Paraguay

Bradt's Paraguay was the first stand-alone guide to Paraguay published outside of Paraguay itself and still remains the most comprehensive guide available, covering the whole country from the best-known sights to off-the-beaten track attractions well beyond the tourist trail, plus a cross-border excursion to the Iguazú Falls.This new edition has been thoroughly updated to reflect all the most recent changes, including new themed tourist trails such as the Ruta Jesuítica Multidestino (Jesuit-Guaraní missions) and Ruta de la Caña Paraguaya (Paraguayan rum). Also covered are new luxury hotels for international events, and the increase in number of flights into Asunción. Of particular note is the dramatic increase in 'posadas' around the country: small, reasonably-priced, government-vetted guest houses in private homes, the number of which has increased significantly.Bradt's Paraguay offers all the background information required for a successful trip, from customs and etiquette to curious snippets such as the fact that football is believed to have been invented here in the Jesuit missions in 1793 in a game that corresponds to the game known today. Nature and wildlife are also covered, from the Pantanal in the north to the wetlands of Ñeembucú to the south, and to the Mbaracayu reserve to the east.Immensely detailed, Bradt's Paraguay is written by a well-established journalist who has lived in the country for almost 20 years, who runs an educational charity and who has founded a small hotel which offers tours around Paraguay and is run for the profit of local people. With everything from phone numbers of local keyholders to museums and churches to a map of how to reach remote waterfalls, Bradt's Paraguay is the definitive source for a rewarding trip.
About the Author: Margaret Hebblethwaite has lived in Santa Maria de Fe, Misiones, Paraguay since 2000, when she moved to this small rural town - initially for a year -- to deepen her knowledge of Latin American base communities, because of the work she was doing on liberation theology. Eighteen years on, she is still there, but has spent less time on writing than she anticipated, as her time has been consumed by a number of community projects. She founded and runs the charity Santa Maria Education Fund (www.santamariadefe.org); works with the sewing co-operative Taller de Hermandad to help them with their marketing (www.santamariadefe.com); and founded the Santa Maria Hotel, which is run as a community project with all profits going to the local people (www.santamariahotel.org). This is the first book she has written since her move to Paraguay, but with the recent employment of a local field officer for the charity, she anticipates being able to write more over the coming years.