Paraguay – The Lost Heart of Latin America

Asuncion
Asuncion was once one of Latin America’s more run down cities, although still with much of cultural and artistic interest, and an intriguing history dating back to 1537. Although some parts of the city are still a little rough around the edges, with grinding poverty and a lack of public services, the once dilapidated centre has undergone a real transformation and is now an area of parks, pergolas and a lovely riverside walk, not to mention the many graceful, Spanish colonial buildings to admire which were once crumbling and have now been lovingly restored. A new creative scene has also emerged among the young population, in response to political turbulence, and you’ll find parts of the city decorated with colourful murals and dotted with art exhibitions. New hotels, bars and restaurants have given the city a real lift and this is reflected in a lift of spirits among the local people, who are also proud of their city’s long history.

The Chaco region
The Gran Chaco, most of which is shared between Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia, is more than twice the size of California and contains South America’s second-largest forest, second only to the Amazon rainforest.

A dream for birders, the Paraguayan Chaco is home to many species including eagles, rheas, woodcreepers and black-bodied woodpeckers, plus a large number of waterfowl that are attracted to the saltpans and swamps here. This area is rich in many other types of wildlife too and is likened to the Brazilian Pantanal which shares many of the same species. Other species you can find here include the lowland tapir, Chacoan peccary and armadillo. With sweltering temperatures, much of the Paraguayan Chaco is semi-arid and is home to giant cacti and thorn forests. For hundreds of years the only people that lived here were a few indigenous tribes and the territory was undisputed – neither Paraguay nor its neighbour Bolivia cared about who the land belonged to. This all changed when a three year war took place, starting in 1932, when it was realised that oil could be mined in the area, although thankfully this is yet to be seen.

The Gran Chaco also has extensive grasslands suitable for raising cattle, which is evident in the southern Chaco where overgrazing, agricultural development and human population growth is becoming a problem for the nature of the region. However, the Paraguayan region still has a relatively small population, with only a few Mennonite colonies living here. The land of Gran Chaco is currently shared between Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia and Brazil, with over 62% belonging to Argentina and around 25% belonging to Paraguay.

Trinidad and the Jesuit Missions
Southern Paraguay is home to the ruined Jesuit Missions of Trinidad, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The ruins are nestled among palm-studded countryside and the screeches of parakeets can be heard all around. The Jesuits established these missions in the 17^th century with the aim of Christianising the local indigenous population, the Guarani, as well as protecting them from the colonial labour system. Unlike some other missions, the Guarani were not forced to Europeanise and were able to retain many indigenous traditions, including the cultivation of yerba mate, made into Paraguay’s ubiquitous national drink. The missions here were attached to reductions, or settlements, all combining indigenous elements with Christian attributes. The missions of Argentina and Brazil are more well-known and receive more visitors, but the intricately carved ruins of the old churches and communities in this region of Paraguay are equally impressive and if you’re lucky you may even find you have the ruins to yourself.

Iguazu Falls
Any trip to Paraguay wouldn’t be complete without a trip across the border to Argentina, to see the overwhelming beauty of Iguazu Falls, the sheer power and size of which can’t fail to impress. The falls are comprised of 275 cascades forming a vast water curtain which crashes down over granite rocks surrounded by tropical jungle. You may even see flocks of swifts who, surprisingly, build their nests behind these thundering falls. Both the Argentinian and Brazilian side of the falls offer scenic walkways and the chance to spot wildlife but the Brazilian side boasts a panoramic view of the 3km cliff edge, where you can appreciate frontal views of the falls, whereas on the Argentinian side, the walking trails are located above, below and behind the water. In the past there were disputes between Paraguay and Argentina over Misiones Argentina – the area which is home to the Argentinian side of the falls – but the Paraguayan claims were ended by the Triple Alliance War. The Paraguayans still feel an affinity with this area however, as the falls have a Guarani name – a language which is the mother tongue in Paraguay but has been lost in Brazil and Argentina.