These highlands are hills rather than mountains. Nowhere in Paraguay does the land rise anywhere high enough to be considered mountain scenery. They are though dramatic features in the landscape.

At times their sides may be coated with a thick covering of green trees. At others waterfalls far from great heights into the valleys below.

They stand out so clear in part as a result of the geology of the majority of Paraguay. This is a great lowland plain, an extension of the Argentine Pampus. It rises very gradually across northern Argentina and continues to do so through Paraguay up to and over the Bolivian border.

Only once the foothills of the Andes are reached does the terrain turn from horizontal to vertical.

Asuncion lies a thousand miles from sea up the River Paraguay but is little more than forty metres above sea level.

Where I live in Piribebuy is in one of these upland regions. In a thin band of hills running from the north to the south about fifty miles west of Asuncion.

Rather than looking out upon flat fields extending away to the horizon I see upland scenery of hills, rocks and valleys.

The area they cover is not vast and travel in any direction and the road soon starts to plummet downwards.

Once I am out on the paved road I can turn south and travel along the highland plateau. After not much more than five miles this plateau rises to its greatest height and then the land drops away sharply.

This is at a settlement called Km 92, after its distance from Asuncion. From here the road twists and turns as in less than a mile it drops to the lowlands below.

It is a dramatic and scenic route. On one side there is a solid rock wall several metres high. The result of the cutting made when rocks were first blasted to facilitate the laying of a road rather than a path out of the hills.

This wall of rock is over grown with trees and creepers. At many points the branches of the trees reach out to touch those on the other side of the road creating a green tunnel.

The cutting of the road severed streams that used to run down from the hills. These have now either found alternative routes along the rocks or fall over them as roadside waterfalls.

The largest of these halfway down the hill has become a popular tourist spot. It stands no more than a metre back from the paved road but still receives visitors and photographers all year round.

The other side of the road demonstrates how narrow the ledge is upon which the road is built. Beyond a scrubby verge which in places less than a metre wide the hillside drops almost vertically down to the forest covered valley far below.

In gaps between the trees the view from here extends for many miles over forests and fields.

Taking advantage of the terrain this side of the road is home to a large and established Eco-reserve. This contains in addition to its forest paths tree canopy walkways and zip lines.

After a mile the road makes a final sweeping curve and then flattens out as it heads on towards Paraguari.

Looking back the hills now appear as a solid wall of rock giving no clues as to the route taken by the path taken up into them and over the pass at the top onto the highland plateau.

If I were to head north rather than south on the paved road from my house I would again drop out of the hills and into the flatlands.

This time the distance is a little greater. The road travels north and then west before after twenty miles it passes Caacupe and descends.

The westerly road is the main east west freeway across Paraguay and so is laid out across a wider, flatter section of the plateau which just rises and falls gently.

Beyond Caacupe the road and land drop sharply towards Asuncion. The incline is a little less steep, here than in the south and so more suitable to the heavy vehicles. However it is steep enough to require the carriageways to be split and take separate downwards routes.

Being a main road the scenery is less dramatic. However there are extensive views over the lowlands below. The large inland Lake Ypacarai on which San Bernardino sits is clearly visible glistening down below.

This route comes down the side of the hills rather than over a high pass so it is a slightly longer distance before it arrives in the lowlands.

Approaching from Asuncion the hills look like a great rock wall from many miles away. The route up into them does not reveal itself until it is reached.

These are not the only hills to be found in Paraguay. A look at a map will show others. Most noticeably along the border with Brazil.

They all though stand out in the landscape and are stunning features that can be seen from far away. All coated in green and asking to be explored.

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I am fortunate in that a blanket of green extends in every direction. Amongst it few signs of human habitation can be spotted.

This makes the air here in Piribebuy clear and clean. Pollution is almost unheard of. The only instance in which it occurs is if a grass fire creates clouds of thick white smoke. Pollution from industry and transport does not exist. Just clean country air.

And do I have to go far to find this green and unspoiled paradise?

