Tropical Christmas Eve
No white Christmas this year.
We flew into Puerto Iguazú on the 24th, trading urban streets for warm air, dense greenery and an entirely different kind of landscape, and took a taxi to our hotel, Hotel Saint George. During our drive we saw roadside warning signs that pointed out local wildlife: coatis, wild cats, things you definitely don’t expect to see on a normal city commute.
After dropping our bags, we walked to a nearby restaurant we’d spotted on the way to the hotel. No big Christmas feast, no long plans — just food, tired legs and a calm first evening in a completely new setting.
Later that night closer to midnight, fireworks started going off. Mostly we heard them rather than saw them, but from the balcony we could catch glimpses of light above the treetops. Not a traditional Christmas by any stretch — but somehow very fitting for this trip.
Butterflies, boardwalks and a growing roar
The next morning, it was finally time.
We headed to the Argentinian side of the Iguazu falls after breakfast. The park itself is well organised, with wide boardwalks, clear routes and a small train that takes you deeper into the area. We hopped on the train towards Garganta del Diablo, knowing that this was supposed to be the highlight — but still not quite prepared for what that actually meant.
It was only after stepping off the train, at the very start of the walkway towards Garganta del Diablo, that the jungle truly announced itself. Butterflies appeared seemingly out of nowhere — swirling around us, landing on clothes, backpacks and shoulders — turning the walk into something straight out of a nature documentary.
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| Butterfly here, butterfly there, butterflies everywhere |
Garganta del Diablo 👹
The closer we got, the louder it became.
The river widened, the air grew heavier with mist, and then suddenly the ground seemed to end. Garganta del Diablo isn’t just something you look at — it’s something you feel. The noise is constant and powerful, the water disappearing into a massive drop right in front of you.
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| Garganta del Diablo |
We stood there for a good while, watching the water crash down and rise again as spray, before slowly making our way back.
Around us, coatis — raccoon-like animals native to the area — wandered around with impressive confidence. They were clearly used to people and showed little fear, strolling past backpacks and legs as if this were their living room. Still, reminder signs were everywhere: wild animals nonetheless, and not to be fed.
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| Coatis |
Walking it back
On the way back, we walked the lower trails as well. More views, more water, more butterflies — some of which seemed determined to hitch a ride on our clothes.
By the time we headed out of the park, everyone was tired in the best possible way: full of impressions, slightly damp, and quietly impressed.
And this was only one side.
Brazil: Borders, Birds and Bargain Ubers
The next day it was time to switch countries again.
We hopped on a Rio Uruguay bus heading towards Foz do Iguaçu, ready for our Brazilian chapter. Crossing the Argentinian border went smoothly and without any drama. So far, so good.
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| Argentinian border crossing |
Not long after, the bus stopped again. Most passengers stayed seated, looking completely unbothered. We exchanged slightly confused looks — was this it? Was this the Brazilian border? A quick bit of Googling revealed that locals don’t even need to get off the bus for Brazilian immigration.
Just as the bus started moving again and we realised we were about to miss our stop entirely! Sini sprang into action, rushing forward and urgently asking the driver to open the doors. A small moment of chaos later, we were out, backpacks with us, and heading for border formalities.
By the time we were done, the bus was long gone.
There was no clear information about the next one either, so we waited for a moment, weighing our options. Then I checked ride apps — and there it was. An Uber, ready to pick us up for the grand total of two euros. Decision made instantly.
A few minutes later we were cruising towards Hotel Golden Park, amused at how absurdly easy (and cheap) that solution turned out to be.
Small joys of modern travel
One of the quiet pleasures of travelling these days is just how effortless some things have become. Ride apps in particular have been a constant favourite: open the app, type in the destination, hop in, and the payment takes care of itself in the background.
(With the notable exception of our earlier Cabify episode, where a card got temporarily locked for “suspicious activity”. Luckily after getting things solved with the bank, that was easily worked around by switching the payment method to Google Pay or PayPal).
The same goes for staying connected. Using an eSIM like Airalo has made things refreshingly simple: data works across borders without hunting for SIM cards or worrying about surprise roaming charges. Maps load, ride apps work, quick Google searches settle small uncertainties and make sure the nearest restaurant doesn't have tons of one star reviews.
It’s hard not to think back to travelling around Southeast Asia almost 20 years ago (woah!), before smartphones were everywhere — with a Lonely Planet stuffed in a backpack, flipping through dog-eared pages, circling guesthouse names with a pen and then walking around town asking door to door if there happened to be a room free. Sometimes there was, sometimes there wasn’t — and that uncertainty was just part of the deal.
