Paraguayan Gringo

Salvador Cabanas scored a penalty in first-half injury time, lifting Paraguay to a 1-0 victory over Bolivia in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday.

The victory improved Paraguay to 27 points, putting it among the favourites from South America to make next year’s 32-team tournament in South Africa.

Bolivia has only 12 points.

Paraguay dominated the first half, with Bolivia coming up with only one serious scoring chance. Paraguay also had most of the play in the second half.

Cabanas scored from the spot after Marvin Bejarano brought down Carlos Bonet in the box. Until then, Hugo Suarez in the Bolivia goal showed top form to keep the hosts at bay with a string of good saves.

Paraguay threatened in the 15th minute when Cabanas’ shot was diverted for a corner.

Suarez was called into action in the 21st minute to save a Paulo Da Silva header and produced a double stop a few minutes later to foil Da Silva and Dario Veron.

Bolivia came closest on a free kick from Alejandro Gomez saved by Paraguay goalkeeper Justo Villar.

Paraguay is home against Argentina on Wednesday and Bolivia is home against Ecuador

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Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz will miss Paraguay’s World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Argentina next month because he has not yet recovered from the knee surgery he had in April.

Santa Cruz was not included in a 25-man squad named by coach Gerardo Martino on Tuesday for the home matches in Asuncion against Bolivia on September 5 and Argentina four days later.

Martino will be looking for an improvement in his team after a slump in form caused them to drop from top to third in the South American group and not win any of their four qualifiers so far this year, all of which Santa Cruz missed.

“It’s the worst moment we have gone through in the elimination series. We have gone four matches without winning, we’ve lost the last two and what was a calm run until last November has changed,” the Argentine said.

“Now we are really playing the qualifying campaign we had always imagined from the beginning,” Martino told a news conference.

Martino added that it was important for Paraguay, who are looking to reach their fourth World Cup in a row, to get a good result against the weaker Bolivians before facing Diego Maradona’s Argentina.

This year, Paraguay have lost away to Uruguay and Brazil and at home to Chile, picking up a solitary point in a 1-1 draw in Ecuador.

Paraguay have 24 points with four matches remaining, three points less than leaders Brazil and two behind Chile. Argentina are fourth with 22 points and Bolivia ninth with 12.

The teams finishing in the top four places qualify for next year’s finals in South Africa. The fifth-placed nation goes into a playoff with a team from the CONCACAF region.

Goalkeepers: Justo Villar (Real Valladolid), Aldo Bobadilla (Independiente Medellin), Diego Barreto (Cerro Porteno)

Defenders: Julio Cesar Caceres (Boca Juniors), Denis Caniza (Nacional, Paraguay), Carlos Bonet (Olimpia), Dario Veron (Pumas UNAM), Paulo da Silva (Sunderland), Claudio Morel (Boca Juniors), Antolin Alcaraz (Club Bruges), Aureliano Torres (San Lorenzo), Marcos Caceres (Racing Club, Argentina), Miguel Angel Samudio (Libertad)

Midfielders: Enrique Vera (LDU Quito), Edgar Barreto (Atalanta), Cristian Riveros (Cruz Azul), Jonathan Santana (VfL Wolfsburg), Victor Caceres (Libertad), Osvaldo Martinez (Monterrey), Eduardo Ledesma (Lanus)

Forwards: Salvador Cabanas (America, Mexico), Nelson Haedo Valdez (Borussia Dortmund), Oscar Cardozo (Benfica), Edgar Benitez (Pachuca), Jorge Achucarro (Newell’s Old Boys)

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There is a legend that tells how the Iguassu Falls came into being. This, like other creation legends the active deity in the story was an animal, in this case a snake. It was said that the Iguassu River was occupied by Mboi jaguar, a giant snake with magical powers. According to the legend a beautiful young Guarani girl, Pora-sy, would wash in the waters daily and Mboi would stop the waters flowing as a sign of admiration for her.

With time this came to the attention of the Mburuvicha, chief, of the tribe and he decided that Pora-sy should become totally devoted to Mboi to gain his favour for her community but there was a young man, a rebellious member of the tribe called Tarova who disagreed.

During the celebrations to consecrate Pora-sy to Mboi the young rebel Tarova kidnapped the young girl and they tried to escape down the Iguassu River in a canoe. Angry at this brash move Mboi promptly moved under the river bed and with a snapping of his giant body he created the Iguassu Falls just ahead of the escaping couple. Pora-sy and Tarova fells into the abyss of the falls and drowned, never to be seen again.

Mboi transformed Pora-sy into a rock beneath the falling waters of the Iguassu Falls, and Tarova became a palm tree, standing on the border of the abyss. Mboi intended that the young couple should never come together again. Yet it is said that the young lovers still today defy Mboi and find a way to come together. It is said on sunny days when the sunlight shines through the mist of the waterfalls a rainbow appears with its extremes touching both the rock and the palm tree. Its only brief and said Mboi doesn not notice. Tarova and Pora-sy’s love still defies the powerful Mboi today and it is said that this can be witnessed when visiting the Iguassu Falls.

