There was also another option to enjoy the falls. A wooden board at the side of the highway in the national park in the Brazilian side announced the entrance of the Macuco Safari, a ride through the rainforests to the bank of Iguaçu river. All terrain jeeps with trailers carrying wooden benches for tourists stand waiting.
Though the officials claim that a large number of pumas and jaguars live in the jungle, none were visible during the safari; it would be naive to assume that these wild animals would line up the side of the road, in anticipation of the tourists, like the mongoose family which were lingering near the store selling chips and cold drinks. Our guide spent more time describing the various trees found the rain forests, like the timbauva, whose vines when cut open would give you fresh water, a useful piece of information to know if you are ever trapped in the jungle.
An
inflatable two-engine boat stood at the bank of the
Iguaçu River, which would take us to the base of the
falls, through the mild rapids of the Iguaçu. The other
side of the riverbank, Argentina, also had a similar base for boats. The
boat driver navigated the boat through the rapids, and made sure that
everyone in the boat got wet. As the boat got tossed up in the waves,
people screamed, the driver gave a smile of satisfaction, and took
the boat, upstream through the river towards the
falls.
The clatter of the helicopter which flew above the canyon faded and the sounds of the falls became forceful. Wiping the water off our faces, we saw that we were at the base of the falls called Twin Sisters, an arrogant display of power by nature, of force, of volume and of sound.
The driver stopped
the boat, it swayed in the waves, while we looked at the falls. God
thanks, we had been given plastic bags to protect our cameras from water,
as the driver took the boat straight into the falls, and the moment we
thought we would hit it, he took a sharp U-turn, getting everyone
completely soaked to the skin. It was like being under the tropical shower
without an umbrella. 
Leaving the Iguassu Park after Macuco Safari, I stopped at the so-called Bird Park, to see hundreds of species of tropical and sub-tropical birds.
By a fluke, I got this picture with a toucan. I walked along the bridge and saw a toucan sitting on the handrail. I made a try to speak with the bird to know if she was dangerous. Do not think that was a stuffed bird! The bird was alive and I was afraid if she pecks me. At last, I dared to caress the bird and felt someone snatched out my camera. It was another tourist, who made this picture for me.
I was very amazed of seeing dozens of coloured parrots and was mostly impressed by macaws. Leaving the park, I made a picture with two macaws on my shoulders
. One bird showed interest to a button on my shirt. Simultaneously hearing sounds of my camera's shutter and button broken with bird's beak, I thought: "Thanks, it was not my ear".In the park, first time in my life, I saw hummingbirds. They looked like if they were hawkmoths, not birds. I tried to make a picture, but few people believe that a green dab on the photo is a hummingbird.
Visiting the park was my last tour in Foz do Iguaçu. But I still have some words to say about the congress. >>