Depending upon which source is used you will find a very slight difference in the proportion of energy quote as produced from renewable green sources in Paraguay. Sometimes the figure given is 99% and on other occasions as a full 100%.

This small discrepancy may be down to the age of the data. The last thermal power station in Paraguay closed in December 2021. From then onwards the countries needs have come entirely (apart from a few small solar plants) from hydro-electric power.

This leaves Paraguay in control of it’s own power generation unaffected by movements in the global oil and gas markets.

Electricity in Paraguay is supplied in it’s entirety by three large dams. Two on the River Parana and one across one of it’s tributaries.

By far the largest and most important is the giant Itaipu Dam. This is located on the River Parana just north of the Paraguayan town of Ciudad del Este and Foz in Brazil.

Itaipu Dam was built in the 1970s and was one of the grandest engineering projects of the day. Until the completion of the Three Gorges Dam in China in the early 200os it was the largest hydro electric dam in the world. Behind it formed a lake hundreds of miles long.

The dam was a joint construction project shared between Paraguay and Brazil and half owned by both.

Turbines across the dam wall have a total energy output of 14 Gw. Half belongs to Paraguay and half to Brazil. However in line with terms drawn up in 1973 when the dam was being constructed Paraguay sells 90% of it’s production directly to Brazil. This alone is enough electricity to meet 20% of Brazil’s needs.

Paraguay is one of the world’s largest net exporters of electricity.

Energy requirements have grown greatly over the years in Paraguay but it’s share of the electricity produced at Itaipu has not. There is a possibility that this may be addressed shortly as after 50 years the terms and ratios are due to be renegotiated in 2023.

Despite keeping just 10% of the electricity produced at Itaipu Paraguay is able to meet 86% of the countries needs with it. This includes all domestic electricity consumption.

A second dam named Yacyreta is also sited on the River Parana. This time along Paraguay’s southern border with Argentina. It is a little distance to the west of Encarnacion in Paraguay and Posadas in Argentina.

Although again a large dam it is far smaller than Itaipu and has a generating capacity of 3.2 Gw. The ownership of the dam is shared between Paraguay and Argentina with Paraguay keeping between just 1% and 5% of it’s output.

The third dam is the Acaray Dam. This is much smaller and located within Paraguay across the River Acaray which feeds into the Parana a just to the north of Itaipu. Production here is just 210 Mw. There is however no need to share any of the power output with neighbouring countries.

In terms of the total electricity supply for Paraguay Itaipu generates 86%, Yacyreta 11% and Acaray 3%.

In addition to being green and renewable the electricity in Paraguay is also inexpensive.

As of June 2022 the cost of electricity in Paraguay was $0.065 kWh. This makes Paraguayan energy some of the cheapest in the world.

The global average is $0.16 kWh and far higher than even that in Europe and North America.

Despite having to hand inexpensive electricity Paraguayans do not use it to excess. The annual household consumption is 20% below the South American average.

All is not though perfect with the Paraguayan electric system. There may be seemingly more than could possibly be required but still there are regular blackouts and even power shortages.

Most of this is due to the poor state of the electric infrastructure.

Much of the transmission system is old and in a poor state. An unnecessarily high amount is simply lost as power flows through the distribution system.

Then due to the quality of past workmanship and materials an unacceptable number of power lines are brought down during storms. Either through trees falling across them or the posts which support them simply giving way.

Work though is being done to rectify this. ANDE the national electricity company has an ongoing campaign to repair and modernise the transmission network. Power cuts although they can still be lengthy are far less frequent than in the past.

There is currently construction work happening at both Itaipu and Yacyreta to increase their capacity. Once that is done if treaties can be renegotiated and if the problem of losses from the transmission system can be rectified there is no reason why over the coming years electricity in Paraguay should not become both cheaper still and more reliable.

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Within it are is to be found the remains of the Paraguayan fleet from the Triple Alliance War (1864-1870). The Paraguayan forces were forced to abandon what was left of their fleet nearby during the final months of the war.

I have previously written of the history of the site. That can be found be searching the website for Vapor Cue.

Here instead I shall be focusing on the visitor experience. Where it is, what there is to be seen and what it is like to visit.

Firstly though a little history is necessary to put the site and the museum in place and in context.

In 1869 whilst the Paraguayan forces were making a fighting withdrawal eastwards ahead of the advancing Brazilian forces they eventually reached a point where the rivers became too small and too shallow to permit the fleet to travel any further.

When that occurred the decision was taken to scuttle and burn the ships so that they could not be turned against the Paraguayans by their enemies.

That point was reached in a creek a little way from where the ships stand now in Vapor Cue.

With the water being too shallow to sink the ships they were set ablaze before the army moved on without them.

There they then sat for almost a hundred years slowly decaying and sinking ever deeper into the soft Paraguayan mud.

