PARAGUAY

Asuncion

After a 6 hour journey travelling through nice countryside and numerous small villages we arrived in the bus terminal
of Asuncion (around 5km from the city centre). Both feeling pretty tired and in need of a beer Jim and I decided that we would
get a taxi instead waiting around for another bus despite the obvious fact that it would be cheaper. It was around 7 o clock and just getting dark
but still it was very warm yet we and our bags were still slightly wet from the severe drenching that we received walking to the terminal. For some reason
Asuncion had a slightly Asian feel to it and when I mentioned this to Jim who had travelled all around Asia he agreed. One thing you notice when coming into
Asuncion is the fact that the majority of buildings are low, old and crumbling although there are a few modern bulidngs dotted around and some high risers.
It certainly had more of a real South AMerican feel to it with the old rickety buses and taxis that I had experienced in Ecuador with many bumps and unfinished roads
and buildings. It almost felt inimidating now being in the real developing world rather than Argentina and Brasil which are much more like Europe and more highly developed.
After a 15 minute taxi journey we arrived at the black cat hostel a hostel with a high rating and in a very central position. After getting settled a having a well earned beer we were joined by Lydia a somewhat extravert and energetic English girl from Southampton who was very chatty. After chatting a while, it turned out that all 3 of us had
been in Chile during the earthquake but they had both been very close, with Jim being in a bus near the epicentre and told us of the road being torn up all around them and the bus
bouncing up and down and coming very close to tipping and he was sure he was going to die! What a story! Lydia had been in bed in Santiago when it happened and had not even felt it!
SHe was also in the aftershock and just felt the earth quaking beneath her feet! After chatting with them for a while, it turns out that they have between them travelled most of the world! Jim actually travelled across Asia alone on his motorbike which sounded great until his back wheel bust and he couldnt get the part to fix it! After a couple of beers
Jim headed to bed but Lydia suggested we out out to the local bar and Bart, a nice Slovakian guy joined us. We headed to Britannia which was a really nice bar which made
me feel so at home with Union Jacks everywhere, English signs, pictures of the Queen, the Beatles and London everywhere. The best thing there was that they did these huge towers of beer
that had a tap so the 3 of us shared one of these.

The next day I decided to see a bit of the city so I went on one of my famous long walks to explore the place. Luckily the hostel was very close to everything and it didnt take long to get around the sites.
THere was a beautiful white domed church in Plaza de los Heroes, a lovely old colonial style cathedral right behind the hostel the bells of which we could hear in the courtyard. Little did I realise that we were also
on the banks of the river Parana which was a nice sight and I wondered if I could just go down and chill on the banks but on closer proximity
it turned out that the banks of the river were pretty much lined by favelas, a whole town of shacks and shanty houses which when I started walking through to try and get through to the river a man told me to turn back as it was peligroso (dangerous). I did so promptly and walked up towards the 1st of 2 palaces which was a beautiful old colonial building painted a pinkish colour with many arches going across the face of the building.

It turns out you can go inside as it's a museum and we went on the roof and took some nice pictures from up there. The next building I came to was a large white palace which was my favourite building in the city
and was really impressive to me. It was a fabulous old Spanish style palace with two wings and an almost turrett like part in the centre with the Paraguayan flag flying high from the top. It was a scorchingly hot day
and it really was gleaming and certainly made for some great photos.

