argentina v. brazil

forget soccer. let's talk waterfalls. iguaçu falls marks the border of three countries: paraguay, argentina, and brazil; and paraguay already forfeited the contest by choosing not to make a national park for nature-loving tourists like me. the match was a close one, no doubt:

when we arrived on the argentina side, i could understand more than jim and dad for the first time, well, ever. score 1 for argentina.

at the brazil park entrance a professional map-explainer gave us a detailed overview of all park attractions while making a point not to sell one activity over another. score 1 for brazil.

argentina, we wrapped around several trails to get cozy with the falls. see garganta del diablo (devil's throat), right. score 1.

and argentina had the macuco trail through a sub-tropical forest home to monkeys, snakes, and birds aplenty. but the animals were feeling pretty camera-shy and forgot to borrow binocs from spivey. miss 1.

brazil, on the other hand, offered a super-hot trail guide, trail biking, alligator-spotting (they were divas enough), and kayaking on the iguaçu river. score 1 brazil.

and brazil had the panoramic views. which were killer at sunset. score 2, brazil.

but argentina came back with a sweet ride under the falls. as in motor boat ride around several of the falls, then don't mind if i back right in. better than cedar point, no doubt. score 1.

it was a close match, but brazil took home the trophy with a 4-3. so forget what the internet tells you, or outdated guidebooks, or even your well-meaning hostel staffer. brazil is better. always.