mrp.net

Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis

A day trip into Argentina to visit the Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis, yet another UNESCO World Heritage site. Three different missions in different stages of restoration.
First up was San Ignacio Mini. Here I got a tour from one of the local staff as this site is in a relatively good state of preservation. It is the most eminent example of a reduccion (settlement) preserved on Argentinean territory. As all the sites follow the same basic layout it helped understand the other two sites.
The second site was Nuestra Señora de Loreto. While it's been studied by archaeologists the site hasn't been rescued from the jungle so it provides a guide to what San Ignacio was like before the jungle was cleared.
The final site, Santa Ana, was in a state between the other two. The plaza had been cleared but there was still jungle to negotiate around the site.
On the way back to Iguassu Falls we came across a road block. It wasn't clear what was going on but as it was the only road we could use to return to Brazil we had to wait it out. Eventually my driver decided to move up the queue, slipping into spaces in the line of vehicles. No one seemed upset by this and eventually we got on our way without finding out why everyone had stopped.