Paraguay: Where The Warmth Of The Climate Is Matched By The Warmth Of Its People

If you haven’t been to Paraguay in South America yet, you should definitely put this country at the top of you itinerary when you next travel to South America. It’s a country that has been compared to the Mona Liza by many travelers. You have to get to know it, you have to dig below the surface, to really discover the great spirit of this undiscovered jewel.

The Asuncion bus terminal is a beehive of activity. There are buses coming and going to all parts of the city and to every single city and town in Paraguay until late at night, seven days a week. There is a restaurant which serves quite good food and you can buy everything a traveler needs from one of the many small shops inside the terminal building.

The city center is old and sometimes crumbling. But for some strange reason the gentle decay of many buildings just add to the charm of this old place. As you wander down the main street (called Avenida Palma), you will hear harp music streaming from many shop windows. The harp is after all Paraguay’s national instrument.

There are numerous shops offering the renowned spiderweb lace that Paraguay is famous for. The stall owners are not as pushy as their counterparts in many other South American countries. The numerous money changers will, however, accost you quite aggressively with their calls of ‘cambio, cambio!’.

Ciudad Del Este is the second largest city in Paraguay and also the trading capital. In some respects it more resembles the hustle and bustle of a Far Eastern city like Bangkok than the mellow atmosphere of Asuncion and the many small towns surrounding it. In Ciudad del Este you will find anything you can think of: from ebook readers to laptops. From motor cycle accessories to digital cameras. One traveler reports that he bought a brand new black helmet for less than 50% of the price back home.

One of the most charming aspects of Paraguay is the numerous small artist-towns surrounding Asuncion. Many of them specialize in a particular product, like spiderweb lace, or the famous little ceramic chickens you find in Paraguay. The beautifully painted ceramic pots of Aregua is also a huge drawing card for both locals and tourists over a weekend.

If you are into scrapbooking, make sure you have large amounts of scrapbooking paper. Your memories of Paraguay will soon become your fondest travel memories and you will want to preserve every moment you spend in this wonderful country, with its warm, friendly people.