San Ignacio Mini "A triumph of humanity"

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Good evening bloggers and my last night in Buenos Aires and Argentina. Tomorrow afternoon I head to the airport for the long flights home via Chile,Toronto then on to Ottawa. I returned yesterday afternoon from my trip up to Iguazu soaked and smiling, and I think my camera even survived the soaking that is a part of the waterfall experience and this wonder of nature.

As you will recall I was heading up there without a visa for Brazil and unfortunately it was a problem and I was not allowed to cross to view from the Brazillian side. I was disappointed but ready for plan B which turned out to be a a very pleasant day trip to some semi precious stone mines and the ruins of the Jesuit Mission of San Ignacio Mini.

There were about 9 of us on the tour and all in Espanol so some of it went over my head but at the end of the day I am happy to wander around and take pictures then read about it all after the fact in the Lonely Planet book. The drive to San Ignacio was a couple of hours along a very nice highway at first cutting through the jungle,thick on both sides of the road then opening up to wend its way through pine forests!! Yes people, pine trees from Canada no less have been planted here and seem to be flourishing as we passed at least a dozen small and large saw mills providing employment and a prosperity from the land. When we were not driving through pine trees we were passing groves of citrus trees as well as mangoes,papaya and other fruits, also farms growing herbs for Mate production. This part of Argentina is mate country and I even saw thermous filling stations in public locations to allow people to replenish their thermous with hot water for the ever present mate vessel in their hands and silver bombilla at their lips. As we drove along we passed the mate amongst our tour group observing all the proper form and etiquette of the experience. A wonderful experience to be driving along through the country side sipping mate with these strangers.

First stop was the Wanda Mine near Posadas where we disembarked and were taken on a tour into the mine tunnels to see where the minerals come from. I do not understand the geology of these things but from what I could gather the rock here is basalt (volcanic) and as it has cooled these geodes of amazing crystals have formed in the rock and sit there waiting to be dug out and split open to reveal the amazing colours and crystals which are then used in jewellery and other ornamentation. It is a small operation with a dozen men that I could see actually working the mine and a number of people supporting the selling of tickets, snackbar,gift shop etc.There were people polishing stones and making things with them. An interesting stop on a hot day.

After the mine we drove to San Ignacio Mini and a lunch break of pollo con papas fritas y cerveza. The mission is across the street and we joined a larger group at the interpretation center to see the ruins. The Jesuit Missions at one time were one of the worlds great social experiments and existed in the jungles of South America for a century and a half from 1609 until Carlos III of Spain decided to ban them from His dominion in 1767, following the lead of Portugal and France. The colonial authorities feared the fact the Jesuit brothers were more loyal to their own ideas than those of the crown.

The Jesuits set up 'reducciones' or missions in incredibly remote areas where they established communites of Guarani (the aboriginal first nation) whom they evangelized and educated as well as providing protection from slavers and the evil influences of colonial society.

For the Guarani who were invited to begin a new life in the mission there were many tangible benefits,including security,nourishment and prosperity.Mortality immediately declined and the mission populations grew. At their peak the 30 jesuit missions weer populated by more then 100,000 Guarani! San Ignacio had a population of 4000 and was founded in 1696.Each mission had a minimum of Europeans,two priests was the norm and the Guarani governed themselves under the jesuits spiritual authority. The Jesuits made no attempt to make the Guarani speak Spanish and only sought to change those aspects of Guarani culture,polygamy and occasional cannibalism, that clashed with their catholic teaching. Each guarani family was given a house and their children were schooled. The Guarani houses were in neat rows and there were store rooms,art workshops and a big house for widows and abandoned wives.

These settlements were self sufficient,the Guarani were taught agricuture and food was distributed equally.The original wooden buildings were eventually replaced with stone ones and the churches were designed by Master Architects with intricate stone work.The Guarani embraced the art and music they were introduced to and produced their own beautiful music,art,dance and sculpture. Voltaire described the missions as "a triumph of humanity which seems to expiate the cruelties of the first conquerers".

The film The Mission is about the last days of the Jesuit missions and won academy awards for cinematography and other categories I think.

The drive back was quiet with most of us snoozing in our seats and when I got back to the Panoramic Hotel in Puerto Iguazu it was time to take some sunset pictures at the pool and then a nice meal of Pacu (a river fish) and ensalade de selva (jungle salad) and some lovely Argentinian Malbec. All in all not a bad Plan B.The next day was the Falls and I will post separately about that.

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