Around Asunción
A short motorbike ride around the capital Asunción, with stops at a few points of interest.
Capiatá - Mythical Museum Ramón Elías
This museum was the home of Ramón Elias, an avid collector and expert in Guaraní mythology. One section of the museum is dedicated to the monsters and beliefs of the Guaraní culture. When I was growing up in Quebec, in French-speaking Canada, adults often scared us with the Bonhomme Sept Heures, a malevolent being who would catch children who were still outside or who didn't sleep after seven o'clock at night.
The Guaraní people of Paraguay also have their own mythological monsters designed to frighten children and even adults. The Kurupi, for example, is a malevolent spirit who uses his disproportionate sex to catch and impregnate women who venture out alone into the jungle. The purpose of this myth was to prevent women from being raped by an enemy tribe if they wandered alone in the forest.
The Ao-Ao is a monster that devours people who venture into inhospitable areas of the forest. Legend has it that the only way to escape this monster is to climb a palm tree. The museum contains several other equally frightening monsters, including one that blinded those who looked at it.
The collector Ramón Elias, born in 1929, lived in this house for many years until his death in 1981. His wife continued to live in the house until 2010, continuing her husband's dream of creating a mythological museum. Today, the house has been fully converted into a museum and is managed by one of Ramón Elias' sons. The Paraguayan government does not fund any of the country's museums, so this establishment has great difficulty surviving on the little income it earns from the entrance fee. It only costs around $2 to visit this interesting site.
Monumento Natural Cerro Koi
The natural monument Cerro Koi protects octagonal-shaped rock formations. This type of tubular formation is thought to exist in only three places in the world; here in Paraguay, in Canada (I don't know where) and in South Africa.
Yaguarón
Yaguarón, founded in 1586, is famous for the San Buenaventura temple, a Franciscan mission whose construction began in 1755 and was completed in 1772. Dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and Saint Bonaventure, this magnificent church was built by the indigenous Guaraní people of the region under the supervision of the priest Carlos Penayo de Castro.
Although the exterior may appear modest, the interior is absolutely breathtaking, as everything is masterfully carved in wood to form a remarkable work of art. The temple was declared a UNESCO cultural heritage site in 1976.
Paraguarí
The small town of Paraguarí was founded in 1775 at the request of King Carlos III of Spain.
