Today I prepared a tasty de luxe reviro, a staple that came from poverty days

 l woke up today to find out that I had nothing to eat. I normally keep some tapioca (the manioc flour) which I use to make either tapioca or beiju (mandioc or cassava bread). After checking my food supply I found there on the cor
ner a pakage of wheat flour which immediately sent me the message: bye bye hunger. 

I got the manioc flour and decided to make a "reviro" a fantastic food tracing back its existence to Jesuit Missions time and revived during the hierba mate (erva mate) exploration period. Give and take we are talking about 400 years. 

I put two hands full of wheat flour in a small pot. Threw in one egg. Mixed it with flour, salt and added some milk until it reached the consistency to go to the frying pan. This is the de luxe version. Since it is a staple that orginated from the wisdom of poverty, my previous reviros were made with just wheat, water and salt and sometimes I forgot the salt. I share the photo of this beautiful reviro I am talking about.

P.S.: I do think that some classy hotels should bring reviro to the guests even if some chef might come up with some idea to make it not addapt but interesting to international audiences.   

Reviro is popular mainy in Paraguay but also made in Southern Brazil, part of Mato Grosso do Sul State and in at laest two provinces of Argentina: Misiones and Corrientes. In Puerto Iguazu gateway to  Iguazu (Iguassu) Falls there is a Revirso Festival and Contest with hundreds of participants. My suggestion ask your hotel or travel agent to bring some reviro for guests to taste.   

Exploring San Ignacio Guazu, the heart of the Guarani Jesuit Missions

The Iguassu Falls' Area Guru is happy to bring to you this first official posting about the Jesuit Misions legacy in South America with a focus at this moment on the 30 Guarani-speaking Mission Villages spread in what now is Paraguay, Brasil, Argentina and Uruguay. This video was shot during my visit to San Ignacio Guazu in an efort to collect nformation on the rurak distrivt of Tañarandy whwre a procession is held every Easter Friday. The Holy Friday this year is just five days away. I will be there. In the meantime I will share some photographs of San Ignacio Guazu  

The Diocesan Museum 

Sun Watch

        

Office of the Cattle Raisers Association 

Offical Jesuit Church office 

Police Station

The Jesuit Cross  

The Yvagarape or Way to Heaven - where the processions happens on Easter Friday

City Museum dedicated to the Chaco and the Triple Alliance Wars  

A political, cultural, economic, ethnical and social Chronology of the Triple Border

This is a tentative list. Research goes on. If you have something to ask or suggest please feel free to do so. Data from several sources. Still far from what I want. To help: limajac@gmail.com

