Wild Side of Life

Iguassu Falls is the most beautiful ecological reserve I've ever visited. It's also the largest. We took off after breakfast for an 8 hour excursion of adrenaline-rushing fun. First up, a walk around the perimeter or edge of the falls on the Brazilian side. An furry-tailed rodent called the Quantis or Coati welcomed us with prying claws and a hungry snout. They look like minature ant eaters but with striped raccoon tails and sharper teeth. To shoot the best footage, I tempted one with my open handbag. There were leftover potatoe chips at the bottom and the smell drove them crazy. Unfortunately the Quantis also bit me twice when I pulled the bag away. One Quantis even took off into the jungle with a ladies purse that held her wallet and passport. I didn't want to risk that happening to me.

After taking photos of the magnificent Iguassu, with heights of up to 300 feet, we decided to go repelling off the side of it. Yes, repelling - you read me right. Iguassu Falls is one of the only places in the world to repell from a suspended bridge. It's exactly 180 feet down and for anyone but Sarge (my Golden Knight Paratrooper father) this is an extremely harrowing drop. I was adamant about taking my video camera but as soon as I was harnessed up, I decided to keep both hands free to manage my rope. The fall was exciting and with the help of Daniele, my Portugeuse suitor (hot, hot, hot) I finished in record time. What normally takes the average repeller 30 minutes took me 5. I love speed and without any dangers holding me back, I let go of the rope (look ma, no hands) and hurled towards the ground. And with such tranquil beauty surrounding me, repelling felt as if I had become part of this scenic portrait called Iguassu.

Following that (yes, there's more) we paddled our way through Level 3 rapids inside the canyon on the Iguassu River. Using inflatable yellow boats and faced with a series of challenging rapids, 6 of us descended without hestitation or doubt. Most of us, including me, have rode white water before and so how much different could Brazil be? I quickly found out. No sooner had we paddled a few feet from the launching point when I went tumbling backwards from a gigantic wave, 10 stories high if it were 1. "Oh Shi***!", here comes another"! And another, and another. I kept falling into the boat (luckily not out of it) and wondering why I was the only one. When I was finally told to squish my right foot under the seat in front of me it was too late. The rapids had morphed into a gigantic swimming hole and that's where we spent nearly 45 minutes enjoying it's waters. The water temperature was warmer than the air and Kristen and Karen resisted getting out. With the sun setting and our ride coming to a close, we left Iguassu teeth chattering and goosebumps on our skin but warm memories of the wilder side of life in Brazil.