It was not until the late 1960s that plans were made to recover the ships. To do this they each had to be carefully excavated in an archaeological manner and transferred to Vapor Cue.

Once that was done the remains of the ships were set up in a specially created open air park for all to see.

The remains now at the site consist of two largely intact iron ships and fragments of four further wooden ones.

Vapor Cue is now one of the most important historic sites in Paraguay.

It is as mentioned above outside the town of Caraguatay which lies about 90 km from Asuncion.

The route from Asuncion is quite straight forwards. 70 km down the main east/west Ruta 2 before turning off at Eusebio Ayala. From there a road runs onward for the final 20 km to Caraguatay and Vapor Cue. The entire journey is along good quality paved roads and so suitable for any vehicle.

It is though a three hour drive from Asuncion and that must be borne in mind.

Travelling there myself from rather nearer than Asuncion I found the only complication to be Eusibio Ayala.

Once I arrived in the town I discovered there was a lack of signage and so took a couple of wrong turns before I got onto the correct road out of town. It was however a small town so no errors required too much backtracking.

On the return things were much simpler as heading back from Caraguatay the road fed back onto the Asuncion bound carriageway of Ruta 2.

That aside it was a problem free journey and the road ran right up to the entrance to the museum.

Inside the ships and the main museum building have been laid out in a circle around a large central lawn and sit on the grass without anything like a fence to block the view.

The museum is also a pleasant landscaped park with a manicured lawn and tall shade giving trees.

It is a quite restful place. Somewhere that would be ideal for a picnic sitting on the soft grass.

Bringing a picnic along would not be bad idea as other than a bathroom there are no amenities of any sort to be found on site. No cafe or gift shop.

The site however is fee to visit. The nearest shops and cafes would be 5 km back down the road in Caraguatay.

As for the ships themselves they are arranged in an arc from largest to smallest.

The first is the iron paddle steamer Anhambay. This started the war with the Brazilian navy and had be captured some time before by the Paraguayans and turned against them. The Paraguayans were determined this was not going to fall back into the hands of it’s previous owners.

Apart from the sails and the wooden planking of the paddle wheels the Anhambay is largely intact.

Next to it stands the other iron ship.

This is the Pirabebe. Rather than being paddle driven this is a more conventional screw driven ship. Again as with the Anhambay it is apart from the sails largely intact.

The Pirabebe started it’s life far from the rivers of South America. It was British built and originally called Ranger before becoming part of the Paraguayan fleet.

Beyond these two ships are the remains of four more. These however were all wooden ships and so after the fire and years in the creek little remains beyond their iron fire boxes.

Two of these were also paddle driven and a portion of the paddle wheel of one has survived.

Finally there is a war memorial and then the main museum building.

This building is quite modest in size. Like the rest of the site it is low key.

Inside there are some interesting maps and pictures up on the walls along with a Paraguayan flag from the war.

There are also a number of glass cases containing metal objects recovered from the creek. Unfortunately none of these are labelled or sorted in anyway other than putting like with like.

On the wall high above them there are though things that are worth seeing. A number of photographs taken whilst the ships were being excavated.

Vapor Cue is a pleasant and interesting place to visit and somewhere full of history.

There a no fences allowing for close up inspection of the exhibits and it is never crowded with visitors and tourists. When I was there I had the place to myself.

There was no waiting in turn to see things or waiting for a tourist free moment in which to take a photograph.

The museum is a worthwhile addition to the touring itinerary of anyone visiting or living in Paraguay. Especially those with an interest in military history.

However due to it’s location a visit from Asuncion would need to be combined with other activities to justify the journey.

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Following the loss of Asuncion in late 1868 the Paraguayans under the leadership of Mariscal Lopez had been making a fighting retreat across Paraguay. With every confrontation with the Alliance forces their numbers were diminished and they were pushed every further westwards.

For several months Piribebuy had been their base and had acted as the capital of Paraguay. In rival to the government set up in Asuncion by the Alliance.

On the morning of the 12th August those forces reached Piribebuy. The Paraguayans were again defeated and lost many of their remaining adult males in the combat.

Mariscal Lopez did escape the carnage with his shrinking forces and the Paraguayan court was on the road once more.

They headed first to Caacupe. The only sizable town in the area. However when the pursuing Alliance forces arrived there on the 15th they found that the Paraguayans had already moved on. Mariscal Lopez had once again got away

By now the Brazilians had become frustrated with the refusal of the Paraguayans to surrender and accept defeat. As far as they were concerned the war was already over and they were wasting time and men in pursuit of an enemy that refused to grasp that reality.

They understood though that the devotion the Paraguayans felt towards Mariscal Lopez meant that they were prepared to fight to the bitter end. After every engagement those that had not been slain simply got up and continued to fight on.

The Brazilians were going to give no quater.