1554 Irala arrives to the Lands of the Guayrá
1609 Brazil-based Portuguese ‘Bandeiras’ to guarantee possession of Western Lands
1609 Jesuit priests start catechization of Guarani-Mbya Indians
1620 The Alto Paraná (Py) is an important yerba mate producing region under Jesuits
1638 Portuguese ‘bandeirantes’ invade the Guarani Jesuit Missions of Guayra
1638 Bandeirantes take yerba mate to São Paulo
1765 Count Oyera Pombal asks for permission to found a Military outpost bordeing Paraguay.
1813 Paraguayan Dr. Francia, forbids export of yerba mate.
1853 The State of Paraná becomes autonomous from São Paulo
1865 - 1870 Triple Aliance War (Argentina,Brazil and Uruguay against Paraguay)
1869 Export of yerba mate is authorized in Paraguay
1876 The Serra Graciosa Road is open.Curitiba becomes a yerba mate export center
1879 Particio Escobar y Cia (& Co) granted permission to explore yerba mate in Alto Paraná for 10 years (Py)
1820 French botanist Saint-Hilaire classifies the yerba mate
1880
1881 Severo Fernandez and Ernesto Arnadey buys 50 square leagues of Paraná and Iguazu River land from Corrientes, Argentina.
1881 Lands are sold to Rafael Gallino who in turn sells them to Gregorio Lezama.
1881 Misiones is separated from Corrientes
1881 Federalization of Misiones
1881 Yerba mate exploit begins in Misiones
1882 Rudecindo Roca sworn in as Misiones first governor
1882 The Mate Laranjeiras Co starts exploiting yerba mate in Mato Grosso
1883 The Paraguayan Alto Paraná Company is born. Patrício Escobar's Concession dies.
1885 Paraguayan Government sells forests and 'yerbales'
1886 The Industrial Paraguaya S.A. is born (Paraguay's 1st huge real estate)
1887 Swiss-born Bertoni arrives to what is now Puerto Bertoni
1888 The Paraná Strategic Comission is founded in Paraná
1888 The popuation of the Mouth (Foz) of the Iguassu River: 324
1888 Gregorio Lezama sells Iguazu Lands to Martín Erracaborde & Co.
1889 November, 15, Brazilian Empire dies. Republic proclaimed
1889 The Iguassu Military Colony established
1890
1892 Military Colony is taken off the Strategic Commission
1897 Cap. Edmundo de Barros surveys the Iguassu Falls (BR) and projects a park
1897 Alberto Mugica é designado Juiz de Paz de Iguazu
1900
1901 Misiones Governor Lanusse goes to Buenos Aires to convince the Mihanovich Shipping Co to travel to Iguassu Falls
1901, The first tourist excursion comes to Iguazu on a Mihanovich boat
1902 Carlos Thays surveys the Iguassu Falls AR)and offers Plans for a Nat'l Park
1902 September, 3, the Olmedo Law is passed reserving the Iguassu Falls area to federal administration - thanks to Gov. Lanusse's efforts.
1903 The Brazilian and Argetninean Three-Frontier Landmark dedicated
1905 The Federal Tax Office installed in Iguaçu to be headed by Silveira Netto
1905 The Mate Laranjeira Co. creates a village called Monjoli, today's Guaíra
1906 Police District and Telegraph lines opened in Foz do Iguassu
1907 The Iguazu lands divided and sold at an auction. Domingo Arrayagaray bought the North part and Martin Errecaborde secured the Southern portion .
1907 The Gibaja y Nuñez MIning Co. builds the first hotel in Iguazú.
1912 Military Colony is dismantled. Powers handed over to the State of Paraná
1913 Governent buildings in Puerto Iguazu: Police, Subprefectura, School
1914 World War I begins
1914 June, 10, Foz do Iguaçu is born as Villa Iguassu
1916 First Notary Public opens in Puerto Aguirre
1916 April 24, Brazilian Air Hero Santos Dumont visits Puerto Aguirre (Puerto Iguazu's former name). He was coming from a PanAmerican Aviation Congress held in Santiago, Chile. He visited Buenos Aires and embarked on a tour to the Falls.
1916 Aviator and Santos Dumont crosses the river and visits the Falls from the Brazilian side and stay at a Hotel on Avenioda Brasil (Foz's first) and sleeps a night at shelter by the Falls.
1916 Santos Dumont learns that the Falls were privately owned and promisses to travel to Curitiba and talk to the State President and sugest the creation of a Park. He eventually goes meets the president. Three months later the state starts the process o acquire the 1.008 hectares of land around the Iguassu Falls (Br)
