Day 34: 20 September 2017 – Santa María Fé

Up early for breakfast; I stole two bananas from the sideboard and went to feed the [howler] monkeys in the town square. There was a family there, with some very young; all very tame. One of the younger ones was happy to take a banana from my hand and sit on the bench with me to eat it.

Breakfast with monkeys ..

We visited the town museum in Santa María. It was very interesting, and full of bits and pieces from the old (1669) church, with many hand carved statues. The Jesuits taught the Guarani how to carve, and some really took to it.

Main entrance to Capilla Loreto, Santa Rosa

We left Santa María by a secondary road for Santa Rosa. It was a lovely drive, an attractive road, very red and dusty, as was Sta. Rosa with its old Loreto chapel, and the remains of an old church and clock tower. On to Coronel Bogardo, the Chipá capital, where we had meat and chicken stuffed chipas with beer – very tasty. Chipá is the thing here – and I love them.

Chipa, tasty bread rolls made with cheese and cassava root flour

Drove on to Encarnacion – an open city, with modern waterside development for tourism and lots of parking for the beaches, but not today. We checked in to a hotel where we had ice creams, beer and a shower/siesta. The request for beer was met with a puzzled look (why would we have beer?). Strange hotel.

Encarnación is a major beach resort, but not apparently in September

It had been another very hot day. We had supper in a local Italian Restaurant. Scheduled for tomorrow: Jesuit Ruins.