Until early in the 16th-century, the vast region which is now Brazil was inhabited by people living in tribal communities. Portuguese sailors arrived in 1500 and claimed the new land as a colony. One of the dark hallmarks of the ensuing era was the importation of thousands of African slaves to serve as labor for the development of the new territory.
During this period, Brazil’s natural resources were being traded as far away as Ireland. According to tradition, the country’s name comes from one of those resources, the red pau-brasil wood (brasil meaning ember-like in appearance). Some say the name goes back further to a mythic Irish land of “Hy-Brazil,” home to red minerals used for dye desired by the Phoenicians. Either way, it is clear that Brazil’s riches were highly sought after by traders and mariners.
Brazil was ruled from afar until 1808 when the advance of Napolean’s army made the Portuguese royal family flee to Rio de Janiero, where they established a government for 13 years. But when most of the royals returned to Portugal in 1822, the king’s son remained and declared Brazil an independent nation-with himself as emperor. This version of liberty survived for 60 years, a time that included the end of slavery, but a popular coup deposed the emperor and created a federal republic in 1889.
A long series of easily forgettable presidents, backed by strong coffee and rubber economies, brought about some industrial and urban development during what’s known as the Old Republic. In 1930, after his running mate was assassinated, presidential candidate Getulio Vargas seized power via a military coup rather than an election. In 1945 his dictatorship ended in another coup. He returned to the political scene with a populist platform and was elected president in 1951. Half way through his term, he was linked to the attempted assassination of a political rival and with the military calling for his resignation, he shot himself.
The next elected president, Juscelino Kubitschek, a visionary decided to replace the capital of Rio de Janeiro with a grand, new, modern one that would be built in the middle of nowhere. When Brasilia was inaugurated in 1960, there wasn’t a penny left in the coffers, but key sectors of the economy such as the auto industry were functioning at full steam.
On this day we departed our hotel at 9:30am bound for the Argentinean side of the falls. The border from Brazil to Argentina is just a few miles from our hotel but crossing the border is not always so easy. Passports from all guests were collected by our local guide and presented to border security on the Brazilian side of the Iguazu River. Once the passports were stamped we crossed the river and then had to stop on the Argentinean side to have our passports checked again. We would repeat this again on the way home in the afternoon.
Once in Argentina we entered the National Park where we left our bus for a day of exploring the park and the falls. We headed out on foot through the sub-tropical jungle paths towards several very large waterfalls called the “Two Sisters” followed by a smaller waterfall called “Chico”. From there we continued walking on mostly elevated metal walkways with railings and grate style floors made to allow the water to run through the pathways. The grate also allowed a non-slip surface when wet and prevented people from disturbing the natural environment. The main falls are nearly two miles in length. More than 60,000 cubic feet of water per second flows over the falls in the wet season.
After exploring the mile or so long upper trail, we stopped for some free time to have lunch before proceeding. We had several small empanadas filled with ham and cheese and beef for lunch. In the area where we had lunch there were many animals that resembled raccoons with long stiped tails and long pointed noses, called “Coaties,” that were aggressively wanting to share. To keep guests safe from the animals they had a caged in dining area with picnic tables where you could eat without fear of the small animals and their stealing tendencies.
After lunch we boarded a small train with about ten open air cars to transport us further north where we would see the “Devil’s Throat,” the largest of the falls. From the train station we had to walk on another elevated pathway, mostly over water and many small islands of land, about a mile to the top of the waterfall. Once at the fall there is a large observation deck where you can see the top of the Devil’s Throat waterfall that drops some 3,500 feet to the ground below. The spray that is created by the force of the water merging at this place makes it impossible to see the bottom of the fall. If you spend much time on the observation deck you are completely soaked but it is hot and humid so the cool spray feels nice.
After a mile walk back to the train station, we boarded the train again to begin a short ride back to take the lower trail for a walk to the bottom of the falls to gain another perspective. The walk is a bit of a steep hill going down to the falls and equally as steep coming back up the hill. Once at the bottom of the trail we walk on elevated paths to see the base of the Two Sisters’ waterfalls, the Chico waterfall and finally an enormous waterfall called Bosetti. The power of the water and the noise that it makes as the water falls is unbelievable.
While in the national park, we saw several varieties of animals: a Cayman (a small crocodile) sunning himself, many large catfish, beautiful butterflies of all colors (ranging from small-dime sized wings to more traditional sizes), monkeys, birds and Coaties.
After we completed the lower trail we boarded our bus for the trip back to our hotel. To get there our tour guide had to present our passports at both countries’ border checks. The evening was free so we had dinner in the hotel at an Italian restaurant. The food was beautifully presented on plates with micro greens and fresh flower petals for garnishing. We had a caprice salad, an antipasto plate, a steak saltimbocca and a bowl of pasta carbonara with two bottles of water. About $37.50 including the tax and tip.
