Carl

1. Corruption - Paraguay was declared the third most corrupt country on earth by Transparency International’s 2002’s Corruption Perceptions Index (out of 102 nations ranked). In order to combat this, Paul teaches a class on political ethics at his site in Pilar. My question is: Is it ethical to teach ethics in such an unethical society? ;) Won’t the students who take Paul’s teachings to heart face a massive disadvantage trying to act ethically in an unethical society? ;) But it must be working, because in the 2005 index they were ranked the 13th most corrupt (out of 160 nations). Their actual CPI score did improve though, rising from 1.7 to 2.1. 2. Guaraní - The second official language of Paraguay. Actually it’s more like the first (sure some rich people in the capital never bother ... read more

The Holy Trinity of Parana was one of the last Reducciones (reductions or townships) built by Jesuit led communities of Guaranís in what was possibly the most interesting social experiment conducted during the European colonization of the Americas. Motivated by their desire to both convert and protect the native populations of Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil, the Jesuit (Society of Jesus) Missionaries created these small cities as a place of shelter, worship, education and commerce that operated independently of the secular colonial governments. In these communities the Guaranís worked together for the common good, and not as the slaves of some colonial master. A part of the Wikipedia entry on the Reducciones states: Guided by the Jesuits, the Guaraní had advanced laws; they founded free public services for the poor, schools, hospitals, and abolished the death penalty. ... read more

After the boat ride under the falls we decided to stop by the Parque das Aves, a bird park that features most of the birds of South America as well as a few from Africa. Many of the birds, unfortunately, were in a cage, which makes for not so great photography, and the mid-afternoon lighting was having a strange effect on my camera, so many of the photos were blurred. Our cab driver was still with us as we toured the bird park. He had been with us through every tour and attraction we visited (I guess they don’t mind letting the cab drivers who bring them customers in for free). It was pretty late in the afternoon by the time we made it back to Foz do Iguaçu and the bridge. Since I had all ... read more

Before we arrived in Ciudad del Este, my perception of the town, based on everything I had heard about it, was that it was, in the words of Obi-Wan Kenobi, a wretched hive of scum and villainy. Actually it is just another city, not unlike many other cities in the world. The crime rate may be the highest in Paraguay, but then Paraguay is not exactly overrun with criminal activity (at least not the violent kind). But the odds are if they stole it from you in Argentina or Brazil it is likely to be sold on the streets on Ciudad del Este. The market area is crowded with vendors selling every imaginable product, and the town is famous as a source of cheap electronics for the Argentineans and Brazilians who cross the border. In some ... read more

Tereré is an important part of Paraguayan society. It is an ice cold variant of mate, a tea made from the leaves of the Yerba Mate plant, a species of holly native to the region. Cultivated originally by the Guaraní Tribes and later spread by Jesuit missionaries, mate is popular in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and the southern regions of Brazil and Bolivia. In Paraguay the tradition of Tereré has been augmented by modern technology, and in order to keep their water cold most people carry it in a thermos. Some of these thermoses are bound in hand worked leather that is decorated with a variety of images. The traditional drinking gourds are held in an attached leather ring. Gourds are made from hollowed out bull horns, wood and even stainless steel. The chopped leaves of the ... read more