No, not at all. I just step out doors and am at once surrounded by nature.

The views extend in every direction so I need not go far to find the perfect one.

My house sits on the gently sloping side of a valley.

In the valley bottom runs the road. A thin line of brown earth that weaves its way out to the main road. The valley bottom is also where the majority of the houses that are scattered along the valley lie.

Sitting up on the valley side my view is unobstructed by all that.

Instead looking forward from the house there is an unbroken line of tree covered cliffs running from horizon to horizon. In places where the cliffs are too steep to support trees bare patches of grey rock are exposed.

These cliffs form the leading edge of range of hills running between here and the town of Piribebuy. A second valley parallel to this one divides the hills which then rise once more before dropping into Piribebuy.

Directly across the hills Piribebuy is much closer than the 15km the roads are required to take. On a clear night the lights of the town center can be clearly seen from my house glowing above the ridge line.

This hillside view has patches of managed land on it flatter parts but on the whole is natural woodland.

I look along it studying its contours trying to estimate where the passes over the hills may be. For the cliffs do not form a solid wall but instead individual rock outcrops stand a different distances. Only from a far appearing as a solid wall of rock.

The trees that cover the hills are mainly palms which are very common in the area. Along with this are a wide mixture of other trees types representing the local flora of Paraguay. Then high up on the ridge line half a dozen trees stand proud. These must be very tall tress as they rise clearly above all that surrounds them.

Every day when I wake this is the view that greets me.

Behind the house the valley side slowly rises to a broad plateau. The view in that direction is not as dramatic but is not spoiled by a single building or artificial light.

To get the best out of the views behind the house it is necessary for me to cross over onto my neighbours land and take the short walk up to the rock outcrop that stands at bottom of his land.

These mark the high point of this side of the valley and beyond them the ground drops away steeply into the next valley.

Some of the highest rocks require a bit of rock climbing. However walk up through a high natural stone arch and you find yourself on a broad rock platform overlooking the surrounding countryside.

From here only one or two houses are faintly visible through the sea of trees that stretches out unbroken in every direction. The wildlife also knows this is a good place to live undisturbed and amongst other things vultures nest high up on the cliffs.

The rock themselves are not that high but standing at the top of the valley side they are at a height that looks down upon all that is around them.

In the far distance even the main road running 5km away can be distinguished and if the wind is in the right direction car travelling along it can be heard.

Mostly though the view is huge and relaxing. Everywhere the trees and grasses appear to extend to the horizon and beyond. A view only cut short by hills and rocky outcrops. It is not surprising that this a place popular with tourists.

I like them could sit up there for a long time taking in the view and enjoying the silence.

Unlike the tourists though afterwards I walk back to my house and remain in the landscape.

Then every day as night arrives I have yet more relaxing views to enjoy.

First there is sunset. From my house I watch the sun sink below a low ridge line. Upon this grow palms between which the sun decends.

As it does so almost without fail every evening the sky is filled with colour.

The setting sun illuminates the thin clouds which form at that time of day. These then burst into colour with vivid oranges and reds and even the occasional purple.

Watching the sun set across the garden is a pleasure.

Then finally the lack of street lighting allows the stars to glow. There is not a single light behind my house and so almost every night they put on a brilliant display.

The Milky Way runs across the heavens and everywhere the sky is filled with stars. The constellations here display far more stars than those seen from less rural areas. And most nights are cloudless.

In this most natural of environments there are though man made objects to be seen. Low to the horizon satellites slowly make their way across the night sky.

This then is a place to be with nature and look out in every direction upon its glories.

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As might be expected though this does not represent the full story. Here in Paraguay those old craton rock have in places been intruded through by volcanic rocks and in other areas overlaid by younger sedimentary rocks.

Not far from where are live are a number of conical peaks representing the cores of long dead volcanoes. It has been many millions of years since the rocks of Paraguay were last volcanicly active. Now just the battered remains of these long dead volcanoes stand out above the flatlands.

