#44 Diamond in the Rough: Itaibu to Encarnacion

As the wildlife of Itaibu didn't quite live up to expectations we decided to try our luck at another National Park further south. That didn't work out too well either. Bad map, no information, usual story. When we asked a local to point us in the right direction and she indicated heading towards Argentina, the opposite direction of where the park was located on our map, it was time to admit defeat. We knew there was a camping spot not much further south with a pool and in the intense heat we were experiencing this was a force too strong to deny. Well we stumbled on paradise. Not just one pool, but three including one with a diving board! The women at reception spoke English. There was a sense of deja vu and we half expected to be turned away, but Parque Manantial welcomed us with open arms.

Reece's prior diving experience paid dividends.

It being a Sunday the place was packed with swimmers and I was surprised to see a multi-cultural group of Japanese, Muslims, and white faces amongst Paraguayans, all of whom were speaking Spanish. There are many immigrant communites in Paraguay, and a lot of German ancestry in this particular area of Paraguay. That was how a Dutch couple we met came to befriend the owners of the campsite, pitch up in their UniMog and even purchase a piece of land nearby. It didn't take much convincing by Piet and Lydia that we take some time out and set up here for the next week. There was quite a few attractions in the area, and we wanted to be in Encarnacion, a mere 35 kilometres south, for Carnaval the following weekend.

Breakfasting outside the UniMog

Well the attractions consisted of an errands run to Encarnacion the following day, a horse ride at the campsite itself, and a visit to some Jesuit ruins nearby. Most of the week was spent swimming, some epic table tennis battles, and chats with Piet and Lydia; a very interesting couple who were courted all around the world for their skills in successfully managing chicken slaughterhouses. This helped fund their luxurious (to us) travel style and a lot of our conversation was directed to the differences between what one can carry in a motorcycle versus Piet and Lydia's specially designed UniMog. More truck than campervan we were particularly envious of their ability to carry deck chairs, spare tools, and boxes of books in additional to the usual home comforts of a kitchen sink, bed and bathroom. Next trip maybe.

Other activities of the week included a trip to the almost complete reconstruction of the Jesuit settlement at Jesus and a look at the ruins in Trinidad, the largest remains of the Jesuit mission in Paraguay. Remains of the settlements created by the Jesuit (actually the indigenous population) are scattered in a nearby Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. Paraguay being Paraguay there is very little information available to the tourist and what there is is solely in Spanish. From what we were able to gauge the Jesuits established these mini communities complete with houses, colleges, workshops, and the hallmarks of these communities, massive churches. The Jesuits became quite successful, so successful in fact that they were expelled by the Spanish mid-18th century. There is a light and sound show at Trinidad on some evenings, a wiser time to visit than in the sweltering heat of the day. The music is orchestral, I'm assuming of the era, and though the ruins are lit up with electric lights it has been done to feel like candle light. It had quite a sombre and yet magical feel. 

The reconstruction

The real thing