Paraguay

All money conversion in Paraguay made from the exchange rate I had at the bank machine, because rates vary a lot from one day to the next. So the rate used is 1$ Can. = 4200 Guarani.

Sunday Jan. 20, 2013

I wake up late (because of the few beers of very good evening before) and miss the 7:45am bus, I must wait for the next one that is at 9:40. The bus to get to Ciudad del Este in Paraguay only costs 15 pesos (3.02$ Can.), because it is very near but we have to cross the borders. But to all bad luck a good luck follows, I meet up with another Canadian guy in the bus that's heading the same way as me into Paraguay, so we will spend a few days together. For the border crossing, the bus that leaves Argentina stop at the Argentinian customs to stamp us out of the country before we go on. We must go through Brazil, because there is no bridge direct between Argentina and Paraguay. No need for a visa because the bus does not stop at the Brazilian customs. The bus then stops a bit after the Paraguay border where we must get off to get our entry stamps at the Paraguay customs (very important, or else you will get big fees to pay when you'll exit the country). A bit weird because the bus lets you off after the customs building, but inform yourselves before leaving Argentina on the way it works. We get to the Hotel Austria (55,00 Guarani = 13.41$ Can.), then we take a cab to get to the "Salto Del Monday" waterfalls, a very small cousin of Iguazu Falls, less impressive but also very nice. (Taxi to the falls : 100,000 Gu for the both of us, so 50,000 Gu each = 12.19$ and the entrance fees for the falls of 5,000 Gu = 1.22$).

 The first time I ever was a millionaire :)

View of Ciudad Del Este from the Hotel

Monday Jan. 21, 2013 

We get up early to get to the hydroelectric dam of Itaipu, to do the guided visit that is free, at 8am. It consists of only getting to a point of view on the dam to take pictures of the place, then a small ride takes us on the dam to the Brazilian side then back to the entrance. It's not a very long tour and I would have appreciated that we would have stopped in other spots as well, but it was free. Before the tour itself they present a short movie of about 25-30 minutes that explains the history of the construction of the dam site. It's the second biggest hydroelectric dam in the world in term of longest and highest. A bit of info : height : 196m (643 feet), Leigh 7,919 m (25,981 feet). It is in fact a very impressive structure. If you would like to visit the inside of the dam, you would need to go to the Brazilian site, but it is not free. We get back to the hotel at around 9:45, just in time for check-out at 10am. We then go to the bus terminal to catch a bus that goes to Encarnation at 11am (60,000 Guarani = 14.29$ Can.). We get there at around 4pm and go to a hotel right in front of the terminal called "Hostal Germano" where we get a room with two beds for 70,000 Guaranis, do 35,000 each (8.34$ Can.). We then go walk around town for the rest of the afternoon and beginning of evening.

Encarnation

Encarnation

Tuesday Jan.  22, 2013

We get up early, wanting to go to the ruins of Trinidad and Jesus, but the sky is completely covered and I would love to have a nice blue sky to get some good pictures of the site. In the afternoon we decide to go to the ruins even thought it's still a bit cloudy. 7000 guaranis for the bus to get there (1.67$ can.), 25,000 for the entrance ticket to both ruins (5.95$ Can.), 20,000 for the tuk-tuk to go and come back to the Jesus site (4.76$ can.) and another 7000 to get back to Encarnation. On the site of Trinidad we meet with a girl from Germany that decide to come along to the Jesus site with us. On the bus back to Encarnation we meet with an American girl that lives in Encarnation, she invites us to go for a beer on a terrace of a beach bar, we spend the rest of the afternoon and most of the evening there. We then go for supper at about 9h30pm and finally make it back to the hotel at about 11h30.

Trinidad

Trinidad

Jesus

Jesus

Jesus

Jesus

Wednesday Jan. 23, 2013

I leave Encarnation at 11h30am on a bus to Asuncion (80,000 guarani = 19.05$ Can.). I arrive to Asuncion at 5pm and go strait to the "Hostel Black Cat" (45,000 guarani = 13.66$ Can.). I go walk around a bit and go for supper in the evening, but that's it for today, I enjoy the evening reading a bit.

Thursday Jan. 24, 2013

Today I went walking a bit around town and visited the "Casa de la libertad", a small free museum where the declaration of independence of Paraguay was signed. In the afternoon I come back to the hostel because it is way too hot to be walking around town (39 deg. Celsius -- with humidity 46). I went for supper in the evening and enjoyed the rest of the evening working on the blog a bit because I was way behind on my travel log.

Jan. 25-26-27-28-29, 2013

At around 12pm, on the 25th, I leave Asuncion to go to Aregua. In fact I'm going to about 3km before the town to a hotel named "Los Jardines de Aregua". A french friend that I met through a travel forum online is the owner and he invited me to stay over for a few days. I spend 5 days there, very very mellow, in a dream atmosphere. It is very appreciated to be in a large and nice room all by myself after spending the last 6 months mostly in dorm rooms. I have an incredible stay and must thank Jean-Claude for the invitation in is little paradise.

I leave Aregua on the 29th at 4pm to get back to Asuncion. I take the local bus (2500 guarani = 0.60$ Can.) that takes about 1h to get back into town. I go back to the same hostel I was before leaving "Black Cat". Evening of working a bit and reading to plan the next destinations.


Wednesday Jan. 30, 2013

I enjoy all morning walking around to visit a bit more the city center. I still had a few spots to see that I had kept for visiting today. But honestly there is not that much to do in Asuncion. In the afternoon it is very hot once again and simply stay at the hostel chilling around.

Click on image to see the whole picture album of "Paraguay".

Here ends my small stay in Paraguay, I will have spent 11 days in total. It's not a lot, but I am now a little in a hurry to move on, I must be in Lima before the 20th of February and time seems to be going very fast all of a sudden. I will have a flight from Lima to Easter Island that is already booked. I am very anxious for that, but I still have 20 days to visit a few places in Bolivia and in Peru that I had not seen while I was there the first time.