boquerón

Yesterday was Dia de la Victoria de Boquerón, a national holiday commemorating one of the bloodiest and most decisive battles of the Chaco War. It was on September 29, 1932 that Paraguayan troops defeated Bolivian soldiers at Fortín Boquerón, thus ending a three year-long war between the two countries for control over the Gran Chaco territory.

Paraguayan holidays = everything closes down, so I had the day off to hang out with Soledad and Fatima, two sisters from Marangatu. (It's getting late, so no editing of these photos in this picture dump, sorry)



They took me to the neighboring city of Villeta to see the Expo - kind of like a Paraguayan version of the O.C. Fair, but instead of deep-fried Twinkies and turkey legs, they sold lomito, empanadas, and other traditional Paraguayan cuisine. We arrived about half an hour too early, so we decided to explore the shores of the nearby Río Paraguayo.



This river is the main body of water here. Because Paraguay is thousands of miles from the nearest ocean, the Río Paraguayo serves as a crucial source of agriculture, trade, and fishing. Yes, it's possible to find fish in this landlocked country - here's some proof:




A pair of guinea fowl



Motorcycles are the third most common form of transportation used in Paraguay. (#2 = the colectivo; #1 = one's own feet.) Whenever I see one, I'm always reminded of my friends back home who enjoy riding these moving deathtraps.


My lovely tour guides: Sole & Fatima


Whatchu lookin' at?



We came back to the Expo to see if any more vendors had come, but it was still early and still cold...so there were still very few vendors. The little that we did find sold all kinds of traditional handiwork, like leather key chains and necklaces.





There are fruit trees growing everywhere, and if you're lucky, you can actually eat right off them. I don't know how sanitary it was, but we ended up eating some of the sweetest, freshest blackberries I've ever had (so far) from a tree growing over a sidewalk.




Dogs : Paraguay :: rabbits : UC Irvine


Nayeli and her pet chicken

After the Expo, we stopped by Perla's house to have lunch and hang out with her niece + chickens.


Perla and Nayeli


Dandelions and not-so-dandy skies


On the colectivo to Ypane from Villeta

The men from Marangatu competed in an inter-mural soccer tournament with other local churches, so we left Villeta to cheer on our brothers in the city of Ypane.


Interestingly, the tournament was held in a Korean soccer field. 대한민국!



Almost all colectivos here are made by Mercedes-Benz, and tricked out with bright paint jobs and ñandutí (Paraguayan lace) curtains in the interior. These bus drivers sure know how to roll in style...


We won our first two games, but were eliminated when we lost the third.


Sole, Fatima, me, and Jessica eating some hot, fresh bollo (donuts filled with dulce de leche or guava jam)


Marangatu men's soccer team



One of the brothers works as a driver for Coca-Cola, so he took us home in the back of his cargo truck. I'd always wanted to ride in one of those! Needless to say, it was a bumpy ride but definitely memorable.





And to end this day, a special greeting to a certain American from his Paraguayan wife:



Prayer: of thanks for warm-hearted friends in this cold and unpredictable weather (just when it was starting to get hotter...); the soldiers who fought so bravely 77 years ago so that I could enjoy a day of play.

Mora
Blackberry