San Ignacio Minì
Aug 13, 2005 – Sat
Today, I decided to take a daytrip to San Ignacio Minì to check out the Jesuit missions ruins. Jesuits from Spain settled in this tri-country region to try to convert the Guaranì people to their religion. Damn religious people! Anyways, the missions of San Ignacio Minì, Santa Ana, and Loreto, to name a few, were built in the 17th and 18th centuries.
It´s pretty easy to get there — just go to the bus terminal and hitch a ride with any bus marked Iguazù or San Ignacio. It was 4 pesos for the one way trips. I hopped on one that said San Ignacio, which brought me to the cathedral there. I had to walk many blocks to the ruins, but it was a nice day, warm and sunny out.
I only went to San Ignacio Minì. It is the most important of the Jesuit ruins in Argentina. Entrance was 12 pesos and included a guided tour. We started out in a building where there was a mural painted by an artist depicting Guaranì images and a display of items used and made by the Guaranì people. We walked through a small museum and saw remains of reliefs from the mission.
Then we commenced the outdoor tour. The grounds of San Ignacio are huge. First, we saw the residential areas, which sprawled and sprawled. Then we came to the main plaza and the church. Much of the ruins are in despair, walls of the church are held up by scaffolding from the inside. However, you can see how huge this place once was.
When the guided tour was over, I ventured on my own on the grounds, weaved my way in and out of the residences and around the stone pillars. It is beautiful there — tall green shady trees surround the area.
I left the grounds and found a heladerìa, ate ice cream, and visited the artisans booths nearby. I walked back to Ruta 12 along the red dirt road to catch the bus back to Posadas.
In the evening, I wanted to watch the sunset over the Costanera, so I walked down to the waterfront. Who knew a river could be so beautiful? I sat where I could see the international bridge. The sky turns pink at the bottom, purplish blue in the middle, and blue at the top. There were sailboats on the water today. I walked down to an area to get a better view of the bridge, and two guys were tying their boat, Mississippi, to a dock. I talked to one of the guys, who was quite surprised I was in Posadas, of all places, for vacation. I told him that I like the smaller cities because they are tranquil.
The kids did not play their drums today. Maybe they´re taking a day off? Many people were gathered at the Costanera to watch the sunset as well. It was a good way to end my stay in Posadas.
Tags: Posadas, Travel
Marisa