The geology is quite different up amongst the low hills of my local environment. Here although some volcanic features are evident the majority of the bedrock is sedimentary. The rocks beneath my feet are the same as those that rise as sheer cliffs on the opposite side of the valley. These rocks are on the whole sandstone.

Those sandstone rocks could not have been formed where they now lie. Three hundred metres above sea level and almost that distance above the flood planes of the rivers that now run through Paraguay. Sandstone is laid down layer upon layer under water. Most commonly in lakes or as rivers slow down dropping their cargo of silt.

Clearly then the landscape of Paraguay has not always looked like is does now. Generally flat, rising to the north and with just a couple of regions of higher ground.

Another clue to the origins of the rocks comes from a quarry up in the hills from which building stone is extracted. There amongst the quarried stone fossils can be found. These are of plants rather than animals. The most common show the waving branches of corals or sea ferns. These would suggest the stationary waters of a warm shallow lake rather than those of a flowing river.

I have a few examples I have acquired over the years around the house. The largest and best preserved specimen on display locally is on show at one of the builders merchants in Piribebuy. That is nearly half a metre in diameter and clearly shows the black of the fossil against the orange of the rock.

A natural further question is quite what aquatic fossils are doing in a hilltop quarry.

The answer is a combination of two of the earths great sculpting forces. Firstly plate tectonics to lift the land mass as a whole and drain away any inland seas. Then erosion to wear down the weaker bands and layers of the sandstone to leave behind the landscape as seen today.

The forces the pushed up the Andes would have sent pressure waves across the whole of South America. Lifting and crumpling rocks as they went. This is why the highlands in Paraguay tend to run north south.

There is also the evidence still to be seen of the millions of years of erosion that then wore down those new hills. All across Paraguay there are deep wide valleys through which run streams seemingly far too small for the valleys the occupy.

After the once a year torrential storm returns these streams for a few hours to the rivers they may once once have been. Deep and fast flowing tearing at their banks and uprooting trees.

In wetter times the land may have been crossed by many more great rivers than it is now. Cutting down though the softer layers of sandstone to create the valleys same streams now inhabit. Additionally heavier rains means more water running off the hilltops eroding the hillside as it goes.

Evidence of this erosion is visible everywhere. The thick, heavy orange soil that covers Paraguay is the remains of hills that once stood across it. Sand laid down either by slowing rivers or as soil washed into lakes compressed over time into rock. This rock became uplifted before being worn down once more to sand and dust so that the cycle can repeat itself.

One final thing to be said about the sedimentary rocks of Paraguay is that in places they resemble rock formations elsewhere in the world that lie on top of reserves of hydrocarbons. With this knowledge geologists have been prospecting across Paraguay for more than a hundred years in search of oil.

As yet nothing of commercial value has been uncovered. But the search still goes on.

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The months from June to August are considered to be winter. For much of the time the weather does remain warm and sunny. Very pleasantly in the low 30s Centigrade. That can though swiftly change with the arrival of a mass of cold air sending temperatures down into single figures.

This winter weather is not driven by storms and weather fronts as it is for much of the year. Instead it occurs as a mass of cold air is suddenly driven up from the south. The interior of South America being generally flat there are no physical barriers stopping masses of air moving from one place to another.

The ones that chill Paraguay blow in off the South Atlantic. travelling over the Argentine Pampas they loose any moisture they had been carrying. So by the time they reach Paraguay they bring grey cloud thick enough to blot out the sun but not a single drop of rain.

These weather systems arrive suddenly. Bright skies and temperatures over 30 one day, then cloud filled skies and temperatures around freezing by the following morning. Every year at some point over the winter the temperature will drop below zero. Coating the ground white with frost.

When this dry frost arrives and how often is different every year. At any point between June and August the land may freeze. There may just be one cold snap cold enough to cause a frost, or there may be several.

Either way when it does arrive it kills off all the less hardy plants it meets. Living where I do in the hills tropical plants such as mango, paw paw and banana can have a hard time getting well enough established to withstand a night or two of frost.

