At first we got a film and photo stop because we saw a killed armadillo by the roadside which was offered for sale. When we came closer with our cameras, we saw the Indians also whit a water pic which they killed in the night. Both kinds of this animals are protected, but the inhabitans of the Chaco need this meat to survive. We interviewed the hunter and his woman. The family live with 6 children in a ruined wooden hut, about 10 metres of the roadside. Their only source of income is the hunt. It's not possible to sale an animal, the family eat this meat. Of course, there are days or nights on which the hunter Kills absolutey nothing and than the whole family suffer from hunger. When we left, a girl of the family followed us and begged that we fake her with us. She absolutly wanted to live with us and made herself even 2 years older (12 years), because she thought her chance is better. Although she was a very nice girl, we declined, because we did'ut want to take this responsibility.
On our next stop we saw at the road side 6 huts which was built from branches and plastic covers by the Lenguas, this is on other Indian tribe, which live in a absolutly poorness in the Chaco. Incredible for each European to see this miserable way of life. There live about 25 women and children in a lot of garbage and junk. This Indian tribe live from the fishing and they have the same bad situation like other tribes in the Chaco: no catch - nothing to eat. And so for days together the men are on a long way to catch something. Further more they live without stream and with a unfertile ground, so they can't cultivate fruits or vegetables. They have to walk up to 1 km to get water. Every time when we stay in the chaco, we take used clothes some sweets for the children and we pay some Guarani for the film and photo permission. This is one possibility to give pleasure and a little help for a moment.
The most people from Paraguay take no interest in this hard deshiny of the Indian tribes and they get no help from the government.
Now we drove up to the "Cruce de los Pioneros" (420 km of Asunción), where we filled up our cars and then we went on very dusty earth roads to the Estancia "Campo of Maria", we arrived at two o' clock. After a short break we went together with the estate manager Albert to the great salt lagoous with hund red of water birds and rose coloured flamingos. But on this tour we didu't have luck. It was very hot, 36 degrees in the shadow and very strong wind with realy fine dust. This dust covered all our things also our 2 digital cameras and they worked no move. An especially strong wind stabed down our film camera with the tripod on the beach of the salt lagoons (I'm a cameraman for over 30 years, but I have never experienced such a thing). And last but not least struck the cassette field and our work was finished.
We slept one night on the Estancia and on the next day we drove back to Asunción, absolutly frustrated to our technician. Overnight he repaired our cameras, because we need them every day. Our next tour to the Chaco is planned for the end of August with our friends Pia and Ute, because they are realy enthusiastic supporters of the chaco like us!
Greetings from Paraguay, Gunter Dittmar.