So it was then that the advance guard of 20,000 men send out to destroy the Paraguayans made contact with the Paraguayan rear guard early in the morning of the 16th August. They were in a wide open plain crossed by a couple of small rivers. The place was maned Acosta Nu.

The terrain was ideal for the cavalry which made up the bulk of the Alliance forces on the day. However it was the infantry who first engaged the Paraguayans at around 8.30 in the morning.

Against those 20,000 battle hardened troops the Paraguayan commander had between just 4 and 6,000. As this was the rear guard and the as majority of the Paraguayan men were already dead or captured his forces were mainly children along with a few women and elderly.

It must have been obvious how one sided the fight would be. Despite that the Paraguayan general Bernadino Caballero chose to stand and fight what could only be a suicidal battle rather than trying to run.

The Paraguayans were poorly armed and being civilians on the while poorly trained but were ready to fight with the determination shown by their leader.

They did have eight cannons as artillery. They managed to pull these back over one of the small rivers but they were soon lost.

From then on all the Paraguayans could do was form squares and make suicidal charges out at the oncoming cavalry.

The squares were worn down by repeated cavalry charges and no mercy was shown to anyone venturing outside them,

Children charged the approaching horses often armed with little more than sticks and stones and were cut down in their hundreds.

Such though was the determination of the Paraguayans that they managed to hold out against everything that was thrown at them for eight hours.

As the battle drew to a close there was one last act of destruction to be handed out by the Brazilians.

Some of their cavalry had manged to get behind the Paraguayan lines and spotted people moving away from the battle field. In view of what had happened after previous battles they took them to be soldiers withdrawing to fight another day. They were in fact women and a small part of the baggage train who had taken no part in the battle.

To ensure that no one else followed this imagined escaping army the battlefield was set alight killing those who lay wounded on the ground.

In the battle the Paraguayan causalities were 2,000 dead and 1,200 captured. The figures of 46 dead and 259 wounded amongst the Alliance forces reinforce how one sided the confrontation was.

The battle and the great number of children who died in it remains deeply part of the Paraguayan conscious.

Thereafter the 16th August was made Children’s Day in Paraguay. Although these days children celebrate with clowns and parities it is the sacrifice of young people like them that is being remembered.

The battlefield was somewhere I had heard much about but never actually had the opportunity to visit. So yesterday i took for myself.

It was only about an hours ride to get there and once I had turned off the main road a good ride along a smooth rode through countryside that just became emptier and emptier.

When I reached the memorial site I was not surprised to find I had the place to myself. A familiar situation at historic locations in Paraguay.

The battlefield memorial itself was simple. A Paraguayan flag with the shapes of soldiers cut though it.

In addition to that there was a notice board and a raised platform with a few benches.

From the platform which looked west, the way the Alliance troops would have come it was clear just how well suited the ground would have been for cavalry and how there would have been nowhere to hide from them.

It is still a very rural area and looks now not much different to how it would have done in 1869.

The only real difference was that armed men have been replaced by a heard of cattle that now grazes peacefully across the broad open plain.

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It does though have a long and interesting history. This is what is on show at the town museum.

The museum Comandente Pedro Pablo Cabellero is housed in a 19th century colonial style house just outside the town center.

It is located one block from the main plaza and the town church and directly in front of the modern council offices The building is a white washed single story building in the colonial style with a colonnaded veranda providing some shade in front.

For much of 2021 the museum was closed for refurbishments and renovations. It is now reopen with it’s displays now occupying the buildings two street facing rooms.

Outside the entrance is placed one of the museums more unusual artifacts. A small wooden cannon. This has stood guard in front of the doorway for many years. Despite rumors that it is a real cannon I am sure it was made solely for display.

Before I describe the interior of the museum a little bit of history as to how it came to be is required.

The town museum was originally opened in 1969. At that point however it had on display just religious art. It remained doing so for the next 25 years. Nothing more than another small museum containing local religious artifacts.

Then in 1994 it passed into the possession of a group of Chaco War veterans who turned it into a historical museum. The main focus of the museum then became the Chaco War in which they had fought and the battle of the Triple Alliance War which took place in Piribebuy.

That has remained the main focus of the museum every since and an interesting and important collection of historical items has found its way to the museum.

Following the refurbishing of the museum each now has its own room. The 19th century Battle of Piribebuy in the first and the 20th century Chaco War in the second.

The first room is dominated by paintings and images of the important figures both national and local in 19th century Paraguayan history. These range from the president right down to the local school master. The paintings fill one wall.

Mounted on another are a collection of maps. These show both national movements during the Triple Alliance War and the chronological events and troop actions during the Battle of Piribebuy on 12th August 1869.

Below the paintings and maps are displayed artifacts relating to the battle.

Displayed in a glass case are the remains of weapons and other metal artifacts recovered from the battle site.