Shame I was no longer with anyone to take some of me! On return to the hostel I found out my friends were all leaving, Lydia and Bart were off to Santa Cruz
in Bolivia and Jim was heading up north to Filadelfia, both of which I fancied doing but due to my bad planning, I had booked the flight from Puerto Iguazu so I had to return there. Now I was a little sad as I was going to be left
in this hostel where I knew noone but that soon changed. I reserved the TV for the Chelsea v Portsmouth game which put me in a good mood as we won it 5-0 and many sat with me to watch it including this Australian
guy who was a Barcelona fan who I had a good chat about the footy with and then met the rest of his Aussie mates, 4 really good guys from Melbourne. Also there was this crazy character from Norway who I'll never
forget because although I think he has a screw loose, he still turned out to be a really nice guy, the type who will laugh at anything even if what was said wasnt funny and he also tends to say the most random things. He certainly
didnt seem like a Norwegian, certainly more Jewish than Norwegian as everyone agreed. I was beginning to realise that this was a hostel that was full of characters and very few women! During the game a couple of girls turned up to check in and it turns out they were the 2 lovely Belgian girls
I had met in Cordoba so we had a good chat and catch up although they were only staying a night as they were heading up to Mexico city for a little while. It was certainly nice to see some familiar faces. Another strange coiincidence happned that a guy from Croydon came in and asked my name and where I was from, when I said I was born in Croydon, he asked if it was New Addingtion and I said no but my cousins live there and he said what's your surname and when I said Baker he was like I know the Bakers
I know Dave, he works in the shop and I know Tom too although he said they were all rebels and drug dealers which made me doubt him but it was strange he knew their names! He was quite intimidating so I tried to steer clear of him as he was very intense and in your face, questions, questions, wont even let you finish your first answer before he fires another at you! I spoke to Jim about him and he said the same but I didnt see him again so I guess he must've left the next day or something.
Just as I was feeling low and alone, this Dutch guy checked in called Robin who seemed to be pretty crazy and very intense. Immediately he said hi, what can you see here, i showed him
my photos and he said theyre good but better with you in them so he told me we'd go again and he'd take some of me. So off We went round the sights again so I got some pictures with me in them which was nice to prove I was actually there
and then we went to the supermarket to get some lunch. Turns out he lives in BA and speaks fluent Spanish and was extremely cocky and confident and a real player saying hi to all the ladies in the street!
On return to the hostel we met this German guy called Axel who was a nice guy, pretty butch and also a mad hatter with alost a permanent smile on his face! Turns out he had been in the army, was very high up and then just quit and took all his money and
is now taking the chance to meet all the people from round the world he was in duty with. Hos next location is Quito where he'll stay with an Ecuadorean soldier he knows. He kept saying I love my life and I can see his point but never settling down
I'm not so sure about that! He and the Dutch guy immediately got on although I dont think the Aussies like Robin too much! During the day, a nice English guy called Paul from Portsmouth had arrived in my room who I got on very well with. He was
a pipefitter in Antarctica for the British Antrarctic Survey and travelled all round the world doing it and was actually moving to Australia with his trade. As well as Paul, we had another newcomer in our room, a very nice German guy
called Alex who was a dentist who was coming to live in El Chaco (the northern part of Paraguay) to help the natives and also turned out to be a real legend and someone I really got on well with. I was really starting to enjoy the whole travelling alone
as I was meeting so many great people! Since it was a Friday night and everyone was up for going out so we started off in Britannia and then ended up in a club just a little way out of town where we went but then headed to another where there were
for some reason many semi naked women prancing up and down on a cat walk! THis turned out to be a great night amongst great company even if they were all men!

The next day I woke up in time for the Chelsea v Villa game which was great again as we won 7-1 and again I met some nice guys, another English guy called Andy (turns out many Brits stay in this hostel) and a nice Irish guy called Noel. We all went out again on the saturday night,to see an
excellent Brazilian band in an Irish pub called Kilkenny in a very vibrant area with many bars pubs and clubs which was a great night. We also had a lady with us this time which was nice, a young German girl who had arrived from Bolivia but was also leaving the next day (seems that's generally what the girls do)
.Overall the hostel very much seemed like the place was all about sleep or watch tv during the day and then go partying at night as there really wasnt too much to do during the day, once you've seen the sites which takes about half a day then theres not much else to see or do and it gets so hot that it's
almost too hot to be outside anyway! One thing I noticed was that the streets are always very empty and pretty quiet both day and night although during the day you do have the street vendors with all sorts of arts, crafts and clothes etc which is worth seeing.

I was really beginning to love Asunsion, it wasnt the toursity beaten track that I had been used to although the locals seemed used to seeing gringos around, the people were great, natives and guys in my hostel the owner of the hostel was very nice, friendly and helpful who would always
help with any queries and the place was great with a good combination of history, modernity and enough charater to stand out from the more developed cities I had visited. I made some good friends in the hostel, perhaps lifelong friends as I intend to see Lydia and Bart again in La Paz, I would like
to take up Alex on his offer to stay with him in Bavaria and I would also like to visit Paul in Australia so I made sure I got everyones details so we could stay in touch.

Paraguay has been a breath of fresh air to me, I had a bad impression at first entering through the carnage that is Ciudad del Este and the torrential rain really didnt do much for my mood and certainly put me off having to return but luckily Andy and Noel, the nice English and Irish guys are also heading my way so it's nice to have friendly familiar faces travelling back with me, Andy seems like the type that is very knowledgable and sensible and Noel seems like your typcial very kind and very nice Irish man from Limerick. Both great chaps so I'm in good company.

My one regret is that I didnt see more of this great country, I wish I had had the time to go up north and see Filadelfia and the mennonite community, El Chaco and the Pantanal and the moonie community. Perhaps some other time I'll come and do it properly.

On the bus back now after having a great 5 days. Appreciating the beautiful countryside with lush forests, vast flat plains, small towns and villages and billowing cumulus clouds, it really is a quite beautiful country but I have to leave to get back for my flight so I'll go and sit by a pool
for a few days in Puerto Iguazu and just chill out there although I'm going to the Hostel Inn which is supposed to be party central so hopefully I'll meet some good people there too. THink Noel is coming too after seeing the Foz from the Brazil side so it'll be good to see him again.