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  Marcelo Sola |
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The roads in the forest took hold of our existence. Wild reds and greens invited us to go along them to discover Guaraní chamanes' puzzles.
Puerto Iguazú is no longer a touristic place to be visited in two days. True evidence of that are the intense and interesting activities that the operators of the area have developed for the tourist to stay longer in the region. To the traditional visits to Iguazú Falls- from the Argentinean and Brazilian sides- nautical tours, visits to Guaraní communities, photographic safaries in Misiones forest, visits to the waterfalls in full moon nights and a renovated adventure tourism that combines crossings in 4x4 vehicles, trekking, tope rope, cannopy and rappel immersed in Iguazú National Park are added to the offer. As soon as we knew about this offer, we wanted to investigate a bit more about it and, for that purpose, we contacted people of Iguazú Forest who invited us to go on adventure tourism activities that take place in a circuit located in the Forest Reservation of Puerto Península, 7 kilometers away from Puerto Iguazú on the ravinated verge of Paraná River. Optimate temperature, no humidity and a sky with few clowds promised us an intense day in the middle of Paraná jungle, a kind of forest which is subtropical with unique biodiversity in the world. We were advised to wear comfortable clothes and to take a change of them to wear after experiencing the rappel from a waterfall. When we heard that, we imagined "Indiana Jones" style, going down in a precise way from the waterfall. |
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They picked us up very punctually at the hotel we were staying and we went in a rush along a gravelled road to Iguazú Forest "action area".
After riding 7 kilometers from Puerto Iguazú, the vehicle using the 4 wheel drive most of the time, we got into thick Misiones Forest and arrived to the most interesting circuit of ecotourism in the area of the three frontiers. We got off and started enjoying the trekking, as we identified different species of flora, discovered the "competences" and "balance" in the marvellous world of nature. |
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We walked on natural rugs towards one of the most important "eco-labs" of vegetable kingdom. Our guide explained to us that , in that area, we can find many of the components in medicines that we buy at pharmacies. We saw ferns, giant nettles, orchids and trees older than 150 years such as cedars, ceibos, "ibirapitás" or "María Pretas" surrounded by climbing and hanging lianas.
During the walk, we listened to many sounds generated by the birds of the place. However, due to the perenial foliage of the forest, we could hardly watch them. After the trekking, we went to the area of giant cassias where we were given all safety equipment- harnesses, helmets- plus the assistance of the specialized personel of Iguazú Forest, to go up a rope ladder till a platform located at the top of the tree which is more than 30 meters tall. From the wooden floor, we could appreciate the whole "roof" of the forest. |
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After some minutes contemplating, we were invited to go on a cannopy or "bird flight" from the wooden roof where we were standing to another tree. Letting the force of gravity act freely, as we launched in the "tyrolese", hunging from a cape to the other vegetal, is an indescribable experience. In an attempt to feel freedom, we opened our arms and the breeze huged us making us believe that we had wings, wings to fly.
“¡¡¡Yuujuuu!!!” was all we could shout as we were welcomed by the assistant of the other platform. Completely excited at the experience at the air, we went through a path to the fall from where we would do the rappel. A fresh and fantastic waterfall in the middle of the jungle would be the departing point to do the new activity. After a demonstration and listening to a safety chat, we dared to feel the weight of water falling on our bodies as we went down the fall. |
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Adrenalin, concentration and right movements... all that is necessary to go down the fall successfully. Water drenches us, freshness invades us and, almost without realising,we go down 35 meters. Joy and mutual acknowledgement are achieved as the rest of the partipants land. After changing clothes, we went back to the van to return to the city.
In the return journey, the guide caught our atention by means of telling us about different aspects of guaraní culture. Guides learnt a lot from them to be able to stay so long in the forest. He told us that each tribe has a "chamán", a kind of wiseman and " wizard-doctor" to whom Guaraní people ask permission to get married, to choose their kids' names, or even to ask for medicines- natural, of course- in case of illnesses. It seems that these people live in a contineous trance, going to another dimension from where they get all the answers, recipes and names to give to the members of the tribe. After this enigmatic explanation, the silence of Misiones forest invaded us. It is fantastic to appreciate how nature designed this paradisiac and enviable topography. Weariness took hold of us after the expedition and, when we relaxed, we felt pleased at the shared moments and let ourselves go back to civilization. n>Useful Information Lasts: 5 hours. In the morning or afternoon. |
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See also: Hotels in Puerto Iguazú and other accommodation venues |
| Contact: Iguazú Forest Entre Ríos 66 (3370) Puerto Iguazú - Misiones Tel: +54 (3757) 421140 Fax: +54 (3757) 423096 |
| Back to Puerto Iguazú |
© 2003-2008 Total or partial reproduction forbidden. Derechos de Autor 675246 Ley 11723