1916 The Government of the State of Paraná declares the land around Iguassu Falls as of Public Interest based on a 1912 law. The owner, a Spaniard named Jesus Val takes government to court.
1919 Jesus Val accepts a deal to sell the land to the State of Paraná
1923 German-born Catholic Father Guilherme Maria Thiletzek, Foz's first, arrives in town.
1924 Whole population of Villa Iguassu seeks refuge in Puerto Aguirre asthey run from the Revolutionary Advance Column led by Isidoro Dias Lopes. Invaders were kicked out by Marshal Cândido Rondon
1928 Argentina buys the lands of Arrayagaray in order to create a National Park and Military Zone.
1929 Puerto Franco, Paraguay is founded as the seat of an Obraje
1932 The Brazilian Military returns to Foz do Iguaçu (guassu Falls). This time a 152-soldier strong Army Isolated Company was formed. The Army's return to the border!
1932 – 1935 The Chaco War. Paraguay and Bolivia goes to war over the Chaco Region.
1934 Army's Headquarters inaugurated.
1935 Law 12.103 (AR) creates the Parque Nacional Iguazú (Iguazu Nat'l Park -AR)
1935 Iguassu Falls' First Airfield opens. Lt.Aroldo Rodrigues flew the first plane in.
1937 Brazilian Federal Government builds a large wooden Cataratas Hotel. On May,2,the building is lost to fire. It is said that someone tryed to incinerate a beehive.
1938 The Municipality of Tacurupucu (PY) is created as a 3rd Category Municipality
1939 World War II Begins
1939 Brazil Presidente Getulio Vargas signs a Decree creating the Parque Nacional do Iguassu (Iguassu National Park).
1941 Limits for the Iguazu (Argentina) National Park and the city are agreed upon
1941 Foz do Iguaçu Airport Building opens by the the 1935 airstrip. Official name: Aeroporto do Parque Nacional do Iguassu (Iguassu national Park Airport).
1943 Federal Government creates the Iguassu Federal Territory. The capital was to be (but never was) the city by the same name. That was a bite attempt on Paraná State Lands.
1943 The 1st Border Battalion created.
1944 The First Government Delegation on the Paraguayan side opens at Itakyry
1946 The Iguassu Federal Territory is dismantled. The Getulio Vargas dictatorship fell one year before.
1950 First Lebanese immigrant comes to Foz do Iguaçu
1954 Stroessner comes to power after a coup he called "revolution"
1955 Brazil-Paraguay commission to build "the road" conectoing the two countries
1956 Maio 26, Agreement to build an International Bridge signed
1956 June,10, COnstruction Act is signed
1957 Florida Hassan El Nassr,first child of Arab descent is born in Foz do Iguaçu.
1958 Syrian-Brazilian Cultural Associatons created
1959 February, 3, Aeroporto Alejo Garcia Inaugurated in Paraguay
1960
1962 First Arab marriage in Foz do Iguaçu.
1961 Jan 26, Inauguration of the Paraguayan Three-Frontier Mark
1965
1966
1977 1st FARTAL
1980 Arab-Palestine-Brazilian Society created
1981 The Foz do Iguaçu Islamic Beneficent Society is founded
1981 The Foz do Iguaçu Islamic Beneficent Cutural Center is founded
1981 Corner Stone for the Omar Ibn El Khatab is laid down
1982 Brazilian Arab School innaugurated using dependencies of the Mosenhor Guilherme State School
1983
1985 Universidad Nacional del Este (Paraguay) brings first University Course to Eastern Paraguay
1986 The first FERNATEC Fair is launched
1988 The President Stroessner (Ciudad del Este) Bus Staion Rodoviária CDE
1989 The Estadio Tres de Febrero (Februry 3rd Stadium) innaugurated.
1992 Lady Di, Helmut Kohl and other dignitiaries visited Foz do Iguaçu
1992 First Department governors dedicated aaccording to new 1992 Paraguay Constitution
1993 ABAV (Brazilian Association of Travel Agents)congress hed in Foz do Iguaçu
1994 The Druze Brazilian Home of Foz do Iguaçu opens
1996 Arab Brazilan School opens
1998 The Arab Brazil Beneficent Assocation opens
1999 Copa América (America Soccer Cup) held in C.del Este.
1999 Arab Brazilian Evangelical Church founded
2001 Lebanese Brazilian School first to introduce Arabic as curriculum language
2009 Oct,18, Foundation stone for the Foz do Iguaçu Druze Brazilian Home laid down.
2009 November, Arab Brazilian School's First High School Class graduates.



