A lifeless body strapped to a wooden cross, arms flung in implied surrender, is released to the river by a band of Guarani natives. The waterway takes hold of the human flotsam and heaves it downstream, churning water as it gathers speed and power. Driftwood and passenger ride the river currents up until the edge where they free-fall into a deep, white chasm and are completely swallowed by violent water into nothingness. It is the opening sequence of the acclaimed 1986 film The Mission. The scene is powerful, showcasing the might and grandeur of an enduring South American icon.

Robert de Niro and Jeremy Irons headlined the bill, ably supported by notables Aidan Quinn and Liam Neeson. But the unheralded star of the show — the Iguazú Falls — certainly made its mark although its name did not appear in the credits. Throughout the film, while absorbed by the gripping tale, I anticipated the cataracts’ next appearance onscreen. Unmistakably amazed, I added another place to my list.

Iguazú Falls has Spanish and Portuguese names, Cataratas del Iguazú and Foz do Iguaçu, respectively, because Argentina and Brazil co-own the waterfalls that straddle both countries. In line with the long-standing rivalry between these two South American giants, all visitors are inevitably dragged into another unresolved debate. The question of “Which side is best to view the falls” is as vehemently disputed as “Who is the better football player — Pele or Maradona?”

‘Poor Niagara’

Iguazú comes from the Guarani term “great water.” Yet even “great” seems like a gross underestimation of Iguazú and does not even come close. Eleanor Roosevelt was reportedly overheard lamenting “Poor Niagara” upon laying eyes on the waterfalls. With my first glimpse of this natural wonder, I understood her sentiment. Niagara Falls, breathtaking and impressive in its own right, suddenly appeared second-rate and ordinary. It is no knock on the former; Iguazú Falls is just in a league of its own.

Twice the height and four times as wide as Niagara, Iguazú Falls consist of over 275 cascading walls of water spanning a three-kilometer edge, the most prominent and dramatic of which is the horseshoe-shaped Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s throat) at the far-end of the stretch. The air is constantly perforated with resounding booms and columns of vapour and mist hover above the gorge from the impact of water, flowing at an average 1,746 m3/s, and plunging down 80 meters with inconceivable and unrestrained force.

It is not just the confounding dimensions that further the comparison. Unlike Niagara which is subject to the coldness and dampness of dour North American conditions and to its short distance to urban sprawls, Iguazú Falls is situated in a sub-tropical setting, enclosed by a lush rainforest hosting an extensive range of flora and fauna — 80 mammal classes, 2,000 species of plant and over 450 kinds of birds and innumerable bugs and insects. Sightings of snakes or wildcats along the trails and jungles are not uncommon.