March 1st is National Heroes Day, where Paraguayans remember those who gave their lives in the War of the Triple Alliance. It is said that this war resulted in the most casualties in South American history, wiping out almost 70% of the Paraguayan population.
One of the most tragic stories from this war comes from the battle of Acosta Ñu, where the Triple Alliance of Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina fought against a Paraguayan army of 6,000. 3,500 of these soldiers were children (see above), because there weren't enough men left alive by this point in the war. They were no match for the 20,000 Allied forces fighting against them, and eventually the Paraguayan army was wiped out. (I can't believe that children as young as the students I teach actually fought and lost their lives on a battlefield... :( )
All schools and most businesses were closed for today's feriado, so I spent the day learning about Paraguayan culture and sightseeing in the cities of San Bernardino, Atyrá, and Areguá. I'll upload the rest of the photos tomorrow, but here's a preview from Lake Ypacaraí at San Bernardino:
My pointing skills are terrible, but in the background you can see a little dot in the water. That dot is a man bathing in the nude. People say that Ypacaraí used to be so clear you could see straight down to the bottom of the lake, but so many people swam and bathed here that it just turned into a big, brown pool over time. Of course, the water pollution doesn't stop locals from taking a dip every once in a while. I just wish they'd at least put on some clothes.
Ypa karai
Blessed lake
what a great entry CK, thanks for the history quicky about Paraguay...I had no idea! wow....
ReplyDeleteyikes. why was everyone all ganging up on paraguay?
ReplyDeleteas for dinko's retreat, it's on youtube for all to see and post.