2010 Jan,12, Law passed creates UNILA Federal University of Latinamerican Integration
2010 34th Motorized Infantry Battalion sends soldiers to Haiti
2010 Aug, 16. Unila's inaugural class 
2013 ESPN's X-Games held in Foz do Iguaçu.  
2013 The 34th Motorized Infantry Battalion becomes the 34th Mechanized Btl (34th BIMEC)  
2013 March 8, Bus company hires Aline de Moraes as the cty first woman bus driver
2014 Aug, 15. First Unila graduation ceremony 
2014 Unila's starts Medicine Course
2015 Waldo Vieira founder of conscientiology dies at 83 

Bus companies travelling into and out of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay

What I have posted here is just a list (for now) of bus companies travelling to and out of the Ciudad del Este International Bus Terminal. Links to sites will be given as soon as I discover them. If you know of a new site and want to share, please go ahead!

La Paraguaya
La Yuteña
Cometa del Amambay (Pedro Juan Caballero)
Sol del Paraguay (Bue,La Plata,S.Paulo,Rio de Janeiro)
La Carapegueña (Carapeguá, Villa Rica, Tebicuary)
Salto Cristal (Villa Rica, Iturbe, Ybycui)
Yacyretá (Bue,La Plata,Corrientes,Santa Cruz)
Garcia (Pedro Juan Caballero, Concepción, Curuguaty)
TransBolipar (Sta Cruz de la Sierra)
RYSA (ASU,Caazapá,Coronel Oviedo, P.J.Caballero)
San Luis (ASU)
Rapido Caaguazú (ASU, 21 horários diarios)
Crucero del Norte (Bue,Sao, Rio)
Guaireña (Villa Rica, Santa Rita, Naranjal, Salto del Guairá)
Pluma (São Paulo, Rio, Florianópolis...)
Beato Roque Gonzalez de Santa Cruz (Encarnación)
Crucero del Este (ASU)
Empresa Río Paraná (BUE)
Expreso Brújula (São Paulo)
Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion (ASU, São Paulo)
PYCASU (Bue,Iquique, Encarnación,ASU)
Crucero del Sur (Encarnación)
El Tigre (Encarnación)
Stel Turismo (Asunción and linking to Loma Plata and Filadelfia)

Cities within the Department of Alto Paraná served by buses leaving the Ciudad del Este International Bus Terminal:

Juan León Mallorquín, Domingo Martínez de Irala, Hernandarias, Iruña, Itakyry,Juan Emilio O'Leary, Los Cedrales, Iruña, Mbaracayú, Minga Guazú, Minga Porá, Puerto Indio, Ñacunday, Naranjal, Naranjito, Presidente Franco, San Alberto, San Cristóbal, Santa Rosa del Monday, Santa Rita, Yguazú, Santa Fe del Paraná.

This is good!
Local urban international buses leave the Ciudad del Este Bus Terminal for:
Foz do Iguaçu

Monday River and Monday Falls

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:

Bus to the Amizade Bridge

Bus to Brazil-Paraguay Friendship Bridge

Back to the living world of the TTU, following this platform you will see signs announcing buses that will go to the Ponte da Amizade (Puente de la Amistad or Friendship Bridge), Jardim America and Jardim Itaipu. There are a few numbered lines: 110/ 125/ 130/ 325/ 355. Where will they go? Mostly to neighborhoods that you may not have the time or interest to see – right now. Buses going to the Ponte da Amizade (Bridge) are very important to the city. They are the physical conection between Foz do Iguaçu (Brazilian) and Ciudad del Este (Paraguayan). They are also the link between the Brazilian State of Paraná and the Paraguayan Departamento (Department like the French) of Alto Paraná. Needless to say that he Bridge is above all a bridge between Brazil and Paraguay. Most of the buses stopping at this “Bus Stop” come from areas like Porto Meira (that is where the Three Borders’ Landmark, Jardim das Flores (Flower fo Gardens) and Profilurb, all in the Greater Porto Meira Area. Up to now thousands of Brazilian (Iguassuan) wage earners have to cross the border to work as for Paraguayan shops in all kinds of jobs and in varying degrees of informality or formality. A sad reality!

Monday Falls - What to do with it?

What to do with Salto Monday? Monday here is not the English name for a day of the week. It is a Guarani word that brings to my mind the idea of "Stolen Water". Some people say that Monday means something like "Falls of Thieves", because since it is located a few kilometers from the spot where the Monday River empties into the Paraná, it would be a very strategic place for smugglers, thieves and other "evildoers" to hide their things before floating them out of Paraguay and into Argentina or Brazil. I do not like this renedering at all. But anyway what can we do with Monday Falls? Being so close to Iguassu it is considered to be an Iguassu's dwarf or even bastard sister.

Paraguay has not learned how to tell the world about Monday. There are also ecological and social concerns. Not a long ago a truck was caught by local people as the driver prepared to dumb contaminated hospital products into the Falls. The police was called, the truck driver was arrested and the company identified. At least something is chaging. Of major concern to envirnmentalists in the danger of urbanization of Monday Falls. The city of Presidente Franco seems to be invading, encircling and swallowing the Monday City Park area. What to do? That is the big question.

In the photograph above taken from the site of the Mercosul Parliamentary Union , we see a group of congress and woemen of Mercosul visiting Monday Falls. Among others we see Dr Liliana Bertoni, MPU Academic Secretary, Vicente Mendoza president of the Paraguayan Front in the Union and several Paraguayan congressmen.