Paraguay from every angle
Life, culture, landscapes. All that is Paraguay, and my life here
Ants abound in Paraguay
Paraguay may appear at first glance to be a land of cattle, but look a little closer and you will see there is another far more abundant creature filling every nook and cranny of the land, ants. If there is one thing in which Paraguay can claim to lead the world it is...
The art of the mimic
In nature there are many things which have learnt to improve their chances of survival by pretending to be something they are not. This deception may take the form of camouflage. An insect disguised as a leaf or a caterpillar that looks like a bird dropping. This may...
Hornero the Paraguayans friend
Rufous Hornero, or as he is more usually know is not much to look at. Just another nondescript small brown bird. However his habits make him one of the most conspicuous in Paraguay. Firstly the hornero is not a shy retiring woodland bird, but instead one that actively...
Spring follows winter in Paraguay
Once June arrives and the shortest day approaches autumn slowly gives way to winter. Darkness descends late afternoon at this time of year and children head home from school after the sun has fallen from the sky. Winter is a time without evenings as day gives way to...
Summer turns to autumn across Paraguay
Looking from outside it is easy to think that Paraguay does not really have seasons but it instead varying degrees of hot all year round. That though is not quite the case as the year is broken down into four quite distinct seasons. The truly hot part of the year,...
A small country waterfall in Paraguay
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...
A land defined by great rivers
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...
The Paraguayan Ox Cart
The ox cart is a familiar sight throughout the Paraguayan countryside. It exsists not as a tradition preserved by enthusiats or as cultural heritage for tourists to enjoy but as working part of farm and countryside life. A basic description of an ox cart is a wooden...
The sound of silence
In Paraguay as with much of the world an uneasy quite has fallen across the land. Here at my home in the Paraguayan countryside that silence has been even more noticable than the lack of people. For the past few days now traffic has all but ceased along my road as...