- Location: suburb of Asuncion, Paraguay
Amazing Paraguay , despite the status of one of the smallest countries on the continent, earned a nickname "the heart of South America", which indicates not only its geographical position, but also the importance of the history and culture of Latin America. Charming nature and friendly locals to foreign tourists are the main feature of this wonderful, but, unfortunately, forgotten by many travelers the edge. We will tell more about one of the most interesting places in the whole country - the village of Maka, which is located near Asuncion , the capital of Paraguay.
The Indians of the Maca are the main attraction of Asuncion
First of all, it is worth noting that the Maka Indians are a nomadic people who now live on one of the islands of the Paraguay River. The population of the tribe is about 600 people, of whom only a few know the Spanish language and go to work every day in the city. The rest of the inhabitants of the village of Maka speak a local dialect and lead a traditional way of life, which is strikingly different from modern realities.
As if isolated from the whole world, despite the development of science, technology and other processes of civilization, the local aborigines still live as if in a primitive communal system. Children do not go to school, and most adults never worked. The main activity of the beautiful half is farming (growing corn and sweet potato) and making hand-made articles from improvised materials. As for men, most of them can often be found behind the traditional game of sticks, the favorite occupation of the Mack Indians.
The appearance of Aborigines deserves special attention. The main feature of the inhabitants of the village of Maka is a large number of tattoos, especially in the face area. Other ornaments that are particularly popular among women and young girls are the multi-colored bracelets and glass beads worn over the naked body. Men are more modest: most often, in addition to traditional pants, they also wear light cotton shirts, and hair is adorned with bird feathers.
The landmark of this place is a beautiful hut in the northern part of the island. This unique structure rises above the grave of the only white man who ever lived in the village of Mak, a traveler of Ivan Belyaev. During his trip to Paraguay, the missionary became so close friends with the Indians that he literally became part of their tribe and spent the rest of his life here.
How to get there?
It is quite difficult to find the village of Maka: you will not find any signposts or other signs on the road. The only way to get to the Indians and get acquainted with their original culture is to take the bus No. 44 in the center of the capital and, using the Russian-Spanish dictionary, ask the driver to make a stop near the Maca colony. Such a trip will take approximately 1-1.5 hours.