This story was one of a series, all passed down from one generation to the next within the Paraguayan culture. The Guarani beliefs are so strong it seems that even today they are held true, forming part of the culture of Paraguay. The names given to the characters only add to the meaning as Pora-sy means ‘mother of beauty’, Mboi is commonly used to refer to snakes, and Tarova means crazy in Guarani. This story is not thought strange but are considered part of the culture of Paraguay and the spirit of the falls.

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If you’re a nature lover and a traveler to South America then there is a place located in Paraguay that is a must see. It is called the Panatanal, It is a huge swath of untouched wilderness that includes swamps and marshes. They are seasonally created by the heavy rains that soak the river Paraguarí and it is unable to exit the delta fast enough. This swath of land extends into other countries that border Paraguay but the most untouched portion is in Paraguay so there is where I would start your visit.

The rainy season in this are usually starts in the beginning of November and stretches out through the beginning of May. This area during this time is known as the Xaraes translated means “hole in water” which was named by the exploring Europeans that had come into this area in during the Spanish conquest. The Dry season here run May through beginning of November but, the water create an abundant array of watering holes for natural wildlife and is a great time for nature lovers to get some eloquent shots of nature at the end of the rainy season and begging of the dry season

This area of Paraguay really appeals for the majority of the year to all types of nature lovers, from ecologist to wildlife photographers. The exotic and wild animals that can be seen in this area are of a wide array some of them are toucans, rhea, cougars, anacondas (yes like the move), jags, anteaters, monkeys and a larger array of birds and reptiles too numerous to list.

There are towns close by that you can stay in while visiting this untouched wildlife refuge. There are only a few people who really live in the area outside these towns. But, if you are looking for a few things to do the towns do offer many tourist attractions that will let you see the natural beauty of this area from a different perspective. One way is by horseback riding through beaten trails and natural alcoves. Another is through boat tours as you sail down the majestic waterways of the area. They also have a number of fishing camps in the area so if you would like to tastes a portion of the wild life the fish are extremely clean and if done right they can make great peskas. Most of the area is secluded and the hotels for tourist can be pricey but well worth it since the price will include transportation by air or sea.

The most logical and easiest way to get to this remote area of Paraguay is actually not in Paraguay at all. You will start of on the Brazil side and take a plane from Brazil to the capitol of Pantanal, Cuiaba on the farthest tip north or you can travel to the southern side by boat the trip usually takes about 4 hours but well worth it for the avid adventurer.

If you happen to be traveling by local bus or by car beware of the town of Corumba . It is a known town for violent drug activity and poaching among other violent activities. I would recommend planning your trip by going around this area due to the high crime. Not a safe for tourist town unless you trust someone in the area.
From there you can visit the number of different locals in these vast lush lands like the bia Grande, Panyanal the wetlands, the ecological refuge, or momentum. But no matter how you choose to visit or what you decided to do with your time you are sure to have a wonderful wildlife experience like you have never had before. You can travel with budget or in high class. If you even want to you can hitchhike which is not that uncommon for people to do in the area and save yourself a couple of pesos across. Also while there remember that all wildlife areas are threatened by human expansion and this area is no exception so treat it like you would your own home and remember to bring everything back out you took in. then enjoy your time and I look forward to you sending me some great photos of your trip.

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Paraguay has many great places for tourists to visit, the capital Asuncion being rich in history. Casa de la Independencia was built 1774 and is a major attraction to be found in the heart of Paraguay. It was from this house that the Paraguayans revolted against the Spaniards and hence this is considered the birthplace of the Independence of Paraguay. In each corner of the building are marks of the revolutionaries. Visitors can admire the magnificent patio where the revolutionaries met secretly to form their plans. The alleyways at the back of the building bear images of the struggle and visitors can study the brick floors and the white washed walls. Within this building has been created a museum so tourists can enjoy the country’s history.

La Catedral Metropolitiana is noted for its very large gilded altar and religious art. It is one of the
 oldest and largest sacred buildings in the western hemisphere and dominates the square alongside the National Palace. Beneath the cathedral is part of a former Aztec temple with the Wall of the Skulls and the Temple of Xipe Tolec. The original cathedral was begun in 1525 but was partially demolished and partially reconstructed. The current cathedral dates back to 1563, it took 250 years to build. Its façade has a baroque feel with its massive covings and spiral columns, as well as its two neo-classical open work towers. The bell towers were added in 1793 and in 1813 the dome was completed and three statues were added to the clock tower representing faith, hope and compassion. The bells are uncommon in that they vary in size with the largest, named Guadalupe, is a massive 5,600kg. Inside there are three naves, a main one plus two side naves as well as fourteen side altars. Visitors can admire the architecture here.

Construction began in 1857 built for Francisco Solano Lopez, the son of the President of the Republic. The work began on it under the guidance of English architect Alonso Taylor, though planned by Hungarian Francisco Wisner. It was built in the neo-classical style, abandoned after the war of the Triple Alliance and not completed till the late 19th Century. The Palacio is one of the most beautiful buildings of Asuncion and overlooks the bay.

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