Hotel Bavaria Asuncion

... nothing to do. Downtown Asuncion is completely dead on the weekends. If there's nothing to do downtown in the country's biggest city on the weekend, you can imagine how fun this place is. There are a few discotecas around, but mostly people just go out to eat and drink or hang out at the mall. I guess it's ok, though, since I got to know my girlfriend much better (and that's a good thing). We've been hanging out, trying to find ways to enjoy ...

... back to bed but could not sleep for yer wan snoring again next door but I tried not to be too cross as I had woken her up. I thought however I must have woken everyone as the knuckles were black and blue, but apparently no one else heard me, despite yer wan trying to tell the country the whole of the next day, I had sensibly got in there first. Did I mention the knuckles were on the only remaining good limb?

that's me for now,


slan

Roisin

... has gotten cold here a few days, but it is warm again. I am honestly not looking forward to winter because it is impossible to get warm here when it is cold out. A few nights it got down into the 40s, but that means its the same temperature in my room as well. Paraguayans don't heat their homes in any way but one night we did bring out something like a small grill to cook food over and then sit around at night to stay warm after we ate. Also, it ...

... notre chemin à un vieux monsieur édenté qui postillonnait et qui nous a envoyé en gros dans la direction de la planète Mars, nous avons marché une éternité et visité une petite série d'échopes aux guitares miteuses; ce n'était pas ce que nous cherchions. Enfin quelqu'un nous a donné la bonne info, nous avons refait tout le chemin dans l'autre sens et un peu plus encore, et à la nuit tombée nous avons trouvé la boutique du luthier le plus réputé de Luque! Je dis boutique, mais à part un ...

... exchange before getting on, and I think the suspicion is that someone who knew where would be and when did it. (PS, the majority of people in the country doing "business" with Argentina are in contraband). But don't worry, once again, I repeat: Paraguay, safe, Chris, safe. This weekend I will be going out on long field practice to a volunteer site in Paraguari department. I leave Monday and get back Friday so I may be out of touch until after then.

... the busterminal. The day after I went back to the station to arrange my bus to Curitiba, Brazil. That bus left at 13h so I had only 2,5 hours to discover Asuncion. That was enough, I did a nice walk and saw too many homeless people living in a park.

... some anti-parasite education and made bread with my cooking class last week. I had a trainee visit me last weekend, and we had a great time. The whole point of the visit is to see what the life of a PCV is like... I took her to 2 fiestas, so now she thinks the life of a PCV involves a lot of dancing :) Well mine does anyway. Hope this finds everyone well! Suertemante!

... of this continent's poorest countries. The irony of course is that there are few or no South American tourists there, nor vice versa any Thais here. Thais love to travel, and visas are a hassle, but still South America is hardly at the top of their list, not pretentious enough. In the case of Paraguay though, US citizens are almost alone in the visa requirement, but if I want to visit every country in the world, then that's the deal. If it's getting ...

... our town that was shut down within the last couple years. The campesinos decided that they wanted to make the government change course and retrieve the hospital again after letting such great facilities slip away and get sold off to the highest bidder by corrupt directors and ministry officials. For the last month campesinos from all over Paraguay have come and protested both outside and inside of the hospital grounds ...

... the shops were expensive and the markets were ****!! There was not much else to do or see there except for Heroes Square and the shanty town located right beside the brand new government buildings. On Wednesday we left Paraguay and got stamped back into Brazil. Our destination was Foz de Iguazu which was going to be our base for visiting the famous Iguazu Falls over the next two days