Alongside are kept various pieces of timber and stonework taken from buildings that were damaged during the battle. These include a few timbers from the hospital that was burnt down during the battle and which has become the symbol of the battle and defeat in Piribebuy.

Finally in this room there are a few pieces of statuary. These all display the ravages of time but a large bust of the president is still in quite good condition.

Leading on from here a narrow doorway leads through to the second galley. This and dedicated to the Chaco War of 1932-35.

Here with everything being nearly a century more recent there are greater number of items on display. Some of them would not look out of place in a 2nd World War gallery.

A large glass cabinet is filled with the tools of war. Here there are bullets, grenades, knives and even a gas mask. The personal equipment of local soldiers.

Along with the weapons are more domestic items of equipment such as water flasks. A very important item in places as dry as the Chaco.

On the other side of the room also in a glass cabinet are uniforms. Green jackets in varying styles that would have been worm in battle.

Each of these has the name of the solider who once wore it recorded and one even has a photo. Piribebuy being a small town there will still be relatives and descendants of people who knew them living nearby. For the relatives especially a visit to the museum would be a very personal one.

Having then viewed everything I added my name to the visitors book as all who visit do. I then had time for a quick conversation with the keeper of the museum.

He has a great knowledge of everything contained within the museum and also about Piribebuy in general. Whatever questions visitors may have he can provide answers.

As for me although it had been several years since I had visited his museum he remembered me and knew exactly where my house was.

It is then only a small museum in a small town but one filled with history. Somewhere well worth a visit by anyone who happened to be in Piribebuy.

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These have been preserved as a museum to 19th century industrial Paraguay.

Sapucai is located a little distance from my home but consulting a map I found what appeared to be a much shorter route there.

Rather than travelling around the hills as the metaled road seemed to do there appeared to be a dirt road that cut straight over the hills. This looked like it would cut the distance in half. Accordingly it was the route I chose to take.

However I soon found that rather than dirt much of the road was lined with rough cobbles. By far my least favourite surface for travelling over. By the time I had crossed the hills every bone had been thoroughly shaken.

As the I had saved distance but not time and had a quite unpleasant time doing it I chose to return the long way along the metaled road. A much better experience.

Once I did finally reach Sapucai the museum was well signposted and easy to find.

Outside sitting on the grassed over track I found a well restored steam engine and a cattle carriage along with a little crane. The old station building could also be seen. Smartly painted but all locked up.

The only thing missing was people.

Heading over to what I presumed was the workshop I made a little noise outside a closed door which did seem to get the intention of someone inside.

Shortly the door was opened by a young woman who looked a little surprised to be receiving a visitor. Keen though to have one I was soon ushered inside and directed towards the workshops.

From her I learnt that the museum gets few visitors and exists almost unknown to the local population. In all the time I remained there no one else arrived arrived and when I left the door was closed back up until someone else should stumble upon it.

This makes the museum at Sapucai a hidden gem in every sense. It records a time in the mid 19th century when Paraguay was seeking to rapidly modernize and has then been left looking as though the workers have only just walked away.

Sapucai is somewhere missed off all but the most dedicated of tourist agendas.

Inside the workshop apart from a new roof looked structurally as it would have done over 150 years ago.

Items have though where possible been placed in related groups making viewing simpler.

Along one side of the building were a number of old stream engines. These ranged from almost complete to thickly covered in rust through to the final one which was little more than a rusty boiler.

In other places these engines would have been restored and repainted but here protected from the elements further decay has been all but halted. Their decayed state serving as a good symbol for the decline of the Paraguayan railways and the industry that supported them.

In common with everything else in the workshop the engines were British made. The information board in front of one describing how it had been manufactured in Sheffield.

The other side of the workshop is given over to the machinery of heavy industry. As with the trains it all dates from the mid to late 19th century. Here are the lathes, drills and presses that would have thundered away all day long under the baking Paraguayan sun.

The British origin of the everything is displayed by the plaques announcing their places of manufacture.

I say British as although much originates in industrial towns such as Leeds and Bradford ones large iron device was proudly stamped “Glasgow”.

The machines that could be moved have been grouped together either as metal or woodworking tools.

Some though could never be moved. These remain where they have always been. From these largest machines belts still run round large iron wheels along a central drive shaft running high along the ceiling of the workshop.

These belts and wheels would have been familiar features in any Victorian mills.

Here though there was no rushing water to turn a wheel. Instead all was driven by a great steam engine.

Again some may wish for a little smartening up to be done. I however prefer the dusty abandoned look of the machinery. I feel it is more authentic.

Outside the main workshop there is a second covered area. This was once a small forge. There iron could be cast into the forms required by the railways. It must have been a very challenging place for the workers to spend their days.

Beyond these lay a row of low buildings. These I would imagine were the workshop offices and the ones that were not shut up appeared to still serve that purpose.

