The Iguassu Falls Area Guru

This public phone is strategically located at the entrance-exit to the Monday Falls. You can try to call home just for the fun of calling from ... where?

When I got to the Monday Falls Municipal Park - the Park that the Falls under satisfactory conditions is maintained by the Municipality of President franco, I heard someone speaking in Portuguese say that he considered such a behavior a lack of respect and reciprocity. I heard someone say then, what behavior? This, that the Paraguayans have a welcome sign in English, Spanish and Chinese. Then I asked permission to get involved and to say that the language he had the privilege to see before his eyes was Japanese. Whatever, he said. It is the same and continued saying that it was a lack of consideration. It was then that I saw that the kind of oversized outdoor welcome sign is just a part of a larger project aimed at improving conditions at Monday Falls being financed by JICA - the Japanese International Cooperation Agency. I told the people that I knew about projects led by JICA to improve tourism not only in Paraguay but also for the rest of the Mercosul - Mercosur countries. "Ji...

This posting is dedicated to all things Monday in Paraguay. There is the Monday Falls, the Monday River and even a Paraguayan Navy (Armada Paraguaya) Outpost by the Monday River all shown above. I have written before about the Monday things located just a mere 40 kilometers by car from Foz do Iguaçu. The Monday Falls are located in the City of Presidente Franco - for short. I made this short video:

I finally have been able to post this photograph here. It is the official publicity photograph for an exhibit that travelled to several cities in Paraná - the Brazilian state where the Iguassu Falls area located. The photographer who had the idea of doing this wonderful job is a friend of mine. Her name is Aurea Cunha (Koonya). In fact I studied two or three semesters with her at the Journalism School. Her idea was to show the faces of 41 women who have been born in several different countries, into different languages, religions and cultures and who have ended up living in Foz do Iguaçu - Iguassu Falls area. By clicking here you will go to a site that has the same picture - but with a difference - the picture is clickable - so you can click your way around and see the faces up close. The site is run by friends too. The site is called H2Foz.

A few days ago, I was walking, literally, across a neighborhood in Foz do Iguaçu when, just short of a magnificent and typical downpour, I past by a small house that called my attention because of a huge iron dengue fever mosquito on the roof top. I took the picture and posted it. In it you see a mosquito made out of recycled beer can, different metals and different nets. On one side you see a home-painted, hand-made sign where we can read sonething like "no dengue fever mosquito here". Days later I came back to the house. My purpose was to learn about the story behind this sculpture and to find out who was behind the idea. Now I can tell you what I found out: First, the house is not just a little house. It is also the seat of the Gremio Desportivo e Cultural Mocidade Independente do São Francisco (The São Francisco Area Independent Youth Sport and Cultural Center - also known by the name of the São Francisco Samba School). San Francisco here has nothing to do with the San F...

The Paraná River runs between Foz do Iguaçu and Ciudad del Este. This place is about 10 kilometers from the Two-Nation Dam of Itaipu. The water takes on a greenish hue after the dam. The dam holds back most of the nutrients, silt and debris that normally make the river have a darker ou muddier color. I was on the Pedro Basso building downtown. Unfortunatelt there is no access for people, tourists ou locals in this area. Only place to see the river is on the Cataratas Iate Clube restaurant.

I will be right back to write about this litle corner in Foz do Iguaçu where Mrs. Marlene Parzewski the wife of a retired judge idealized and built this little charming corner a few miles from Iguassu Falls.