The most noticeable change in the landscape though after a frost is the death of the grass. All the vast fields of grass on which cattle graze are reduced within a day of two of a frost to dry yellow straw. The particular strain of grass grown here has no residence to sub zero temperatures. The frost kills it and the strong dry wind quickly drives out all its moisture.

This leaves huge areas of land tinder dry and in great danger from fires. Winter is the time of year when forest and grassland fires are prone to burn uncontrollably across Paraguay. Once alight it is almost impossible to extinguish a grass fire. All that can be done to endeavor to stop it spreading further.

Grass though unlike trees is hard to kill. Even if all is turned to ash fresh shoots will sprout from the buried roots as soon as the spring rains arrive.

How great the danger of fire is depends very much upon how long the grass lies dead and dry. If there is a frost in June it will be months before there is fresh growth. However if the frost does not arrive until August things may start to turn green once more within a month.

This year was one of those years when the frost did not occur until August. Mid August, so very late in the year, catching out some of the trees that had started to put on their spring growth.

One day was bright sunny and warm. Then that night the wind started. It blew strongly all night and by the morning the sky was coated thickly with cloud. The temperature dropped within a few hours from the low 30s to single figures. All that day the wind blew and the temperature dropped still further.

After a day of chilling the night time temperature fell below zero bringing the first frost of the year. By the following morning the sky was clear but the wind was still bitterly cold. That night under a clear sky it was colder still.

Then as quickly as it came the cold snap went. The wind dropped and then within a couple of days temperatures were as high as they had been before the cold. The only visible clue that there had even been a frost remained the dead, dry look of the land.

As these cold spells are exceptions rather than the norm buildings are built with thought to heat not cold. There is no central heating. No hot water unless a house has a boiler and no draught proofing. Gaps around window and door frames are vital to allow cool air to enter the house during the summer. They do though also give cold winter winds a way indoors.

If there is a long cold spell. With clouds and wind for three or four days it will be several more before warmth finds its way back into the houses.

This cold dry air and more importantly the rapid swings between hot and cold do not make the winter air healthy. Throughout this time the locals and especially the children are very prone to cold. At times it can seem that almost everyone has some form of head cold or other. The poor quality of much of the housing and basicness of the diet only add to the problem.

As such everyone, even those who dislike the heat of summer is pleased when the uniformly warm temperatures of spring arrive. Then farmers know they can plant crops without fear and children can play outdoors without their mothers worrying whether they will catch a chill.

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In front of the house across the valley rises a wall of cliffs. These rise a hundred or more metres from the valley bottom and separate it from the next. Behind the house however the land rises more gently. At its summit sits a smaller set of rocks. Although these rise no more than 20 or 30 metres they do so virtically.

At one point they would have been part of a much larger hill. However over millions of year the elements have worn away the softer surrounding sandstone leaving behind just the harder core rocks. The sandstone is now the soil which covers the land.

The hill is clearly visible from my house. Bare rocks shining on the horizon. It is also no more than 10 minutes walk from the front door.

To reach it I must first climb over my neighbours fence. It is at the bottom of hos land that the hill stands. Then a cart track leads the way. This is worn deep below the land surface through many years of use. After a while this fades away into a vast sea of grass dotted with palm trees.

Once in the grass the hill in front is clearly visible. Rising abruptly from the grass it forms a seemingly impassable barrier. Only when seen from close up does the hill reveal itself to be made of a jumble of rocks rather than a solid mass.

The grass stops in front of the first low rock platforms. Here nature replaces farmland with a wild tangle of trees and undergrowth. All that grows around the rocks represents the natural flora that once grew across the land before being tamed by man.

In places the undergrowth is thick an impenetrable. Elsewhere paths have been worn though it either by woodmen seeking firewood or intrepid tourists. There are several of these small paths leading up to the first tall buttresses of rock. Deeper in the thick canopy and thin soil have left the ground bare of all but thin trees and small bushes.

