Words and photos by Matt Dursum
Over a glass of fresh pressed sugar cane juice, my girlfriend and I went over our time in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil with our Airbnb host, driver, and all-around great guy, Thiago Kim. Born in Argentina, Kim has since lived for several years on the Brazilian side of the falls and on top of running several Airbnbs, he runs a tourism company.
For a week, we relied on Kim’s generosity and local insight. We set a packed schedule, to get to know Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná state’s 7th largest city and home to giants of nature and engineering, as best as we could.
River Fish and Endless Fruit
Food often cements people’s sense of place and home. On our first day in Foz do Iguaçu, we walked to the neighborhood supermarket to not only stock up on groceries but to see what people are cooking. As we expected, the butcher shop takes center stage. To our surprise, an equally impressive display of fruit and vegetables surrounded the gigantic shrine to carnivorous desire. Brazil has some of the world’s most diverse produce. A few of the Foz do Iguaçu region’s native plants like Yerba Mate and passion fruit are common household staples worldwide.
Fortunately, on days we didn’t want to cook up our own beans, rice, and farofa, we dined at Sabor do Peixe Petiscaria. This locally cherished, no-frills fish restaurant serves several varieties of simply prepared river fish dishes. We ordered several plates of fried fish and washed them down with local beer. In Foz do Iguaçu and the State of Paraná, many people proudly survive off the big, meaty river fish that live in these waterways.
A Land of Immigrants
At 8am on a weekday, we stepped out into the morning sun and joined our host on a daylong drive through Foz do Iguaçu with a brief side excursion into Paraguay’s Ciudad del Este. After quickly crossing the border back into Brazil, we set off to explore the cultural landscape of the city and its most important monument. First, we had to eat. Downtown, Thiago Kim took us to the super popular Brazilian buffet Seletto Restaurante. Here, we piled our plates high with simple yet delicious greens, stews, and other Brazilian staples.
Full and ready to get to know the city, we headed to our first stop, the Mesquita de Foz do Iguaçu. This beautiful mosque has become one of the symbols of the city’s immigrant heritage. The city’s Lebanese and Muslim community built the mosque in 1983. Since then, Halal restaurants, tours, and gift shops have opened up around it, catering to tourists and the local community.
After being shown around and visiting the beautiful inside, we headed north to visit the expansive Chen Tien Buddhist Temple. We casually entered the grounds and admired the towering Buddha statues and gardens. Inside the grounds, incense burns in a large traditional incense pot near the entrance of the temple. We tiptoed through the grounds, amazed that such a large temple exists in this remote corner of Brazil. Since its inception in 1996, the temple has served the Chinese community who call this region home.
The Giant of Itaipu
After our reflective walk around the temple grounds, we drove out to the colossal Itaipu Dam. After an energy agreement between Paraguay and Brazil, construction started in 1971 and ended in 1984. Over 40,000 workers built the dam and used enough iron and steel to build almost 400 Eiffel Towers. The dam became the largest hydro-electric dam in the world and began supplying Brazil and Paraguay with an immense amount of clean energy.
The environmentally friendly and efficient energy was made even more attractive after a large portion of forest around the dam was preserved as an ecological preserve and wildlife sanctuary. Even so, the project caused unimaginable destruction to native habitats.
What most people forget is that upon completion, the dam’s rising flood waters swallowed one of the world’s largest waterfalls known as the Guaira Falls. The immense volume of water from the Paraná River once roared through a series of 18 towering cascades. The falls once competed with the nearby Iguaçu Falls for visitors. Today, the once glorified falls are merely a memory, hidden forever under a large reservoir behind the dam.
Wildlife Abounds
Throughout our stay, we witnessed the omnipresence of beautiful wildlife. From packs of capybaras to majestic hawks and parakeets, Foz do Iguaçu is a wonderland for colorful critters. To top it all off are the jaguars. The large and powerful predators make their home in the surrounding jungle and almost everyone we spoke to said they’ve seen one or two while driving home from work.
One of the best displays of wildlife is the Parque das Aves bird park. Visiting the over 130 species of rare and endemic birds was a treat. Two foreign animal lovers built the park in the early 90s and the park has since evolved as one of the city’s top attractions. Inside, we meandered through large open enclosures with Harpy Eagles, toucans, macaws, and other Atlantic Forest species threatened by deforestation. The park’s mission is to preserve and raise awareness of the Atlantic Forest biome, home to around 8% of the earth’s species.
The River of Giants
What drives thousands of people to come to Foz do Iguaçu are the Iguazu falls. Magical beyond belief, these roaring cascades are one of the wonders of the natural world. Shared by Argentina and Brazil, we chose to visit the Brazilian side first.
Parque Nacional do Iguaçu is the well kept and well-organized national park where you can experience the falls. We took a short bus ride from the park entrance and began our hike along the towering cliffs overlooking the falls. The rain from the previous week had been relentless and the water level was at a yearly high.
As we hiked into the Garganta do Diabo overlook, which stared straight into the famous horseshoe formation on the Argentinian side known as La Garganta del Diablo. We walked out onto the narrow platform. Water sprayed us like a high-pressure hose. Soaking and smiling ear to ear, we took in this overwhelming sight, motionless and in awe.
Ending at the Fronteras
On our last night we drove to the Marco das Três Fronteiras monument to enjoy the sunset. This monument stands at the convergence of the mighty Paraná and Iguazu Rivers, overlooking Argentina and Paraguay.
The brightly lit ferris wheel and the soon to be finished Puente de la Integración Bridge, connecting Paraguay with Brazil. We barely made it as the sun was going down. The landmark was filled to the brim with people enjoying the monument and its scenery. As the sun crept below the horizon over Paraguay’s forested shoreline, we enjoyed chatting with our host and reflecting on the city and its importance to this corner of the world.