In a small village outside of Tobati lives a potter. She is a leader in her community and carries on the tradition of creating whimsical pots and figures of animals using the clay from the hills nearby. We traveled by oxcart to her home and watched her create her creatures. She even let the children craft their own pots which she fired and had delivered to the hotel.

We noticed that even in this remote place, there was electricity. She stated bitterly that the electric lines and water lines had been brought to the village last year. She was never asked if this was something she wanted and it has changed their lives. No longer do they go to bed at sunset and rise when the light comes up. And she has a bill to pay every month. For her, this was not an improvement.

This device mixes the local clay with just enough water to make it pliable. A granddaughter provides the power while the potter makes sure all the clay is being mixed.

Paul creates a masterpiece.

The village of Nanduti outside of Asuncion is known for it's lace makers. This particular style of lace is created on a cloth covered frame with a needle and thread. The resulting circular pieces resemble spider webs.

We visited the Nanduti Lace Museum, a small but fabulous tribute to the lace makers and the history of this art form created by Ali, our local tour coordinator. This lace is one of Paraguay's treasures.

A folk dress made from Nanduti lace. We saw these dresses in action on our last evening in Paraguay. The entertainment was typical Paraguayan folk dance and these dresses are spectacular on the dance floor.

The lace maker at work. Each of the areas she is working on will be a separate piece of lace.

Lace tablecloths and garments hang on the wall.

There were many pieces of lace for sale. We purchased several exquisite pieces made with very fine thread which I plan on framing.

As we enjoyed the museum we were serenaded by several excellent musicians playing the Paraguayan harp and guitar.

This tablecloth is a masterpiece of the art form know as Aho Poi. It combines the hand woven fabric, embroidery with hand spun thread and lace insets. It took a year to create.

The first step in the process is to prepare the raw cotton for spinning. This woman was the grandmother and master spinner. She is aligning the fibers of the cotton using a simple tool created from a bent stick with a taught piece of string across it.

Here we are getting an explanation of the spinning process and how important it is to properly prepare the fibers.

Cotton is spun on a drop spindle. I was amazed at how fine and evenly these women could spin the thread. I tried it myself and produced some very lumpy thread.

This is the loom that is used to weave the base clothe for the Aho Poi.

Creating a fillet lace insert.

Lace making. She is netting using a small dowel and creating a insert for the garments and table clothes created by this cooperative.

Embellishing the Aho Poi with embroidery. You can see the lace inserts that have been added to the cloth.