a short trip to Asuncion

So many trips, so much work, so little time to see anything or write about it here.  No posts then on Honduras, Haiti, El Salvador or Kenya (although I did get time to visit my Mum for a day whilst there), but happily my recent trip to Paraguay was just a little more relaxed.

Not that there is a great deal to see without adding on leave to visit the Chaco, the Iguassu Falls or the ruins of the Jesuit missions.  I looked into visiting the latter over the weekend, but now I understand why they are the least visited of all the world's UN World Heritage sites - $400 for a return trip there from Asunción.  I didn't go.

But I took a Saturday to go right around the capital city.  First to the botanical gardens for a bit of birding.  I was bitten to pieces by the millions of mosquitoes that hang out in the forest reserve there (the only exposed skin was hands, face and upper throat and all got badly bitten), but I think it was worth it to see four different species of woodpecker, a piculet, a cuckoo and two species of parakeet, amongst other birds.  Then I went into the historical centre, driving there along the Costanera which is a new road along the side of the Bay of Paraguay; another good spot for birds but I wouldn't have found an onwards taxi if I'd got out there.

The centre was OK, a few historic buildings here and there but not comparable to even the historic centre in Panama City.  But it was interesting to see the government palace (photo above), and then find that right behind it is a slum area.  People told me not to venture in there as it was not safe, but I was able to take a quick photo looking down from the plaza above:

Not far away were new shelters being constructed by hundreds of families just made homeless by the flooding of the Paraguay River.  Some were even camping on the porch of the cathedral. Paraguay doesn't exhibit the enormous income and wealth disparities of much of the rest of Latin America, but still it seems there is quite a difference between the haves and have nots. Asunción seemed like a modern developed city but apparently in the rural areas many families don't have proper santitation and many children don't attend school.

From the centre I went around the San Jeronimo district, a poor area that has been painted in bright colours in order to make it attractive to tourists (and residents, I suppose), although quite how my wandering around taking the odd photo benefits the locals, I don't know.  When I asked a local if I was safe to be there (this was at dusk), he answered that yes it was very safe as there were police around to protect the tourists.  I didn't see any policemen or any other tourists - but then I didn't get mugged either.

One evening my colleagues there took me out to dinner, to sample Paraguay's famous steak.  It was very nice although as a part-time vegetarian I might not be the best person to ask.  Surprisingly, given the country's culinary reputation and the fact that beef is apparently cheaper than vegetables, I was able to find plenty of salads and so on for lunch - one colleague even took me to a newly-opened vegan cafe for a lentil burger.

The biggest surprise for me however was the weather!  Right now it is autumn in Paraguay, before winter comes next month.  Thankfully someone had warned me of the need to take a jacket and jumpers - but what was a big surprise was the changeability of the weather.  The first few days were bright and sunny, with deep blue skies, but very cold so I was wearing jumper, cardigan and thick pashmina in the office to keep warm.  Then it got warmer and very cloudy and wet for a few days, then hot and sunny (still 28°C at 8pm one evening!), then the next day it was cloudy and down to 15°C.  Very strange, but nice to see all the colours of the autumn leaves, I realise that it is a few years since I saw that.