When we checked in at the hotel they provided us with pink colored wrist bands that have a chip in them. You wear the bands wherever you go and can shower or go in the pool with them. Any time you purchase anything at the hotel they simply scan your wristband with a cellphone they carry and it bill your room account for your purchase. For example, at dinner they scanned our wrist band to charge our room for the dinner.
Kufikia karne ya 16, eneo kubwa ambalo sasa ni Brazili lilikuwa na watu walioishi katika makundi ya kikabila. Meli za Ureno ziliwasili huko mwaka 1500 na kuanzisha koloni. Mojawapo ya alama za giza za enzi iliyofuata ilikuwa uagizaji wa maelfu ya watumwa Waafrika ili kutumikia kama kazi kwa ajili ya maendeleo ya eneo jipya. Katika kipindi hicho, maliasili za Brazili zilikuwa zikizalishwa hadi Ireland. Kulingana na mapokeo, jina la nchi hiyo linatokana na mojawapo ya rasilimali hizo, mbao nyekundu ya pau-brasil (brasil inamaanisha rangi ya makaa ya mawe). Wengine husema kwamba jina hilo linatokana na nchi ya Ireland ya <unk>Hy-Brazil,<unk> ambayo ilikuwa makao ya madini mekundu yaliyotumiwa kutengeneza rangi iliyotamaniwa na Wafoinike. Kwa vyovyote vile, ni wazi kwamba utajiri wa Brazili ulitafutwa sana na wafanyabiashara na mabaharia. Brazil ilitawaliwa kutoka mbali hadi 1808 wakati maendeleo ya jeshi la Napoleon yalifanya familia ya kifalme ya Ureno kukimbilia Rio de Janeiro, ambapo walianzisha serikali kwa miaka 13. Lakini wakati wafalme wengi waliporudi Ureno mwaka 1822, mwana wa mfalme alibaki na kutangaza Brazil kuwa taifa huru - akiwa yeye mwenyewe kama maliki. Huo uhuru ulidumu kwa miaka 60, wakati ambao ulijumuisha mwisho wa utumwa, lakini mapinduzi ya watu yaliondoa maliki na kuunda jamhuri ya shirikisho mnamo 1889. Mfululizo mrefu wa marais wanaosahaulika kwa urahisi, wakitegemezwa na uchumi wenye nguvu wa kahawa na mpira, walileta maendeleo fulani ya viwanda na mijini wakati wa kile kinachojulikana kama Jamhuri ya Kale. Baada ya kuuawa kwa mshirika wake, Getulio Vargas, aliyekuwa mgombea urais, alishinda uchaguzi wa urais mwaka 1930. Mwaka 1945 utawala wake ulikoma kwa mapinduzi mengine. Alirudi kwenye siasa na kuongoza chama cha populist na kuchaguliwa kuwa rais mwaka 1951. Wakati wa kipindi chake cha uongozi, alishtakiwa kwa mauaji ya mpinzani wake wa kisiasa na baada ya jeshi kumtaka ajiuzulu, alijipiga risasi. Rais wa pili, Juscelino Kubitschek, aliamua kubadilisha mji mkuu wa Rio de Janeiro na mji mpya wa kisasa ambao ungejengwa katikati ya mahali pasipo na watu. Wakati Brasilia ilifunguliwa mnamo 1960, hakukuwa na senti moja iliyobaki katika hazina, lakini sekta muhimu za uchumi kama vile tasnia ya magari zilikuwa zikifanya kazi kwa kasi. Siku hiyo tuliondoka hoteli yetu saa 9:30 asubuhi kuelekea upande wa Argentina wa maporomoko hayo ya maji. Mpaka wa Brazil na Argentina uko kilomita chache tu kutoka hoteli yetu lakini kuvuka mpaka si rahisi kila wakati. Pasipoti za wageni wote zilikusanywa na mwongozo wetu wa mahali hapo na kuonyeshwa kwa usalama wa mpaka upande wa Brazili wa Mto Iguazu. Baada ya vibali vyao kuandikwa, tulivuka mto na kisha tukalazimika kusimama upande wa Argentina ili vibali vyetu vikakaguliwa tena. Tulirudia jambo hilo tena tulipokuwa tukirudi nyumbani alasiri. Baada ya kufika Argentina, tulikwenda kwenye Hifadhi ya Kitaifa, ambako tuliacha basi letu ili tutembelee bustani na maporomoko ya maji. Tulitembea kwa miguu kupitia njia za msitu wa kitropiki kuelekea maporomoko kadhaa makubwa sana yanayoitwa "Dada Mbili" ikifuatiwa na maporomoko madogo yanayoitwa "Chico". Kutoka hapo tuliendelea kutembea kwenye vijia vya chuma vilivyoinuliwa, vyenye mipaka na sakafu ya aina ya gridi