A use these buildings would have elsewhere has not reached Sapucai. For none are occupied by the gift shops and cafe that could bring in a little extra income. Any refreshments would need to be bought as a picnic and enjoyed in the car park.

The lack of visitors and its overlooked state clearly limit the funds that are available to work on and restore the exhibits. However this does ensure the museum remains a and simple and honest place preserving a much overlooked part of Paraguayan history.

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Plans for a hydro electric power plant to supply electricity to the region were fist drawn up in 1966. It took several years of planning and negotiations before Paraguay and Brazil were ready to start work on its construction.

This finally started in 1975 and was to continue for several years before completion. The peak of the construction work came a couple of years later when thousands of workers were working day and night to build the dam.

In 1982 the structure of the dam was complete and the gates were shut to begin flooding the lake that would soon form behind it.

A year later in 1983 the first of the giant turbines began to turn. Then as more and more turbines were completed it was connected to the Paraguayan electric grid in 1984. A year later in 1985 it was also connected to the Brazilian grid.

By then in 1985 the power plant was operational but work continued on the final touches until 1991.

Now fully operational Itaipu provides electricity to most of Paraguay and a large part of Southern Brazil.

When completed Itaipu was the largest hydro electric scheme in the world. It has an annual output of 14 GW of electricity. By comparison Grand Coulee in the USA produces 6.5 GW.

Itaipu retained its title as the largest in the world until the building of the Three Gorges Dam in China. That produces 22 GW. Itaipu looks likely to remain the second largest for a while to come as nothing on that scale is currently being built.

This electricity is produced by water rushing through the 18 huge turbines that are lined up along it.

The dam wall rises to a level of 196 metres and behind it a lake 170 Km long and 12 Km wide has been formed. This has a depth of 220 metres and extends down many of what were the tributes to the Rio Parana.

At the far end of the lake is the Paraguayan town of Saltos de Guaira. This was the location of the Guaira Falls. These were by volume the largest waterfalls in the world before the disappeared beneath the lake.

Now even if the dam was removed the waterfalls would not return. In order to create a safe shipping channel their rocks were blown up by the Brazilian navy shortly after they had been drowned.

Everything about Itaipu, the dam, the lake, the lost waterfalls is on a gargantuan scale. The dam wall extends for almost 8 km and in building it more than eight and a half times the rocks excavated in building the Channel Tunnel between England and France were moved.

Every other statistic related to Itaipu be that concrete, man power of water volumes is on the same scale.

Even the slipway built to drain off excess water can flow at a rate 40 times greater than the nearby Iguazu Falls. Those waterfalls are themselves one of the natural wonders of South America.

Prior to the building of the dam human habitation was no more than scattered hamlets spread throughout thick forest.

Now where once there was just a workers camp the city of Ciudad del Este now the second largest city in Paraguay stands. It is a similar story elsewhere near Itaipu were temporary camps have become large settlements.

This was a thinly populated region but not an empty one.

As the lake filled 10,000 people lost their homes.

It was not just people who were displaced. A lake 170 Km long in the wilderness is going to destroy a large amount of wildlife.

I can still recall watching an item many years ago about people in small boats picking animals out of the water and from tree tops as their home got flooded. That could only have been Itaipu.

There are now some small zoos and wildlife reserves in the area but they are nothing compared with what has been lost.

I find it very doubtful that such a building project would be permitted these days.

It was built though and thanks to it Paraguay now has enough electricity to meet all its needs.

For any visitor to Eastern Paraguay a visit to Itaipu is as fascinating as one over the border to Brazil to see the Iguazu Falls.

Flying from Brazil to Paraguay the dam and lake are clearly visible from the air. The view from above showing the their scale in relationship to everything else in the area.

Then on the ground it is possible to take a tour of the facility to see the enormous project up close.

From the Paraguayan head office next to the dam and guided tour visits the machine shop inside the dam where the electricity is produced, takes a close up visit to the huge turbines and then drives along the top of the dam and over to the Brazilian side. From top of the dam the lake disappears into the distance like an inland sea.

Furthermore a multi coloured light show lights up the dam wall at night in another spectacle not to be missed.

All this and the sheer scale of the enterprise make Itaipu a stop not to be missed by any visitor to Eastern Paraguay.

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By 1869 Asuncion had been lost and the Paraguayan forces under President Mariscal Lopez were making a fighting withdrawal across the country.

As the seat of presidential power shifted so did the capital of the country. This is how Piribebuy came to be the capital of Paraguay for several months during 1869.

All the while the Paraguayans were being pursued by the Brazilians who were doing the bulk of the fighting for the alliance.

Each time the Brazilians thought they had cornered Mariscal Lopez he slipped away with an ever diminishing army to fight another day. The Brazilians were all the time becoming more and more frustrated by their failure to bring the war to a conclusion.

