Auf den Spuren der Jesuiten - Trinidad

I love old buildings, even if they are ruins. Trinidad is a small village 30 km north of Encarnación. Actually inconspicuous - except for the name - and no, it is not a detour to the Caribbean island of the same name. Here, you can visit a UNESCO World Heritage site without tourist crowds - this morning I was one of four - the ruins of the former Jesuit mission 'La Santísima Trinidad de Paraná', founded in 1706 by Spanish Jesuits for the purpose of protecting and evangelizing the local Guarani Indians. Indians were systematically exploited and enslaved at that time. So there were many such reductions of the Jesuits in present-day Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina in this area. Protection was necessary against slave hunters, large landowners, and also against the Spanish Crown. 4000 people lived there in 1728. The buildings are more than impressive - artistically designed with style - a mighty basilica made of brown sandstone from the region complemented by bricks. Agriculture, livestock farming, and handicrafts were the essential elements of life there. From 1767, when the Jesuits were expelled and recalled, the decay began.

I was deeply impressed and also enjoyed the silence of the place. Only a strange aggressive bird was not happy with my presence and attacked me - no shit - it wanted to defend its ground nest. Why it has to breed on the grass and cannot build a nest like the parrots on the palm tree? Animals!

It was also an experience to ride the bus with a rattling bus, and the waiting time at the Encarnación bus station had its advantages: thanks to the sliding windows of the ancient bus, I could observe and photograph the vendors wonderfully. The ride was a bargain - only 1.47€ converted.