Asunción
Paraguay’s capital, Asunción was my last stop before moving on to Colombia. For a capital city it seemed really relaxed, but I suppose that’s because it’s one of the smallest capitals in South America and kind of a forgotten place when it comes to tourism. I was glad to finally be able to stay in a hostel, both because it’s cheaper and because the staff at hostels are used to giving advice to backpackers.
The Black Cat Hostel is the only hostel in all of Paraguay, and it’s less than a year old. I could tell that the staff (who I think were also the owners) were really proud of being on the frontier of backpacker tourism in Paraguay, and I don’t think I’ve ever stayed somewhere that was more helpful. They put together a huge customized map of places to go and see, and seemed to enjoy socializing with the guests.
Asunción itself has all the usual capital city sites – government buildings and museums. One of the more interesting places to see is the Panteón de Los Héroes, a monument to Paraguay’s war heroes located in the main plaza. An honor guard in full dress uniform stands guard, and inside are statues of several Presidents and war heroes (for example, Mariscal Estigarribia, who just about everything in Paraguay seems to be named after). The walls are covered with hundreds of bronze plaques, given as tributes to Paraguay’s heroes from government, civilian, and military organizations throughout the world. I was able to locate several from branches of the US Government and Military.
Tomb of the Unknown Child Soldier on the left
The remains of some of the heroes and Presidents can be viewed in a circular area about 15 feet below floor level. Also included are the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Tomb of the Unknown Child Soldier. During the 1865-1870 Paraguay was at war with Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil (the War of the Triple Alliance). 60%-70% of the population was killed and the male population was reduced to approximately 28,000, which resulted in boys as young as 12 being conscripted to fight before the Paraguayan military surrendered. In the 20th century, Paraguay and Bolivia went to war over the Chaco desert region which was rumored to have oil reserves. Foreign oil companies funded both sides of the war, though I’m not sure if any oil was ever found. Amazingly, Paraguay has only been a democracy since 1993, so as you can imagine some of the government institutions are still very young.
Brahman Cows, showing off their ribbons in the upper right corner
While I was there Asunción was also having one of it’s biggest annual events, the 2010 Expo. The bulk of the expo has become an attraction for families, like a state fair, with huge booths run by cell phone companies, auto companies, and retail brands. In the back are the traditional rural displays, including farm equipment and livestock. I couldn’t help but wonder why there were only convention girls in the front of the fair…if booth babes can sell cell phones why can’t they sell sheep and genetically engineering animal semen?
Asunción has a number of other nearby places to visit, sometimes called the Central Circuit. It includes lakes, islands, hikes, etc. This is where I finally decided I should leave Paraguay, despite there being a lot more there that I want to do. So many of the things to do seem best suited to summer, and I was visiting in winter. I had been wearing thermal underwear and all my layers for over a week and was still constantly cold, and hot showers are a rarity. I decided to return to see more of Asunción, the Pantanal, and the Chaco another time when I either had appropriate clothes or during the summer.
Since it was cold, I decided to go somewhere warm and Colombia seemed like a great idea. I couldn’t find any cheap international fares to anywhere from Asunción, which is only served by a few international carriers so I grit my teeth and paid quite a bit to fly to Medellin.