So it was that through July and August 1869 whilst Mariscal Lopez and his entourage set down to the business of running what remained of the country from Piribebuy to Brazilian forces drew closer and closer.

Finally on the 10th August the Brazilian army arrived in the vicinity of Piribebuy. From their they settled down to the preparations for taking the town.

At some point after the arrival nearby of the Brazilians Mariscal Lopez and the bulk of his army slipped out of Piribebuy and further into the interior. Behind he left Lt Col Pedro Pablo Cabellero to defend the town with the local civilians.

The Paraguayans were completely out numbered and out gunned by the Brazilian forces in front of them. They numbered just 1600 and were made up of the old, the women and even the children of Piribebuy. Facing them the Conde d’Eu headed a battle hardened force of 20,000 men.

In terms of artillery the Paraguayans were also lacking. They held just 12 cannon against the 47 of the Brazilians.

Over the next two days requests to surrender were twice sent to the Paraguayans. Twice these were rejected by defenders determined to not give in without a fight.

And so a battle became unavoidable.

It began at 4am on the 12th when the Brazilians opened up on the town with an artillery bombardment.This continued for four hours before the infantry advanced upon the town.

The Paraguayans had withstood the bombardment and put up a fierce resistance. It took five hours to finally over come the last of the defenders.

In years to come Piribebuy would gain the title The Heroic City. This was down to the valor and ferocity the women of Piribebuy fought to defend their home town.

Another hero of the day was the school teacher Firmin Lopez. He lead a unit comprised of his pupils in the battle. Later the principal school in Piribebuy would be named Firmin Lopez in his honour.

The majority of the fighting took place in and around the central plaza where the town church stood. Until this day the church still bares a few scars caused by bullets fired on that day.

During the fighting in order to escape danger many of the towns folk took refuge in the local hospital. They were still hiding there after the Brazilians had put down the last of the Paraguayan resistance.

However by them the Conde d’Eu was so furious the Mariscal Lopez had once again escaped that was in no mood to let anyone, not even innocent children walk away unpunished.

Accordingly the hospital doors were barricaded. The building set on fire and the six hundred who had sought sanctuary inside were killed.

The toll was equally heavy on those who had fought to defend the town. Of the original 1,600 730 Paraguayans were killed, 700 injured and a further 100 captured.

On the Brazilian side causalities were much lighter. Just 68 killed and 542 injured out of their force of 20,000.

Once the killing was over and it was clear that Mariscal Lopez was nowhere to be seen the Brazilian army soon moved on in an attempt to catch up with him before he could retreat still further beyond their grasp.

Behind they left Piribebuy devastated and ruinous.

The town though did eventually recover and is now a tourist center famed for the natural beauty of its quiet countryside.

Within Piribebuy and across Paraguay the battle is though not forgotten.

The town museum is dedicated in a large part to the events of the battle and contains a large number of artifacts.

Additionally during the battle the town archives were lost and so was the date of the founding of Piribebuy. The 12th August was accepted as a substitute date and the town parade was held every year on that date to recall both the battle and the founding of the town.

A few years ago copies of the documents were found in an Asuncion archive and these showed that the town had actually been founded in March. It was though decided to keep the parade to the 12th August. So Piribebuy is now possibly the only town in Paraguay whos annual parade does not mark its foundation.

This then is how Piribebuy earned the name Heroic a title that is know all across the land.

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The building in Independence House where the independence of Paraguay was plotted and from where the patriots headed to confront the then governor of Paraguay with their declaration of independence.

The building itself is a small colonial style house. Being a national monument it is well maintained with bright clean whitewashed walls.

The house was originally built by the Spanish settler Antonio Martinez Saenz in 1772. It was built in the colonial style with adobe walls and a roof of bamboo poles and thatch. Although no palace it was of the style and in the comfort required by well to do family of the time.

Standing just a couple of blocks from Government House it was in the very heart of Asuncion.

Independence House in addition to being a national monument is also the oldest building still standing in its entirety in central Asuncion.

As the calls for independence from Spain grew across South America in the early 19th century the house of Antonio Martinez became the meeting place for those seeking independence for Paraguay.

Both Antonio and his brother were active members of the independence movement. Gatherings were held in their house to plan for a Paraguay free from the control of Spain.

At these meetings men who went on to play important parts in the independence of Paraguay such as Fulgencio Yegros were regularly in attendance.

Other of the key figures in the movement Pedro Juan Caballero was for a while a lodger.

Matters were finally brought to a conclusion on the night of 14th May 1811. That evening the plotters met to put the final touches to their declaration of independence.

Early the following morning they left the house declaration in hand to confront the governor with their terms. For a while matters were tense, but the declaration was accepted and Paraguay became the only country in South America to free itself from Spain without bloodshed.

