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Published: August 18th 2008
The Impenetrable
Artists impression of what has happened to the ´Impenetrable Chaco´ (Coincidentally this photo includes our soon to be delightful Spanish companions we shared a car with in three days time). From the Igauzu falls to Salta in the North of Argentina, lay the mighty ´Impenetrable Chaco´- a remarkably flat arid land covered in thorns, with little in the way of resources (both materials or people to exploit them) for the young colony to grow into. With religious and financial zeal, they still plonked settlements. It was hard going, with some being abandoned under hostile and determined pressure form the local tribes. 'Resistencia' was named following successful defence from a number of attacks. Perhaps another town named 'Reconquista' was not quite so lucky.
Argentina's winter holidays and the weekend made last minute accommodation and buses hard to find. Resistencia broke up our trip between Igazu and Salta nicely into two palatable nightime segments, so unfortunately we saw none of the Impenetrable Chaco. Sandwiched between two overnight buses, we had some daylight to stretch the legs and investigate.
Having resisted waves of indigenous attack, todays Resistencia is trying to welcome waves of attacks from Tourists by being declared National Sculpture capital, and fostering local (and non-local) talent to deck the town with hundreds of various sculptural interests. We managed to look up an eclectic museum (El Fogon de los Arrieros) transforming
Resistencias famous Dog
with his own memorial... but perhaps not the prettiest. an old artists hangout into a fascinating photographic episode for Benj´s camera, giving Arlene the chance to sit and chill for a bit. More to her appeal was the story and burial site of a local street dog who became a local celebrity. Nice to see a dog having a personal memorial (although of course they do have the obligatory monument to their 'favourite' Spaniard also).
It happened that Resistencia had the last day of a week long wood sculpture festival, providing locals and visitors with some spectacular works by some very talented artists. One of the more memorable 'pieces' was a massive wooden penis complete with testacles, which was drawing considerable interest from the crowd. Whilst the artist was carefully painting the left testicle with a paint brush of wood sealer, he was describing to his raptured audience the significance of his masterpiece. While our appreciation of what he was saying was non-existent, the title of the piece was 'Impenetrable'. His message on what has happened to the impenetrable Chaco over the last 500 years?
Adios el Grande Chaco.
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anonymous
non-member comment
Looks like you may have found your true calling in the Gendarmeria Benj