The rocks of the hill rise vertically. They have weathered in places with pit and gullies on their surfaces but in others have kept their sheer sides. Growing from cracks in their walls are plants whos seeds have found their way into crevices and whos roots hang in the air awaiting moisture.

In places trees to have seeded themselves. These appear to be growing out of the rocks. Their thick roots wrapping round the stone and heading into the soil below. There is one free standing rock completely enclosed by the roots of the tree growing upon it.

The first wall of rocks offers several ways into the interior of the hill. There are great walls of rock leading paths onwards and free standing columns of rock splitting pathways.

The outstanding feature of the hill is its stone arch way. This natural archway is free standing on one side and attached to further cliffs on the other. It is several metres across and rises 10 or 15 metres from the ground. The bare rocks form a perfect archway.

A gentle slope of loose soil leads up to its base. Then passing through the arch the rocks soon lead out onto a wide flat platform. From this vantage point the whole of the surrounding countryside is visible. Almost everything is green. Grass and trees marching off into the distance. Just here and there the occasional house roof breaks up the sea of green. From up here even buildings on the tarmac road several miles away can be seen. It is an impressive view.

Behind this platform and level with the arch the rocks rise much further. To scale these is far harder. In places real rock climbing skills are required. However if the climb is made the view is even greater. From these high points above even the canopy of the trees the view is immense. Unimpeded it stretches away to the horizon in every direction. Everywhere the land is cloaked in green and everywhere it drops away before rising in the distance to the next row of hills.

Also up upon the highest rocks an encounter with the resident bird life is quite possible. Up here nest black vultures. Big birds even from a distance and quite a sight close up. Standing half a metre high and with a wing span of a metre and a half. It is impossible to visit the hill without seeing vultures for they are forever circling above it. From these high rocks they can look out across the fields and flat lands below.

Here the vultures along with the lizards, snakes and armadillos on the ground below them are able to live out their lives. On the whole without mans interference.

Beyond the first buttress of rock the hills take on a more broken appearance. Great cliffs rise in a complicated confusion and the ground is a trackless tangle of small trees and shrubs. With the canopy blocking out the sun and high rock walls rising in every direction it is easy to become lost. Walking round in a circle is easily done.

The hill though covering only a few acres a suitable exit can always be found with a bit of searching. I have learnt to find my way out by heading for bright spots on the forest floor and then checking that the sun is in the right place.

The rear of the hill is even more sudden than the front. There seeming low rocks rising just a little from the ground. However on the far side of these there is a sheer drop of many metres into the valley below. From below there can be found a couple of breaks in this wall allowing the hill to be approached without difficulty from that side also.

Whenever I have the urge for a good walk and to be immersed in nature for a couple of hours I head to the Hill of the Stone Arch. There nature rules as she always has done.

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The result of this is that Paraguay has a multitude of small fresh water streams. Across the lowlands they slowly meander growing in size as the go. These are often too small to navigate and suitable only for bathing or watering animals. They are though due to their nature often sediment and weed filled.

For clearer more refreshing waters it is necessary to head up into the hills. Here the crystal clear waters cascade down rocky hillsides and flow briskly along sandy channels. Often the steams are forced over hills sides or across bedrock to solid to wear down. Most streams contain waterfalls or at the very least shallow rocky rapids.

These natural features are enjoyed and treasured by the Paraguayans. As such they have on the whole been left natural. Either the tree cover remains right down and over hanging the river bank or if the stream runs through a park there will be soft grass and shady trees all around.

The area around Piribebuy is well known for its many fresh water streams. Located in the hills the water is clean and clear. It is also not far from Asuncion and as such popular with tourists. There are many country homes used just a few times a year by their owners and country parks ready to receive weekend visitors.

Two of the more developed ones nearby are Chololo which has small waterfalls and a restaurant which is open all year round and Pinamar which sits on a shallow, rocky fast bend in a river and is set up for overnight or weekend stays. Beyond the big parks there are many other smaller ones either just off the tarmac or at a distance down one of the dirt tracks.

