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Published: October 14th 2007
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A bridge is all that separates the cities of Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil and Ciudad del Este in Paraguay. Getting stamped out of Brazil we walked with our packs across the bridge which was busy with traffic and people. The arched bridge is 500 meters or so across and we had a fantastic view of the river below covered in morning mist.
On the other side we were presented with a grubby, dodgy looking Ciudad del Este. Quite a contrast from the controlled and relaxed and safe city we had just come from across the river. It was known for its smuggling and black market. With no desire to hang around we got a pretty stamp in our passports from the immigration man and grabbed a taxi. The ride was overpriced and the driver tried the old 'I have no change' routine. Pieter whipped into the terminal and brought some water to break a big note, not wanting to give the sleazy bugger any more money than necessary. There was a posh bus leaving at 13:30 but that was hours away. Asking around we were ushered to an Encarnación bus that left within minutes of us getting on. That
was great. The bus was a little aged but quite sturdy. This would be our experience of all buses in Paraguay. We didn't have to push any as suggested by the Brazilians. It was G$35,000 (US$7) each for the 6 hour ride. There was lots of stopping on the way and the bus was frequently swamped by vendors. They swarmed on board attempting to sell socks, sunnies, watches and empanadas. We bought some yummy homemade cereal bars to keep us going. The landscape was mostly pastoral with patches of forest dotted with Lapacho trees covered in beautiful pink flowers.
It was a painless journey and we had no trouble finding the hotel we had in mind as it was opposite the bus station. Hotel Germana is run by a Japanese family and we got a twin for G$60,000 (US$12). We couldn't find the tourist information office. It had moved from where the Lonely Planet said it was and the 3 or 4 people we asked sent us in 3 or 4 different directions. So we gave up and organised a taxi for the next day to take us to the Jesuit ruins that were the objective of our visit.
We could have taken the bus but we knew it would be difficult to get to the Jesús ruin that way.
We arranged a pickup for 8 am. Waiting outside in the cold at 8:15 we realised it was only 7:15 and went back inside. There time had changed when we crossed we border but had gone all day the day before without noticing. Doh! At 7:45 our little old man appeared and we jumped in his equally old Mercedes. It was a pile of junk and as we squeaked and grinded our way out of town we wondered which would break down first - the car or the driver. It took a drafty 45 minutes to arrive at Trinidad.
Except for the groundsmen we were the only ones there to start with. A cool morning, we started off around the ruins, walking in the dew soaked long grass. They had made efforts to keep the grass and plants under control but the site was still quite wild. There were no barriers or signs to prevent people walking anywhere and only a few signs identified buildings and areas. We wandered past an old cemetery and a castle-like tower
and through old buildings, making our way around the back of the site to the kitchen garden and well. Walking around the back of the cathedral we entered a side door near the altar and were presented by the amazingly well preserved collection of angels carved into the stone walls. Parts of the walls were near collapse, the dome and ceiling were already gone. It was unbelievable that the angels were still so clearly visible despite the site being built in 1706. We lingered here until the tranquility was disturbed by other tourists. We passed the cells of the priests and watched the parakeets in the palm trees, leaving just as a large group arrived.
We chugged in the taxi across the main road and drove the 11 km to the Jesús ruin. The road was cobbled and we passed horses and carts and saw a German farmer working in his field. We saw many more Germans in the small town including the lady who took our G$5000 each for entrance to the Jesus site.
Again we were on our own as we approached the ruin across a field. The buildings here were a different style to Trinidad
and the cathedral walls were more solid. It appeared newer in construction and we think that it had not been completed before the Jesuits were expelled. This one didn't have the angels but situated on told of a hill it had a view all the way around of fields of various shades and palm trees.
Both Trinidad and Jesús are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. They are the only ones in Paraguay.
Arriving back in Encarnación we paid our old fella the US$35 agreed, grabbed our bags and jumped on the next bus to San Ignacio. It was only a couple of hours and we passed through a number of lovely looking wee towns before arriving at San Ignacio. Gratefully the driver was familiar with the Piringo Hotel and he dropped us outside. On the north side of town, it didn't look like a hotel, primarily it was a 24 hour cafe serving buses and trucks. For G$60,000 (US$12) we had a big room with a big TV and a very cool bed made of roughly cut wood in a recently renovated room. After a quick coffee we headed off in a taxi to the see the museum which
was the objective of our stop. Housed in an old colonial building near the towns fantastic church, it was 3 or 4 rooms containing beautifully preserved examples of Jesuit carvings. The colours were fantastic. It was worth stopping for the night here. Walking the good kilometer back to the hotel we window shopped and soaked up the small town atmosphere. Next to the hotel was a fairly permanent looking amusement park. Late that night the park came to life and music was cranked up. Even at the far side of the hotel it was hard to sleep with the constant din.
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