Shawarma in Brazil?
But enough of memory lane — back to the current trip and Brazil.
After check-in, hunger hit fast. We wandered out and ended up at Shawarma Star, which was not exactly what we expected to find in Brazil. Sitting there, eating Middle Eastern food in South America, felt a bit odd — but the service was incredibly friendly, the shawarma was delicious, and the bill was very modest.
It turned out the area has a noticeable Middle Eastern influence, and shawarma places are actually quite common around here — so maybe not that strange after all.
So far, Brazil was making a very good impression.
Birds, Boardwalks and the Brazilian Side of the Falls
The following day we Ubered to Parque das Aves, the bird park right next to the entrance of the falls. It turned out to be a fantastic stop, especially with a junior traveller in tow.
Flamingos, parrots, toucans, and even a couple of freely flying hummingbirds to mention just a few — all set in lush tropical surroundings. A calm, colourful way to ease into the day before heading to the waterfalls.
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| A cute toucan posing for the photo |
At the Brazilian side of Iguazú Falls the queues were long. Very long. Thankfully, years of Finnish upbringing had prepared us well for disciplined waiting. After lining up, hopping on a bus, and waiting some more, we finally reached the viewpoints.
From this side, the experience was very different. Standing across the river, we could see places we had walked through just two days before on the Argentinian side. The scale really hit home here — waterfall after waterfall stretching far into the distance.
The final boardwalk led straight into the spray, soaking everyone who dared to walk all the way to the end. The bridge was packed with people, so it was time to enjoy the queues again. There was no escaping the humidity, but at that point the cool water mist felt refreshing rather than annoying.
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| More waterfalls, this time on the Brazilian side |
After that came a gift shop, a short walk — and naturally, more queuing. This time to get out.
Heat, Hunger and a Very Good Decision
By the time we made it back to the hotel, hunger had fully caught up with us. We hadn’t managed to eat properly all day, the temperature hovered around 35°C, and the step count was… ambitious.
So we did the sensible thing and headed straight to the hotel restaurant.
It turned out to be an excellent call.
The food was ridiculously good, the prices almost suspiciously low, and the whole experience left us wondering if maybe we should’ve planned to stay in Brazil a bit longer...
As if the falls hadn’t already set the tone, the night came with a proper tropical thunderstorm. The kind you only really encounter in tropical parts of the world — loud, intense and close enough to be felt as much as heard. Thunder rolled, lightning lit up the sky, and the hotel itself was vibrating along with it. A fittingly dramatic send-off.
I might have mentioned this before, but I find that kind of weather fascinating. There’s something about the raw power of it that’s hard to look away from.
Sini, on the other hand, would much prefer experiencing it from three layers under the duvet, closed in a soundproof chamber in complete darkness, as far away from windows as possible.
And the boy wasn’t even aware there was thunder at all — he slept like Cinderella on industrial-strength sedatives, despite the storm shaking the whole hotel. Impressive stuff!
One More Day in Brazil: Pool Time and a missed Tomahawk
Our last full day in Brazil was intentionally low-key.
After a fairly full-on stretch of borders, waterfalls, heat and walking, we slowed things down properly. We spent part of the day at a nearby shopping mall, and the rest mostly by the pool. Enjoying the sun, the water and some well-made caipirinha. Not bad at all.
This trip also happened to mark my 50th country visited, and the idea of celebrating that milestone with a massive tomahawk steak had been floating around for a while. But after eating at the mall and letting the relaxed afternoon drift into evening, we decided not to force it. The tomahawk would have to wait.
Back to Argentina: Easy Borders and Heavy Metal
The next day we went for the easiest option possible and booked a direct transfer from our hotel in Foz do Iguaçu back to the Argentinian side, to Raíces Esturión Hotel.
After checking in, we headed out on foot to see the Triple Frontier, where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet. It’s one of those places that’s more about the idea than the spectacle itself — but still worth seeing when you’re already there. We also paid a visit to the Iguazú sign, wandered a bit, and grabbed something to eat before calling it an early evening.
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| Iguazu sign around sunset |
With an early flight coming up, at the hotel we booked our airport transfer in advance and kept the night calm.
The next morning started early. 6:00 am Breakfast, collecting bags, and then into the car. As we drove towards the airport, the driver had Metallica and Rammstein playing on the stereo. The music earned him a bigger-than-usual tip and the fellow metal-head seamed very pleased.
That wrapped up our Iguazú chapter. Beautiful waterfalls and nature, lots of walking in the heat — and worth every step. On to the next one.
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