OUR visit to Paraguay was short and sweet. While it gave me two days to practice my Spanish, it was purely added to the itinerary because it is the quickest route from Iguazu to our next stop in Brazil. And it meant we could tick another country off our list. 🙂
We checked into Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay after an interesting six hour bus journey. Totally different to the buses we used in Brazil, this bus stopped frequently to let people on and off. And not just passengers, but street sellers too who tried to flog you everything from fruit and sandwiches to dodgy dvds and stationary. They literally shove their items in your face as you’re sat in your seat and for god’s sake don’t make eye contact or they’ll take that as a sign you want to buy! The journey could definitely be reduced to four hours without all the stops.
Paraguay is a duty free state so is a good place to get electrical goods or perfumes. Shops and stalls selling cheap phones, cameras and laptops are everywhere – and I’m told they’re not dodgy or stolen!
In all honesty there wasn’t much to see and do in Asuncion but there were tons of historical and government buildings to see. Many were guarded by serious looking men brandishing large rifles and knives who you really wouldn’t mess with.
We visited a cemetery in the city which is where the rich families own plots and build mini chapels to bury their loved ones. It was both morbid and fascinating. Each family tries hard to outdo the other and the result is some impressive large monuments made from precious stones and marble. The largest of these chapels had up to 200 coffins inside.
In Paraguay lunch is the biggest meal of the day and most people just snack in the evenings. I was excited to find a Chinese vegetarian restaurant among all the buffet places we have been eating in. It covered both my needs for a non-meat and non-cheese meal and my friend’s craving for a vegetable stir fry.
One thing you can’t miss in Paraguay is how men gather in parks and on walls to eat and enjoy a drink of mate (a popular herbal tea in parts of South America). Everywhere you look people can be seen sitting or walking around with a mug and straw in one hand and a kettle or flask in the other which contains their water for the tea.
Food and drink is certainly cheaper here than in Brazil and it was great paying just 25,000Gs (US$5) for a pitcher of sangria or US$1 for a bottle of beer.
So our evenings were spent enjoying a glass or two and we visited one of the many karaoke bars in the city.
My personal highlight of the night was attempting to sing Phil Collins in Spanish and surprising everyone with my Mel B rap in Spice Girls Wannabe when the words on the machine disappeared. I didn’t even realise I knew what the lyrics were!
Well “adios” Paraguay and back into Brazil we go….