These are almost always family run. A portion of land set aside to benefit from the visiting tourists every summer time. The heat of high summer sends are able out of the cities at some point during the summer seeking fresher country air.

On a hot summer day with temperatures climbing in excess of 40 degrees any sort of refreshment is welcome. The hill country steams always flow with cool water even on the hottest of days and with many over hanging trees shade is abundant.

There can be few better places to be on a hot summer afternoon than a cool sandy stream. The streams are apart from where rocks form rapids of natural benches sandy. The sand is the soil washed of the land in storms and the water is clear and the stream beds weed free.

One reason they stay this way are the heavy storms. During and after a storm a stream will swell in size as water floods in torrents off the land. The stream bed is torn up and the waters turn brown with sediment. Once the excess water has flown away a fresh layer of sand is left behind and any plants that had been trying to grow would have either been buried or up rooted.

The refreshing properties of the clear water are appreciated by all. Children become water babies during the long summer holidays and groups of adults settle themselves in under shady trees with packs of beer.

All this activity is on the whole confined to the hottest months of the year. From November to March. Outside that apart from Easter the waters are generally returned to nature. The country parks become dormant and local children no longer have to compete with tourists for the best stretches of water.

All this water does have one downside. That though is only really a problem at dawn and dusk. That is the mosquitoes that find the calmer sections and damp edges the perfect breeding grounds. Fortunately out in the countryside unlike in the towns they rarely carry any infections. This I am sure is down to the countryside having a cleaner environment.

However the constant buzz of mosquitoes and other insects even if not dangerous is frustrating. As such it is no bad thing that I have no waters of my own. It may mean that I have to visit someone elses stretch of stream to bathe but it also means that the house is almost mosquito free.

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Across Eastern Paraguay rising out of the flat lands are a number a steep conical hills which are all that remains of the cores of long dead volcanoes.

With much of Paraguay being flat low lands, prone to flooding and ideal as ranch land they do make very prominent even when far off towards the horizon. They are typically very steep sided and thickly wooded apart from a bare rock summit rising above the trees.

Not far from where I live is there is a good example of such a hill. It is shown in the photograph above. This a Cerro Mbatovi. It rises abruptly from the levels around Paraguari and is visible at a great distance. It is surrounded by flat ranch lands and erupts almost vertically from the plains. As with many of these old volcanic hills its sides are too steep to by climbed without the aid of ropes.

Another larger example, also not far from where I live, is the town of Caacupe. From ground level there are few clues that the area had ever witnessed any volcanic activity at all. It is only by climbing to high point such as the roof of the cathedral can the truth be found. For once high above the streets and houses the ring of hills that surround the town can be seen. These hills form the rim of the volcano that once existed where Caacupe now sits. The whole town sits within the caldera of and ancient extinct volcano. As the bowl enclosing the town is several miles across this would have been a mighty volcano.

These volcanic features are only found in the east of Paraguay. To the east of the Paraguay River. To the west across the Chaco the soils are all sedimentary. It has however been a long time since there was any volcanic activity in Paraguay. The rocks of the hills all date to a time more than 200 million years ago, when the geography would have looked very different to that seen today.

High and for the most part inaccessible they have in the most part been left to nature. The ancient forests and jungles that cloak them may be some of the oldest pieces of woodland in the country. The old growth trees left standing out of the reach of loggers. In addition far fewer non native species are found on these steep hillsides than in most other parts of the country which would have been cleared and then regrown many times.

The isolation also favours the wildlife. Many creatures such as opossums and armadillos find food and shelter in the undisturbed woodland and the sheer rock faces make ideal nesting sights for birds out of the reach of predators.

One common Paraguayan bird that finds these high inaccessible vantage points ideal is the vulture. High atop bare rocks they place their nests. From there they have an unbroken view across the surrounding countryside and are lifted effortlessly high in the sky by the thermals of hot air forced upwards upon meeting with the steep hillsides.

So as such these old hills form an important geological as well as natural treasures for Paraguay that is accessible to all who wish to seek them out.

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These times of global lockdown are times for seeing and enjoying what is near to hand rather than what is far away out of sight.

