Eating
Churrasquena Chaco’s Grill A great place to kick back and relax while pigging out on plate after plate of juicy, locally raised beef. Compliment your all-you-can-eat meat with the salad bar and an ice-cold beer. Tel 0492 252 166, Eligio Ayala and Manuel Gondra in front of the Hotel Loma Plata Inn, Tue-Sun 11:30am-2pm, 7pm-11pm,Gs. 62,000
Getting There
The turn off to Loma Plata is located at km 423 of the Trans Chaco Highway and is marked with a large highway sign. From here Loma Plata is twenty-two kilometers down a paved road to the right (if coming from the south). There is also a road connecting Filadelfia to Loma Plata. From the center of Filadelfia, drive to the intersection of Avenida Hindenburg and Calle Trebol and take a right continuing approximately twenty kilometers (the road will quickly revert from paved to dirt) until the right-hand turn off that leads approximately five kilometers to the center of town.
Nasa-Golondrina (Tel: 0492 52521 in Loma Plata) runs a daily service from Asuncion (Gs. 70,000) as well as a couple of daily buses from Filadelfia.
Mennonite & Indigenous Relations
When the Mennonites first arrived, the Enlet and Nivacle tribes frequented the area. Since the establishment of the Mennonite colonies, the region’s indigenous population has grown; most are drawn to the area in search of employment opportunities. The Mennonites have encouraged the indigenous to settle and adopt Christianity, although notably they have been encouraged to set up parallel towns rather than mix with the Mennonites themselves. The ASCIM or Asociacion de
Servicios de Cooperacion Indigena Mennonita (www.ascim.org) was created to foster Mennonite-indigenous relations and provide indigenous with their own land and assistance in matters of health, education, and agriculture. However, many are quick to point out that the benefits of such organizations only reach indigenous groups willing to give up their traditional beliefs and practices. In general, Mennonite-indigenous relations are a touchy subject and therefore best not to be brought up in conversation with area tour guides.
