Paraguay

My Paraguay travel summary:

Visited: August 1997

Length: 14 days

Capital city: Asunción

Population: 4.8 million (1997)

Paraguay travel blog reading time: 11 minutes

• Visiting ancient ruins of Jesuits Missions.
• Riding buses around Asunción, where drivers compete like Formula 1 racers.
• Back in time on a boat from Asunción to Concepcion.
• Meeting Mennonite communities in the Chaco.
• Crossing the Chaco Desert in the back of a truck.

Paraguay, one of South America’s most mysterious countries, was the final stop on my 15-month American Big Tour which began in New York City.

Trouble began before I even crossed the border from Brazil. As usual, the biggest complication was the tourist visa. Paraguayan consulates in La Paz and Santa Cruz, Bolivia, politely turned me down because I couldn’t provide an Interpol Clearance Certificate.

When I asked how to obtain the certificate thousands of kilometers from Slovenia, the Paraguayan consul just smiled and shrugged. He advised me to try a consulate near the Brazilian border, where visa procedures were reportedly simpler.

At the Paraguayan consulate in Foz do Iguaçu, the receptionist was no friendlier. Due to a summit of South American presidents in Asunción, the consulate couldn’t issue visas.

“Come back next week with every possible document, recommendation and certificate. We’ll see what we can do!” an official told me, testing my patience.

On Monday, another surprise awaited me: I had to speak directly with the consul. She couldn’t believe I wanted to visit Paraguay as a backpacker.

“Why would anyone want to visit Paraguay, explore its attractions and places of interest, experience local life and drive through the legendary Chaco region to Bolivia?”

After half an hour, I convinced the consul of my good intentions, clean criminal record, lack of terrorist links and European origins. I submitted my diploma and language-course certificates, emphasizing my interest in the Indigenous communities of the Chaco. My efforts paid off, and I received my visa free of charge.

“You can start the Paraguay travel adventure!”

After all the visa troubles, I expected bureaucracy and military checkpoints, rather than exciting places to visit.

Paraguay turned out to be surprisingly developed and friendly, with warm, welcoming people despite its turbulent history.

Ciudad del Este was the first stop on my Paraguay travel adventure, though it had few attractions or landmarks. On the border with Brazil, across the Paraná River and the Friendship Bridge, it is a shopping paradise for Brazilians and Argentines buying tax-free goods and smuggling them home with small bribes to customs officials.

I struggled through street stalls along the main avenue, where vendors offered watches, radios, miniature CD players and other electronics. Bargaining was essential, as prices were rarely displayed.

A common scam involves selling fake perfumes that turn out to be colored water. Asian immigrants dominate local business, and their alleged links to organized crime have raised concerns among residents about violence in otherwise peaceful city.

Ciudad del Este has become Paraguay’s most developed city, thanks to cross-border trade, much of it informal or illegal.

New luxury apartments and casino hotels attract foreign visitors, while locals are pushed to the city outskirts. With a long journey ahead, I couldn’t afford to fill my backpack with cheap electronics. I only needed an ATM to withdraw cash, but all banks had closed by 3:00pm. Luckily, a small exchange office changed my last 20USD note, enough to reach Asunción.

The next day, I took the legendary Blue Bird bus from Encarnación to Trinidad, a half-hour ride away. La Santísima Trinidad del Paraná was once one of the most important Jesuit cities in South America.

In the 18^th century, European Jesuit missionaries established missions in Paraguay, teaching the Guarani language, religion, agriculture and trade They protected Indigenous communities from exploitation while controlling economic activities to safeguard Spanish interests.

Over 150 years, 30 missions grew into small cities. At its peak, Trinidad had 4,000 inhabitants gathered around a central church.

In 1767, Spain banned the Jesuit missions, and the cities collapsed. The ruins lay abandoned for centuries, while nearby villages grew. Only recently have some archaeological structures been restored for visitors.

Unlike other Latin American countries known for ancient ruins, Paraguay’s main attraction is the UNESCO-listed Jesuit Missions of the Guaranís.

That warm afternoon, I was the only visitor exploring the highlights of Trinidad. The entrance fee was 2,000 guaraníes, but neither I nor the military-clad guard had the exact change. We agreed on the thousand guaraníes I had, which likely went straight into his pocket.

