GRAND CHACO I

Chaco or Grand Chaco is a low, flat, alluvial plain northward from Asuncion, on the other side of the Rio Paraguay river. It is a very sparsely settled territory, three times bigger then the whole Czech republic. Chaco covers about 60% of the Paraguay and there live only 3% of Paraguayan inhabitants. Chaco extends to Argentina and Bolivia. There is an unbelievable rate between the cows and people, which is 20:1. In the Chaco, there are several German colonies with modern factories, Indian colonies and otherwise nothing. But anyway it is worth seeing.

	There is the only one asphalt route going to Filadefia (central Chaco).  Otherwise you can drive on the clay routes, which are after rains rolled.		Our group near the rented van. In the middle there is a Christine - our tourist guide.
	First night in colony Neuland, hotel Bouqueron.		Beds in the hotel Bouqueron (Neuland colony).
	Neuland. Main street.		Bouqueron fortress. Our tourist guide Christine and a local tourist guide. He explains facts about the Chaco War (1932 - 1935) between  Bolivia and Paraguay. Paraguay won.
	Bouqueron fortress - bunker. The war was sponsored by big oil companies which expected there huge deposits of petroleum.		Bouqueron fortress - collective grave of Paraguayan soldiers.  In the war there were about 8 000 soldiers, 3 000 survived. On the Bolivian side were only 1 200 soldiers, but they had better equipment.
	Bouqueron fortress - cenotaph.		Bouqueron fortress - plastic of the soldier. On the breast there is a hole in a  shape of Paraguayan map.
	Bouqueron fortress - remembrance of scout's meeting.		Bouqueron fortress - museum dedicated to the battle.
	Bouqueron fortress - entrenchments.		Bouqueron fortress - today's landscape.
	Tilantsia.		The tree called by indigenous people "Old women skin".
	Nest.		Palo Santo tree. This tree has sweet-smelling wood, from which indigenous people are making different figures, mostly animals.
	Bottle tree - the most typical tree in Chaco with bulbed trunk.		Bottle tree - Jacob inside.
	The bark of bottle tree.		Landscape in Chaco.
	Indian colony in Neuland - baker.		Indian colony in Neuland - woodcutter is cutting a turtle from Palo Santo wood.
	Indian colony in Neuland		Indian colony in Neuland
	Indian colony in Neuland		Indian colony in Neuland
	Indian colony in Neuland		Indian colony in Neuland
	Ride on the buggy, Neuland.		Ride on the horse. Paul.
	Ride on the horse. John.		Ride on the horse. Peter.
	Ride on the horse. David.		Ride on the horse. Milan.
	Ride on the horse.  Charles.		Neuland - museum of colonization  history.

GRAND CHACO - SECOND PART