iliyoundwa ili kuruhusu maji kutiririka kupitia vijia. Gridi pia iliruhusu uso usio na kuteleza wakati wa unyevu na kuzuia watu wasivurugie mazingira ya asili. Maporomoko ya maji makuu yana urefu wa kilometa mbili hivi. Maji zaidi ya mita za kiunzi 60,000 kwa sekunde hutiririka juu ya maporomoko ya maji katika msimu wa mvua. Baada ya kuchunguza njia ya juu ya maili moja au zaidi, tulisimama kwa muda fulani wa bure ili kula chakula cha mchana kabla ya kuendelea. Tulikula empanadas kadhaa ndogo zilizojaa ham na jibini na nyama ya ng'ombe kwa chakula cha mchana. Katika eneo ambapo tulikula chakula cha mchana kulikuwa na wanyama wengi ambao walionekana kama raccoons na mikia mirefu stipped na pua ndefu pointed, aitwaye <unk>Coaties,<unk> kwamba walikuwa aggressively wanataka kushiriki. Kwa ajili ya kuwalinda wageni na wanyama, walijenga chumba cha kulia chakula na meza za matembezi ambapo watu wangeweza kula bila kuogopa wanyama wadogo na mwelekeo wao wa kuiba. Baada ya chakula cha mchana tulipanda gari-moshi dogo lenye magari kumi ya hewa ya wazi ili kutupeleka kaskazini zaidi ambapo tungeweza kuona "Mkongo wa Ibilisi", mkubwa zaidi wa maporomoko hayo. Kutoka kituo cha gari-moshi tulilazimika kutembea kwenye njia nyingine iliyoinuka, hasa juu ya maji na visiwa vingi vidogo vya ardhi, karibu maili moja hadi juu ya maporomoko ya maji. Katika maporomoko ya maji, kuna jukwaa kubwa la kutazama ambapo unaweza kuona sehemu ya juu ya maporomoko ya maji ya Devil's Throat ambayo huanguka mita 3,500 chini ya ardhi. Mvuke unaotokezwa na nguvu ya maji yanayoshirikiana katika eneo hili hufanya iwe vigumu kuona chini ya maporomoko hayo. Wakati wa kupumzika kwenye deck ya kutazama, unaweza kuonekana kama umechomwa kabisa, lakini kwa sababu ya joto na unyevu, unaweza kufurahia kuogelea. Baada ya kutembea kilomita moja hadi kituo cha gari moshi, tulipanda tena gari moshi ili kuanza safari fupi ya kurudi na kuchukua njia ya chini ya kutembea hadi chini ya maporomoko ya maji ili kupata mtazamo mwingine. Kutembea ni kidogo ya kilima mwinuko kwenda chini ya maporomoko ya maji na sawa kama mwinuko kuja nyuma juu ya kilima. Mara baada ya chini ya njia sisi kutembea juu ya njia elevated kuona msingi wa Two Sisters'maporomoko ya maji, Chico maporomoko ya maji na hatimaye maporomoko makubwa ya maji aitwaye Bosetti. Nguvu ya maji na kelele inayotokezwa na maji yanapoanguka ni ya ajabu sana. Katika Hifadhi ya Taifa, tuliona aina kadhaa za wanyama: Cayman (mamba mdogo) sunning mwenyewe, catfish wengi kubwa, vipepeo nzuri ya rangi zote (kuanzia mabawa ndogo-dime ukubwa kwa ukubwa wa jadi zaidi), nyani, ndege na Coati. Baada ya kumaliza njia ya chini tulipanda basi letu kwa ajili ya safari ya kurudi hoteli yetu. Ili kufika huko, mwongozo wetu wa kusafiri ulilazimika kuonyesha pasipoti zetu kwenye ukaguzi wa mpaka wa nchi zote mbili. Jioni ilikuwa bure kwa hiyo tulikula chakula cha jioni katika hoteli katika mkahawa wa Kiitaliano. Chakula hicho kilitolewa kwa uzuri kwenye sahani zenye mboga ndogo-ndogo na petali za maua safi ili kuupamba. Tulikula saladi ya caprice, sahani ya antipasto, steak saltimbocca na bakuli la pasta carbonara na chupa mbili za maji. Kwa mfano, $ 37.50 kwa kila mtu, ikiwa ni pamoja na kodi na bakshishi. Tulipokuwa tukihamia hoteli walituandalia mikanda ya mkono yenye rangi ya waridi yenye chip ndani yake. Vifaa hivyo vinaweza kutumiwa kila mahali, na unaweza kuoga au kuogelea pamoja navyo. Wakati wowote unaponunua kitu chochote kwenye hoteli, wao hupiga simu yako ya mkononi na kuingiza pesa kwenye akaunti yako ya chumba. Kwa mfano, wakati wa chakula cha jioni walichunguza kamba yetu ya mkono ili kulipia chumba chetu kwa ajili ya chakula cha jioni.