I am fortunate in having open space and fine views extending away in every direction from my house.

The house itself is towards the top of a gently sloping hillside which in front runs down to the dirt track at the bottom of the valley, and behind up to a plateau that runs away behind the house.

Looking out from the back of the house the first objects are tree immediatly behind the house beyond which grassland extend. These run off into the distance before about half a mile from the house meeting a steep rugged rocky outcrop, after which the land drops away into the next valley.

This lush grass is fine cattle pasture and cows are often to be seen working their way across it. In addition to the grass the view is filled with dozens of palm trees which mostly form rows between areas which have from time to time been planted with crops.

To one side of the house grow tropical fruit trees in the form of inga and nispero, both of which produce many fruits.

Behind these lies more grass. This is crossed by the driveway as it runs away down to the garden gate and the dirt track .

Beyond my fence sits a house and various out buildings belonging to the neighbour and his animals. Also visable are the large mature trees that enclose the roadway.

To the other side of the house, beyond the eucalyptus and the fruit trees the ground drops away towards that of my other neighbour. This property is an old long established one and the border between the two properties is marked by a thick, impenetrable headrow formed by dozens of different trees and shrubs growing tightly together. Some of these will represent the flora that grew here before the land was turned over to habitation and agriculture.

In addition there extending down to the road is my only true wild ground. A half acre of woodland that has survived as a relic from the past.

The wood runs up to the garden fence the other side of which is the dirt track that runs infront of my house.

In this direction beyond the sea of grass a few of the neighbouring houses can be seen along the roadway. All a good distance from my house.

Behind these and a thick screen of trees runs a sandy stream, which may well be the remnants of the river that once cut the valley.

Across the stream the rocks and the land take on a very different character. On this side there is a gentle grassed hillside, but over there the rocks rise vertically for several hundred feet forming a solid backdrop to the view.

These hills rise unevenly and to different heights, although from the ground the bulk of the highest ridge gives them the impression of a solid wall, where as in reality there are numerous paths up to their summits.

On the whole the hills which extend from horizon to horizon appear green from the many trees that grow upon them, but there are many areas of bare rock which is too vertical for anything to grow upon.

These then are the pleasing views I am able to look out upon from my house under the warm Paraguayan sun.

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One afternoon across Paraguay the bright blue sky fades into the gathering gloom and the sun concealed as black clouds build.

A hot and sunny land is Paraguay for most of the year but to retain it’s lush green covering rain must come and when it does it arrives with force washing all away before it for hours on end flooding streets and overflowing streams.

Some of this much needed rain will fall upon higher ground. There following the contours of the ground as the droplets flow together over rock and earth into streams and then torrents until they fall into the headwaters of a high land stream.

This stream now filled with water cascading down from all across the hillside swells to fill a channel that for most of the year seems far to grand for the small stream of water winding it’s way down it’s center.

The swollen stream rips at it’s banks as it rushes away from it’s hilltop spring but no sooner has momentum built than the storm passes and the clouds melt away leaving the last of the rainfall rushing to join the stream before evaporation once more takes hold.

Up here high in the hills is beyond the realm of man. A place for wild animals to thrive amongst the thick intertwined trees of the forest.

The stream pass through this place gathering size and force as it does joined by a multitude of smaller streams running off the hillside.

At times the rocks of the stream bed have proved too strong for millennia of storms to wear away and here the waters fall as if down a glistening staircase.

For a while the course of the stream levels out as it seeks a way out of the hill country and into the flat lands below.

This after winding it’s way amongst the lower reaches of the hills and seemingly loosing all energy it finds at the very edge of the hard upland rocks where the waters are at last able to fall to the flatlands below where it much search out a great river and slowly make it’s way to the sea.

The cascade of water over this waterfall is unspectacular by Paraguayan standards. Little more than fifteen metres across and with a drop of only about four metres but it is still powerful enough to echo through the surrounding woodlands to alert all to it’s presence.

