South America has so many treasures. Between Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina you’ll find Iguazu Falls, one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. It’s a mammoth 9,500 feet wide and runs a devilish red in places due to coloured soil sediment. You get up close to the water on planked walkways, where you get deafened by the thunderous roar of water and soaked to the skin from the mist spray coming from the Devil’s Throat. Ring-tailed coati and their families are all around too, trotting about with their stripy tails. We stayed nearby at Yacutinga Lodge, a fairytale eco hideout in the rainforest. Here walls are made of coloured glass bottles and the local butterflies have see-through wings – aptly named the glasswing! We stoked our fire burner with logs to keep us warm at night and felt as if we were in a Hansel & Gretel story. You’re woken by a spectacularly loud rainforest dawn chorus before heading into the forests to find the most amazing technicoloured birds. We’d heard Paraguay was the place to get a good deal on cameras and headed over the border and found ourselves in the Wild West…. there’s no border control, just lots of adverts for reconstructive facial surgery and diplomatic passports for sale, plus scores of mopeds with huge boxes smuggling contraband cigarettes into Argentina. We reached the camera shop, guarded by machine gun-equipped guards at the door. We bought our camera with a Paraguayan discount and feeling pleased with ourselves, headed back to safer territory.
South America always delivers an adventure!