GLOBE TREKKING Iguazu, World’s Largest Waterfalls

he Aerolineas ’ Boeing 737 landed at Puerto Iguazu Airport Tat 1:30p.m., 85 minutes after leaving Buenos Aires. Back in the Argentinean capital after our cruise to the Antarctica, my wife and I decided to visit Iguazu Falls, the largest waterfalls in the world. It Ir. Chin Mee Poon www.facebook.com/ was the height of summer, 11 years ago. chinmeepoon Our guide came in a car and

Ir. Chin Mee Poon whisked us off to our hotel for a one- is a retired civil hour rest. Then we were put in a van with engineer who derives other tourists for our visit to the world- a great deal of joy and satisfaction from famous waterfalls. travelling to different Situated on the border between parts of the globe, and , Iguazu Falls capturing fascinating insights of the comprises a basalt escarpment across places and people the 1.5km-wide Iguazu River, 23km followed a green trail to the Cataratas Station he encounters and upstream from its with the mighty sharing his experiences and boarded a green-coloured train to the with others through Parana River. Islets along the edge of the 2.7km- starting point of a trail 2.3km away which led his photographs and long, reversed J-shaped escarpment, have split to Devil’s Throat, a long and narrow chasm into writing. the water curtain into a series of falls, numbering which almost half the river water fell in a dramatic, 150 to 300, depending on the height of water in thunderous roar. The 1.2km walkway, constructed the river; 80% of the falls are in Argentina and of galvanised steel over the Iguazu River, went 20% in Brazil. close to the Devil’s Throat. The viewing platform The Iguazu National Park in Argentina at the end of the walkway also offered a superb was created in 1934 and 50 years later, it was view of the falls on both Argentinean and Brazilian admitted to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sides. Sites. The adjoining Parque Nacional do Iguaçu Back at the Cataratas Station, we walked to We are pleased in Brazil, formed in 1938, was admitted to the the Upper Circuit, a galvanised steel walkway with to announce that a same list 3 years later, in 1987. Together, the two travel coffee-table 5 viewing platforms for spectacular views of the book, published by national parks cover a total 67,620 hectares for Salto dos Hermanas, Salto Bossetti, Salto Bernabe IEM, is now available the protection of Iguazu Falls, voted as one of for purchase at the Mendez falls as well as some unamed ones. Secretariat: the Seven Natural Wonders Of The World, in a After lunch, my wife and I left the group to global poll in November 2011. In the language explore the falls on our own. We descended to “A Globe-Trotting of the Guaranis, the original inhabitants of the Engineer’s Footprints” the Lower Circuit. This was more than just viewing by Ir. Chin Mee Poon region, who are skilled hunters, gatherers and the falls from different angles. We came to a boatmen, Iguazu means “big water”. When The selling price is platform barely 6m away from the thundering as follows: she visited the Iguazu Falls, former US First Salto Bossetti and were drenched by the mist from Members : RM50 Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was reported to have the water curtain. The mist refracted the sunlight Non-Members : RM55 exclaimed “Poor Niagara!”. into a beautiful rainbow. It was a most exhilarating All proceeds will go to After going through the Argentinean experience! the IEM Building Fund. border control, followed by the Brazilian At the landing below, we could see a line of For more information, immigration across the Iguazu River, we bought tourists waiting for a boat that would take them kindly contact IEM our entrance tickets and boarded a double- Secretariat via really close to the falls. We joined another queue telephone decker electric bus to a resort. This was where of people to cross the channel to the little San 03-7968 4001 we started to walk along a cliff to view the falls and email address at : Martin Island. From there, a flight of steep steps [email protected] from Brazil side. We had only 1½ hours to soak in brought us back to the Upper Circuit and we finally the magnificent views. returned to our hotel by bus at about 6:00p.m. Thank you. The following day, however, we had all With this trip, I have visited the 3 most the time we wanted to enjoy the falls on spectacular waterfalls in the world: Iguazu Falls in Argentinean side. We arrived at the main South America, Victoria Falls in Africa and Niagara entrance of the Argentine Iguazu National Falls in North America. Park at 9:45a.m. From the Visitors Centre, we

Editor’s Note: We welcome contributions from all members on travel stories. June 2016 JURUTERA 43