Diary Entry
Everyday life in South America sets in and the stay in Asunci贸n becomes routine. Special features are no longer noticeable, but a few curiosities remain strange. Nobody can change 100,000 gs, about 13 euros. People look at us as if we have 200 euros in our hands.
The cars in Paraguay are very different. On the one hand they are small and junk or directly a Jeep, Hilux or Landcruiser equipped for all wilderness situations.
In Asunci贸n we see a few Indians, in the countryside a few more. We always see the Indians begging in the streets or selling jewelry. It’s sad to see.
We realize that we are in a tropical region. Parrots and parakeets fly everywhere in the city sky or in the trees in the countryside. We constantly see plants or animals and stop to ask ourselves: what is that?!
With a clear conscience we eat avocados, papayas, passion fruit and melons as well as sweet potatoes. These fruits always leave a terrible biological footprint at home, but here it’s local produce.
The time in Asunci贸n is getting long and we want to get out. We have heard that Lago Ypacarai is said to be very beautiful. The lake is not far from Asunci贸n – at least if you have your own car or are flexible enough to use a bus. With Leon and a two-hour drive through all the stops, not a tempting thought. Fortunately, there is still Uber and the costs are also reasonable.
I heard about the small town of Aregu谩 and that there are supposed to be many artists there. We try it.
It’s the weekend and the weather is nice. It’s been really cold in Asunci贸n the past few days, so we’re happy to have sun again. Apparently the same goes for the rest of the city’s population, because little Aregu谩 is bursting at the seams.
People pose and take selfies in front of the church. In the center of the village, people have set up market stalls and sometimes sell very nicely painted ceramics.
It also seems to be a strawberry festival of sorts, as rows and rows of stalls offer the red fruit with plenty of cream. This uses up our last cash and we can no longer afford to enter a small castle. At least we can still see the “beach” of the place and finally the lake that it was originally about. We also see the body of water, but only behind a sea of people.
A picturesque viewing platform sways under the weight of the many people. The park could actually be quite beautiful.
We look for an Uber again – which is no longer so easy here in the remoteness – and retreat to Asunci贸n.