Paraguay surprised me with its population and economic development. Although most people are mestizos, European descendants are visible in major cities. Many arrived in the early 20^th century, seeking better opportunities, while Asian immigrants and former German soldiers also settled here.

This mix of people, languages and cultures shaped new Paraguay, while the Indigenous Guarani and Guaycuru populations declined sharply.

Paved roads, modern cars and better houses reflected greater prosperity than in Peru or Bolivia. However, Paraguay remained less developed than Argentina and Chile.

The end of General Stroessner’s 35-year dictatorship in 1989 brought democracy, freedom and opportunities for trade and foreign investment. The country began opening up to the world.

Paraguay’s most famous landmark, apart from General Stroessner’s long dictatorship, is the Itaipu Dam, once the world’s largest hydroelectric power station. Located on the border with Brazil, this 20 billion USD project nearly bankrupted both countries.

The new artificial reservoir completely transformed the surrounding rainforest ecosystem. Opened in 1984, the enormous dam set several world records. At the information center, I learned how modern construction methods made this engineering feat possible.

modern construction methods made this engineering feat possible.

Itaipu Dam project created jobs for around 32,000 Paraguayans during the construction, while Brazil now gets about 25% of its electricity from the plant.

During our visit, we passed enormous turbines, each measuring 10 meters in diameter. The dam stretches 8 kilometers and stands almost 200 meters high, making it an engineering marvel and one of Paraguay’s most rewarding places to visit.

The next stop on my Paraguay travel adventure was the capital city. Asunción, located on the river of the same name, greeted me with unbearable heat of 35°C. One of South America’s oldest cities lies just 43 meters above sea level.

I found a cheap guesthouse for 6USD a night. Although my Spanish was good, communicating with the Korean owner was difficult. The basic room offered a magnificent view of the Presidential Palace on one side and the slums on the other.

The Palacio de Gobierno was once among the world’s most heavily guarded buildings, with public access strictly prohibited.

Guards were instructed to shoot anyone who watched, photographed or lingered nearby. Democracy has transformed the scene. Vendors now sell cheap oranges and mandarins outside the beautifully restored White Palace, while young couples embrace in the nearby park.

I would describe Asunción as a peculiar city, charming in its own way but with few things to do. Especially for visitors seeking attractions or lively activities. Many backpackers warned me about its oddities, which I soon discovered myself. In the city center, you could count the restaurants on one hand, while small grocery stores and opticians seemed endless. I counted more than fifty opticians within a few blocks, as if all Paraguayans were short-sighted.

By seven in the evening, the streets were empty, shops closed and buses barely running. Only older prostitutes in provocative miniskirts kept company with homeless people and the few pedestrians around.

After four days in Asunción, I travelled north to Concepción aboard a cargo ship along the Paraguay River.

My 30-hour boat journey took me back to the 19^th century, when many expeditions started here in Madre de Ciudades (Mother of Cities). We slowly travelled upstream, stopping every half hour to pick up or drop off farmers from small, electricity-free wooden huts along the shore. The ferry never actually stopped; it simply slowed down as motorized canoes carrying passengers and goods tied alongside for a few minutes.

Twelve-year-old Jorge approached me, and we started an interesting conversation. He was travelling to his uncle’s hacienda to work in the fields and care for horses and cows. Around half of Paraguay’s population earns a living from farming and agriculture. Jorge had already earned a cow and a horse through his work, leaving him little time for school.

Like many Latin Americans, Jorge will likely grow up with little education and few chances of a decent job.

The food on the boat was tasteless, with a limited menu of rice, meat and fruit. I climbed to the roof to admire the gorgeous sunset, crawled into my sleeping bag and watched the stars under the clear sky.

The next morning, I woke to a stunning sunrise and red sky. The captain announced a six-hour delay. My leftover jam and my buddy’s bread kept us going until a better lunch of pasta, potatoes, yucca and salad.

Most passengers disembarked in small villages where people lived mainly from cattle breeding. I spoke to Juan, a father of eight kids. His family needed another four days and several boats to reach home. One child explained that neither parent worked. They owned a cow, while a son in Asunción sent money to help them survive.

Most Paraguayans live within 150 kilometers of Asunción, in the country’s most fertile agricultural region. The remaining 60% of the land is covered by the Chaco desert, home to just 4% of the population.