Having played such a vital part in the history of Paraguay the house was preserved as it had been in 1811. Asuncion changed and grew around it but the house remained as it had always been.

Now although facing a busy street and overlooked by modern shops and offices the house has maintained its dignaty.

To ensure the house remained that way it was made a museum to the independence of Paraguay in 1965.

Independence House is now one of the principal tourist sights in Asuncion.

Within it the story of the Independence and of the patriots who bought it about is told.

Rooms have been restored and hold artifacts, documents and furniture of the time.

The office contains a collection of documents from the time.

The dining room, living room and bedroom all contain period furniture. In the bedroom stands the bed of Fernando de la Mora.

The oratory contains a number of religious carvings with more carvings to be found in an adjoining corridor.

Next to the building an old alleyway has also been preserved. After leaving the house on the morning of 15th May it was down this alleyway that the patriots headed on their way to their fateful meeting with the governor.

The dates of the 14th and 15th May are celebrated every year in Paraguay giving the country technically two independence days. However in reality the independence is celebrated on the 14th with the 15th being Mothers Day.

It is a place that anyone with even the slightest interest in the history of Asuncion should visit while they are in Paraguay.

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The exact cause of the war has always been unclear. However the border between the two was poorly defined and there had been a number of previous confrontations over the years. The territory in which the war took place was officially considered as a part of Paraguay.

Paraguay had over the years built a number of small forts across it to reinforce its claim. With the Chaco being a harsh environment many of the forts were built around oasis. This would initially be of advantage but then of great harm to the Bolivian offensive.

Further to the unclear border there was also a growing belief that the area held oil. The Chaco itself is a dry dusty place which does no encourage settlement but if oil had been found its value would have increased vastly.

A little further to the north in Bolivia oil had been found increasing the belief that the Chaco also concealed large deposits. Paraguay and Bolivia were both supported by rival oil companies. However quite how much their actions fermented the conflict is debatable.

One further benefit Bolivia saw to be gained from a war was access to the sea. A generation earlier following the loss of the War of the Pacific it had become landlocked. Gaining control of the Chaco would give Bolivia access the the Rio Paraguay and from there a maritime route to the Rio Plate and the Atlantic.

Although both sides employed large numbers of horses the terrain in the Chaco was not suitable for the deployment of cavalry. This made the Chaco War very much a mechanized one. Trucks, tanks and planes were used by both sides and the Paraguayans were able to bring troops towards the front by train.

The Chaco War saw the first large scale aerial combats in the Americas.

Bolivia started the war with large advantages in both troop and vehicle numbers. These were though nullified by the conditions in the Chaco. Most of their troops came from the high Andes and had no expeirience of hot, dry desert lowlands. Furthermore the vehicles did not cope well with the sand that constantly blew around.

Tactics also favoured the Paraguayans. The Bolivians attempted to fight a traditional war through taking possession of strong points and digging in.

The Paraguayans however under the leadership of Jose Felix Estigarribia fought a far more mobile war. Theirs was one of forced marches and encirclements. Time and again cutting off and defeating stationery Bolivian units.

The first actions of the war occurred on 15th June 1932. On that date Bolivian forces crossed into Paraguayan territory. They attacked and burnt down one Paraguayan fort before moving on to capture three more.

Paraguay responded to this invasion with a general troop mobilization. The army then moved north into the Chaco and after a month long siege recaptured the fort at Boqueron. An event still remembered today as a national holiday.

The Bolivian response to their initial defeat came in January 1933. The army once more advanced into the Chaco. The initial attempts to take forts all failed. However the campaign continued and a number of forts were captured before the advance was stopped and then pushed back by the Paraguayan forces.

The captured forts were heavily fortified by the Bolivians over the next few months. Then in September the Paraguayans lead by Estigarribia began a campaign to dislodge them. Through a brilliant campaign of forced marches through the trackless wilderness and encirclement after encirclement the forts were all retaken and their Bolivian defenders evicted.

In their rush to escape the Bolivians left behind vast amounts of supplies. Large numbers of tanks and other vehicles along with thousands of guns fell into Paraguayan hands. The majority was German made and of a far better quality than thee old French arms the Paraguayans had previously been reliant upon.

A truce was declared in December 1933. This held until January 1934 allowing the Bolivian forces to pull back to the border.

Once the truce expired the Paraguayans began pushing against the Bolivian defenses searching a way through their lines. The Bolivians had some success in holding back the Paraguayans but by December 1934 gaps had opened in the lines allowing Paraguay to cross the Rio Pilcomayo into Bolivia.

Once inside Bolivia a portion of the Paraguayan army prepared to lay siege to the fortified Bolivian town of Villa Montes. Whilst that happened the remainder of the Paraguayan army advanced swiftly into Bolivia and towards their oil fields.