Those drawn to it are not only the creatures of the woodland but also man seeking somewhere peaceful and relaxing to spend a hot summer afternoon.

The foliage overhanging the waterfall throws shade over the bubbling white waters at it’s base and on a summer afternoon there is little wildlife to be seen as people fill it’s foaming waters and picturesque surroundings.

These months though soon pass and then once more nature reclaims the falls. Birds bathe in place of men and the woodland creatures come to the waters edge to drink.

In this land of natural beauty there is as there always has been plenty for everyone and everything.

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For all but it’s northern border waterways shape the Paraguayan frontiers. These great rivers are all part of the Paraná system and mark the size and shape of Paraguay as clearly as the seas do an island.

The Paraná river system is second only in South America to the Amazon draining a great part of the continent to the south of the Amazon basin.

The rivers that hold Paraguay within themselves are the River Pilcomayo, the River Paraguay and the River Paraná itself. Within their grasp the frontiers of Paraguay are as natural and clear as any in the world.

The first of these great rivers is the Pilcomayo which rises far away in the foothills of the Bolivian Andes. From there it flows south east meeting with Paraguay at the point in the county of Boquerón where the border turns to the north to cross the dry Chaco.

From there on the river snakes it way down Western Paraguay marking the border between it and Argentina. In doing so it marks the edges of the counties of Boquerón and Presidente Hayes before reaching Asunción. At Asunción the Pilcomayo enters the River Paraguay and from there the waters head in a more southerly direction.

The Pilcomayo flows for 1100km before joining the Paraguay. However despite it’s length it is not a good river for navigation for dropping very little in elevation it is a slow flowing waterway clogged with swamps and marshes.

The second of these great rivers, the Paraguay rises to the east of Paraguay in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso. From there flows south across Brazil forming the Pantanal Wetlands before meeting Paraguay at the north eastern corner of the county of Alto Paraguay. From there the waters continue on their southerly path forming the frontier between Paraguay and Brazil until the river enters Paraguayan territory in the county of Concepcion.

Down through Paraguay the River Paraguay continues to head almost due south, passing on it’s eastern bank Concepcion, San Pedro and Cordillera before arriving in Asunción and at the River Pilcomayo. For the whole of it’s travels within Paraguay the much larger county of Presidente Hayes lies on it’s western bank.

From Asunción the river is once more the border, this time with Argentina. The counties of Central and Neembucu follow it’s twists and turns until at the far southwestern corner of Paraguay it flows into the River Paraná.

The River Paraguay flows for 2695km and unlike the Pilcomayo is navigable. So much so that although Asunción is over 1000km from the sea it can still be reached by ocean going vessels and is considered a deep water port.

The last of these three great rivers is the Paraná itself which rises far off in eastern Brazil and flows for 4880km before finally emptying into the South Atlantic having drained a large part of South America along it’s course. In length the Paraná is second only to the Amazon in South America.

This great river joins Paraguay on it’s eastern frontier where once the a series of severn huge waterfalls formed the Guaira Falls, then one of the largest falls in the world. These were lost in the 1980s when the reservior behind the Itaipu Dam was filled. Even if the dam were to be removed they could never be recreated as the drowned rocks were dynamited by the Brazilian government to improve ease of shipping.

From there as the waters flow south they become the waters of the reservior until they massive dam at Itaipu which supplies electricity over a vast area of Paraguay and Brazil is reached.

Beyond the dam the waters once more return to being a river and follow the south eastern edge of Paraguay changing from a border with Brazil to one with Argentina a little south of the Itaipu Dam.

The Paraguayan county of Alto Paraná becomes that of Itapua and along the southern edge of Paraguay there is another artificial lake, this time behind the Yacyreta Dam which is shared between Paraguay and Argentina.

From there it is just a short distance past Misiones and Neembucu to take on the waters of the Paraguay which itself has already taken on the waters of the Pilcomayo.

Then leaving Paraguay behind, defined by their courses the waters turn south, across the Argentine Pampus and onto to River Plate and the South Atlantic.

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