Like stepping back 30 years

Asuncion is a pleasant enough place in a slightly dull way, at least by the second day you feel you´ve seen everything there is to see. Paraguay is really not geared up for tourists at all (which we knew) but it´s as if they don´t really know what to do with us. When we can stand the 38 degree heat, there are some nice colonial buildings to explore, and it was nice to walk through the market without being hassled - there is some lovely paraguayan lace and weaving. There is a lot of poverty yet also many mercedes benzes whizzing past. The shanty towns are quite extensive and rather sobering to see and they are overlooked by the Presidential palace... a study in contrast. It´s a wonder he hasn´t ordered their removal. One night we were approached by a street kid who was very interested in our bread rolls. I offered him the basket meaning him to take one but he ran off with the lot (though not before I had made him say gracias).

Guns are *everywhere* on the street. On almost every corner there is a frowning policeman stroking his gun. I can´t decide whether that makes me feel more or less safe but they were happy enough to pose for a photo with us yesterday, one of them even cracked a smile! But when we inadvertently went too close to the revered presidential palace, they were quick to blow their whistle at us and I wasn´t about to argue .

Paraguay is like stepping back in time, there are internet places of course but also quite a lot of typewriters around the place and most of the shop windows don´t look as if they´ve been updated in 30 years. But we have eaten well here, first time so far on the trip that we really felt hungry, we had a slap up meal for about US$30 last night, sometimes we disagree with Lonely Planet recommendations but they were spot on with the Bar San Rocque.

We are gearing outselves up psychologically for our trip up the Gran Chaco highway tonight. The GC is a very large flat expanse of thorny scrub and doesn´t look it but it´s actually the second most diverse ecosystem in South America (after the Amazon basin). Crossing it by bus is probably something you only want to do once in a lifetime!

Ciao for now

Jackie
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