When a truce was declared on 12th June 1935 the Paraguayan forces were just a few miles short of the oil fields. By them the Bolivians had been comprehensibly defeated. Their third major defeat in less than 100 years.

After the war the ceasefire became a permanent peace in 1938 when the border was finally officially designated. However even then the war was not completely confined to history. The final documents relating to the war were not signed until 28th April 2009.

However since 1935 Paraguay, Bolivia and the Chaco have remained at peace. The large oil deposits proposed to be lying under the sand have still not though been discovered.

The post A brief history of the Chaco War 1932 – 1935 appeared first on Simons Paraguay.

The memorial is that of Eliza Bagshawe. Born in Asuncion, Paraguay on 15-5-1864. Then after a long life dying in Cambridge, England on 13-8-1952.

Elizas’ parents were James Smith Parkinson and Jane Hare. James was born in 1836 in Bubwith Yorkshire and Jane in 1838.

James was one of a number of British managers and engineers bought to Paraguay by the president Carlos Lopez in the mid 1800s. They were there to help modernize his country. In Paraguay James was employed as manager of the Asuncion Brick Works.

Whilst the work to modernize the country continued Carlos Lopez died in 1862. He was succeeded by his son Francisco. Known as Mariscal Lopez.

The following year James Smith Parkinson and Jane Hare were married in Asuncion. They had probably met in Paraguay. The date was 2-8-1863.

The following year on 15th May their daughter Eliza was born. Eliza was named after the Irish mistress of Mariscal Lopez, Eliza Lynch. Eliza Lynch was at the time the height of Asuncion fashion and naming their daughter after her would have done the young couple no harm.

Elizas’ early years were not however to be happy ones. The following year following deputes with both Brazil and Argentina Paraguay was thrown into war. It was a disastrous war that would all but destroy Paraguay.

Like many foreign workers the Parkinsons would have sought to get away from Paraguay. It does seem that they escaped before the final devastating months of the war when following the fall of Asuncion to Brazilian forces in late 1869 Mariscal Lopez and his ever dwindling forces fought a fighting withdraw across the country for most of the following year.

I think that was the case as they were back in England around the time of Elizas’ 6th birthday. The flight however seems not to have been peaceful and uneventful. Along the way vital paperwork was lost.

Arriving in England Eliza lacked a birth certificate. Something that was vital for her continuing life. The problem was though swiftly resolved. Whether through her rights as a British citizen or through the influence of her family a fresh certificate was produced. This new birth certificate now showed Eliza as having been born in Rotherham, Yorkshire.

The family was not though ruined by their sudden departure from Paraguay. James quickly found fresh employment as a brick and tile manufacturer in Lancashire.

Better time were ahead and the family finances appear solid. Eliza was able to go to a boarding school in Stroud and from there to Stratford Abbey Training Collage in London.

It was whilst in London that Eliza Parkinson met Arthur Bagshawe. The couple were married in Fulham, London in June 1891.

Arthur Bagshawe was born in Sheffield and the son of Richard Bagshawe. Richard Bagshawe had a factory in Hammersmith importing chains and machine parts. There Arthur worked as an apprentice to his father in preparation for one day having his own business.

Whilst in London Arthur and Eliza had three children. First Arthur W Gerald in 1892. Then Mary Christine Evelyn in 1893. Finally Thomas Wyatt in 1901.

By the time of the birth of Thomas Arthur was ready to set up alone in business. He wanted that business to be somewhere away from the dirt of London. Somewhere with clean air and open spaces that would be ideal for a young family. Also close enough to London to maintain business connections.

For sometime he travelled around the country seeking somewhere suitable. Then in 1906 as site in Dunstable to the north of London was settled upon.

Eliza and the children travelled to Dunstable and the mid 18th century Grove House in Dunstable High Street was settled upon as their residence. This was rented by Arthur in 1906 and then bought outright in 1920.

The factory itself was built a mile away on a site in Church Street. This contained an iron foundry and and a chain manufacturing shop. Allowing the entire manufacturing process to be carried out on one site. This would decrease costs and increase profits.

Away from the factory Arthur was a dedicated family man and a keen gardener. Grove House had a large garden and he spent many happy hours there tending to the plants. The garden also gave the children space to run and play.

The happy family life continued until the death of Arthur in 1926. Ownership of the factory and Grove House then passed to the eldest son, Arthur W.

Following the death of her husband Eliza continued to live in Grove House until 1936. At that point both the house and gardens were sold to the Borough of Dunstable. The gardens were then opened to the public.

Eliza lived on for many more years. Finally she died in a Cambridge nursing home in 1952.

She had enjoyed a full life. She had survived three wars. Had fled halfway across the world as a child refugee and finally seen her husbands dream become a reality.

Her body was interred in Dunstable Cemetery next to that of her husband. There still they lie together.

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