Paraguay, the missing country

As the sun starts to set on this epic journey, I visit my last Peace Corps country. I had previously visited most countries in South America, but not Paraguay. This landlocked country is often skipped. It has one of the largest and longest lasting Peace Corps programs with volunteers in many fields.

I visited Lucy Aquino, Executive Director of World Wildlife Fund Paraguay. Last summer our National Peace Corps Association awarded her the Global Citizen Award. She usually has at least one Peace Corps Volunteer working with her organization.

I met with young volunteers and I always ask how they heard about the Peace Corps. Two of them heard about it through movie references (Dirty Dancing and Mr and Mrs Smith) and then looked it up.

I also had to check out the natural wonders: Saltos waterfalls and what was the world’s biggest dam half in Paraguay and half in Brazil with the border in the middle. It provides 100% of Paraguay’s electricity.

I went to the Paraguay/Brazil/Argentina border and crossed the river to Argentina. The kindness of strangers abounds. I met a former tour guide who has a house on each side of the border and he set me up with a ride to the massive Iguazú Falls. There’s a one kilometer walkway across the river above the falls. I wonder how many conquistadors going down the fairly calm river found out about the falls too late.Read more