February 21
With the build over, the team piled into a van and headed across Paraguay to see an incredible natural wonder, Iguazu Falls. But before getting into that, here are a few of my layperson’s reflections about Paraguay.
Paraguay is generally not on many tourists’ itineraries. Landlocked in central South America, it lacks the beaches of Brazil, the mountains of Chile and the iconic cultural references like Machu Picchu. Paraguay may not be a magnet for the Angst-a-gram crowd, but in a world with newfound interest in minority culture we can learn a lesson or two from here.
First, everyone in Paraguay is educated in Spanish and Guarani, the main Aboriginal language and language of the working class. That’s everyone from the farmer in Chaco to the President in Asuncion speaks Guarani. The daily presence of the language gives Paraguay a living link to its pre-European past and ensures that Guarani will continue to be a viable language at a time when so many Aboriginal languages are disappearing.
The second fascinating turn of history is the legacy of the War of the Triple Alliance in the 1860s during which Paraguay, the richest and most powerful country in the region, grew too big for their britches and got routed by an alliance of Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia. The war was so devastating for Paraguay it is estimated that more than 70% of the male population died. As women had to assume much of the work typically done by men, the legacy of the war has been a more matriarchal society than any of its neighbours.
Now back to the roadtrip to Iguazu. On the six hour drive, our tour guide told us we absolutely had to stop for chipa at Paraguay’s most famius chipa bakery, Chiperia Maria Ana. Chipas are bagel-shaped pasteries made of dense dough filled with cheese. Paraguayans are crazy for them. A recipe can be found here: Chipas
We arrived in Ciudad de l’Este, Paraguay’s bordertown with Brazil, around 9pm, had dinner at a Lebanese restaurant and then crossed the border to Foz do Iguazu. We spent the night in a hotel and headed to the falls the next morning. The 200+ falls that make up Iguazu are truly spectacular.
sedativegunk 