h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Barnacle and Hell are working together on entries for other parts of Brasil. Any thoughts are welcome here for and entry on Iguacu Falls.

Okay, here's some starters for Iguacu Falls...

Iguacu Falls are just upstream of the junction of the Rio Iguacu and Rio Parana, where Brasil, Paraguy, and Argentina meet. With a fall of 72 metres and a width of around 3km, it is taller than Niagara and wider than Victoria Falls.

The best way to see the Falls is from the air - most of the local internal flights will make a nice wiggle over the falls to give passengers a view, though TransBrasil fail on this count. If you're feeling rich, then from the Argentinian side you can buy a helicopter trip.

On the other hand, the best view from ground level is from the Brasillian side: take the path that goes into the gorge, don't feed the animals, and walk for half an hour or so to the viewing platform. You *will* get wet, but the sensation from the various viewing platforms is completely spectacular.

From the Argentinian side (you won't need a visa to enter Argentina or Paraguy if you're only staying for the day) you can take trips on the river in large or small boats - including rubber boats that will take you almost into the fall itself. One option is a rubber boat through some of the post-fall rapids, and the return trip on a lorry through of the rain forest.

Alternatively, there are many access points for visitors on foot from the Argentinian side. In particular, you can walk onto the older viewing platforms and see how they're falling away as the river cuts the gorge back, a little further each year.

It's strongly recommended that you don't do any canoeing on the upstream side of the falls

Iguaçú: Lat: 24°34'46S Long: 54°22'16W Timezone: GMT-3

Should there be some info on the touristic region around the waterfalls too (Foz do Iguacu?) or the hydroelectric plant of Itaipu (one of the biggest pieces of engeneering ever.)

The waterfalls are the ones with the biggest volume of water in the world.

There are 150-300 waterfalls (depends on the rain) aranged in a semicircle.

It was declared a Heritage of Humankind by UNESCO in 1986.

Rich wildlife.

Yup, I forgot Foz! Plus the 'how to get there', airport (hang on to your luggage ticket or your luggage will stay there...) and maybe account of day trip to (forgot the name of the place) just over the border in paraguy where everyone grabs the dutyfree (hah!)

Asunción is the name of the duty free town (Gilson guitars, Panasonik videos, Krolex watches and Adddidas sport-shoes) in Paraguay... The bridge linking both countries (directly on the way to Asunción on the Highway BR 277 )should be worth a mention, though. The Friendship Bridge (Ponte da Amizade) was erected in 1965. It is some 550 metres long, and 78m high. It has the longest concrete structure free span in the world (300 m).

[more to come]