact, posting on this blog is good outlet for the stories. Don't worry though, I won't tell them all here. Afterall, I need something to talk to people about in person ;-)
What's your favorite travel story? Share with me in the comments below.
**There's no where to go but everywhere...so get going! ~ The Green-Eyed Venuist
Im so glad you made it through the monsoon to share such a fun story. I could almost feel the rain drops falling on my head.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I made it too...we had so much fun out there. It was certainly an adventure I'll never forget. Thanks for reading and commenting.
DeleteLoved this story. The same thing happened the first time I visited Stonehenge. It was rainy wet and cold. (During Summer) but it taught me to be open. Plus I paid for the tour and was determined to see it. Lol.
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