Itaipu & Iguazu – the birds-eye view!

As I mentioned last time, after our multiple waterfall-showers, it was time to take a helicopter ride to check out Itaipu and Iguazu from above…

We signed up for the flight, paid, showed up on time, spent about 40 minutes standing in line – and off we choppered!…

Here’s what the Iguazu River looks like in its lower course just before it flows into the Paraná River:

There’s the bridge between Brazil and Argentina – the one you need to drive over if you want to see the waterfalls from the other side ->

And here’s the new bridge between Brazil and Paraguay, and the confluence of the muddy waters of the Iguazu and the clear ones of the Paraná (the very “mouth” that gave Foz (Mouth) do Iguaçu its name) ->

To the left – Paraguay and the city of Ciudad del Este; to the right – Brazil and Foz do Iguaçu:

Over there: Brazil ->

And over there: Paraguay ->

The old (first) bridge between the two countries:

And it’s always jammed with traffic:

And way over there the Itaipu Dam is already coming into view:

Oh my gigantic! ->

That’s the man-made waterway that lets migrating fish get around the dam (it brings to mind the failed attempt to build something similar in Kamchatka) ->

So how do people live out in the suburbs of Iguaçu? Something like this ->

Not everyone’s rich, but… are those swimming pools in the back garden? ->

We’re flying along the Iguazu River again…

Over there’s where we boarded the motorboat to go rafting under the waterfalls ->

And these are the rapids we went down:

Here come the waterfalls:

Before the falls, the Iguazu flows unhurriedly, comfortably, lazily ->

Just a few little fast patches here and there:

And then with all its might it plunges 80 meters down…

80 meters is the maximum height, but a large part of the waterfall is made up of multi-level cascades, which are also amazingly beautiful:

On the Argentine side there’s a walkway leading to the very best view of the falls:

We’re above Brazil; over there – Argentina:

The whole picture:

Another circle in the helicopter…

Another chopper…

Ok, let’s circle around together!…

…There’s enough beauty here for everyone:

And that was that: aerial Itaipu and Iguazu – done. And guess what?…

Highly recommended!…