Western Paraguay’s mysterious Chaco was almost uninhabited until the early 20^th century, apart from small Indigenous tribes struggling against harsh nature. In the 1920s, the Paraguayan government sold part of this land to a Mennonite community for a minimal price.

Mennonites originated in Europe and are known for their strong religious beliefs. Some live in closed communities, marry within the group and speak Low German (Plattdeutsch), wherever they settle.

Mennonites work diligently, value education and survive in extreme environments. Despite the poor soil, efficient irrigation and cattle farming provide enough food. They have preserved their traditions, and Spanish-speaking Paraguay still has settlements with German names, such as Fernheim, Neuland and Neu-Halbstadt.

Initially isolated, Mennonites and Indigenous people soon learned to coexist and benefit from each other. Indigenous people found work with Mennonites and escaped poverty, while both groups learned each other’s languages: German and Spanish.

Major disparities remain. Most white Mennonites are wealthy, well-groomed and educated, while Indigenous people often live in basic settlements without running water, sewage or electricity, usually with large families. I was repeatedly fascinated by the harmonious coexistence of these two distinct cultural and ethnic groups.

During my Paraguay travel adventure, it was amusing to enter a shop or restaurant and be addressed in German simply because I was white and assumed to be Mennonite. German is almost an official language in the Chaco region. My German is not bad, but Plattdeutsch was very difficult to understand.

Indigenous people of the Chaco are among Paraguay’s poorest. Observing their lifestyle, I realized that a large radio cassette player was one of their most valued possessions.

They carried these huge radios on their shoulders, never parting with them. Sometimes it seemed like a competition to see who could carry the biggest radio or play it loudest. I felt a little embarrassed about my small radio until I met a local man with the exact same model.

The incredible coincidence was that I had bought my radio in Slovenia 14 months earlier, while he had probably bought his in a local Chaco shop.

We even listened to the same station, as the region had only two.

Loma Plata is the last place in the Chaco region accessible by paved road. Beyond it, only real adventurers dare to travel. At first, the road is a solid dirt track, but later it turns into a sandy desert path. Travel is still possible in the dry season, while during the rainy season, so much mud can leave even trucks stuck for days.

Although buses have started covering the route between Asunción and Santa Cruz in Bolivia, travelling by truck is more adventurous. I waited several days before getting a lift in one heading to Bolivia. Three drivers took turns behind the wheel, so we spent little time stopping or sleeping.

I made myself a bed among the cargo in the trailer, and the ride was surprisingly comfortable thanks to the friendly, funny Bolivian drivers.

Temperatures reached 40°C, and desert sand irritated my eyes and turned my white T-shirt brown. We carried everything needed to survive, as there were no settlements in this remote part of the Chaco, only two military checkpoints, one in Paraguay and one in Bolivia.

While we passed quickly through the Paraguayan checkpoint, the Bolivian officials gave me a typical Latin American reception. I had to pay special fees to register in their official diary, an old school notebook with no names written for weeks, perhaps even months.

After two days, we reached Villamontes, the first settlement in Bolivia, having covered just 250 kilometers.

“This ride ended quite well!” I thought.

The drivers explained me their truck had once broken down, leaving them stranded for three days before another vehicle passed. Without food or water, they survived by drinking coolant from the truck. Since then, they have carried a week’s worth of supplies when crossing the desert from Paraguay to Bolivia.

Romantic escapades were also part of these business trips. Two drivers had mistresses and illegitimate children along the way. When I asked what their wives thought, they replied in typical macho style:

“Women should stay home, care for the children, cook, wash dishes and, keep quiet. If they don’t like it, they can leave anytime!”

Despite its strict visa requirements, Paraguay turned out to be a pleasant, laid-back country with unique countryside and ethnic groups.

This little-known but fast-developing nation has a rich history, the world’s largest hydroelectric power plant, Jesuit mission ruins and the bustling shopping city of Ciudad del Este. Although some areas lack major attractions, I was most impressed by the vast, desolate beauty of the Chaco.

After more than three decades of authoritarian rule, Paraguay embraced democracy and has a brighter future ahead.

Although it faces fierce competition from regional tourist destinations, Paraguay offers unique experiences for travelers willing to venture off the beaten path.