Anyone who visits will find a welcoming country largly unspoilt by the effects of tourism. It is away from the well travelled tourist routes and so in much of the land tourists are a novelty rather than a fixture.

This has allowed Paraguay and it’s people to keep the culture of the country in it’s true form, rather than being tempted to adjust the land to accommodate the perceived needs of overseas tourists.

Outside of Asuncion shows and festivals are put on by the Paraguayans for Paraguayans, as they always have been. Visitors though are always welcomed and will soon be made to feel at home and quite possibly encouraged to join in.

A festival in the Paraguayan countryside is a joy to experience.

Visit the country and you will quickly discover how welcoming and helpful the Paraguayan people are. They are on the whole happy and always prepared to take the time to assist others.

The country has two languages Spanish and Guarani. A little Spanish goes a long way in Paraguay. You will find few English speakers, so having at least the basics in Spanish is vital.

For a tourist coming to Paraguay there is much to see and do but the tourist infrastructure is poorly developed, so unless you are part of an organized tour it pays to be the adventurous sort of person who enjoys going out and discovering things for yourself.

One possitive effect of the undeveloped tourist sector is the resultant lack of tourists. It is far from uncommon to arrive somewhere and discover you have the place to yourself.

This makes Paraguay a very peaceful place to visit.

As for the types of locations to visit Paraguay offers something for everyone. There are cities and country towns, woodlands and wetland, wildlife and rivers and religious and historical sites to give just a few examples.

If you contact me directly I can help you plan your trip to Paraguay.

For the vast majority of people that will start with an arrival at Silvio Pettirossi airport in Asuncion.

Silvio Pettirossi is a small airport that is very simple to navigate.

Directly outside is a taxi rank with drivers waiting to take passengers the short distance into Asuncion. The taxis are safe and reliable. Many people though prefer to use taxi apps such as Uber or Bolt which do work out cheaper. Wifi is avalible in the airport terminal in order to do that.

Staying in Asuncion it makes most sense for first time visitors to Asuncion to stay in the upmarket Villa Morra district. This is the most modern area of the city and so the easiest introduction to Paraguay.

It is a place of modern shopping malls and restaurants. A place where everyone feels comfortable to walk the streets.

Much of the rest of the city is equally safe, but can appear otherwise to anyone who has not had the time to get a feel for the country.

You should not however just stay in Villa Morra. Asuncion has so much more to offer.

Every visitor should take at least half a day to explore the Old Town, the historic centre of Asuncion and a flavour of Paraguayan life can be tasted at one of the large covered markets such as Mercado 4.

There is also much to be seen beyond the city limits. Green, rural Paraguay where life still carries on much as it has always done.

To get out of Asuncion there are a number of options. Firstly to go a part of an organized tour. In addition to a tour arranged before arriving in the country a few can be booked from Asuncion. Other than that is independent travel. Either with a hire car or using the extensive bus network.

For shorter trips out of Asuncion it is possible to hire a taxi, but travelling that way can work out expensive.

Travelling east from Asuncion the first point of interest reached is Lake Ypacarai. The largest lake in the country. Located on opposite sides of the lake are two very different towns.

Closest to Asuncion lies Aregua. A relaxing, artistic town that overlooks the lake. It is a centre for handicrafts with wood and ceramic wares filling the towns’s market stalls. Being so close to Asuncion Aregua can become crowded during the weekend at summertime.

Then on the opposite side of the lake is San Bernardino. An upmarket resort town. Quite modern and very much the holiday town of choice for those in Asuncion who can afford such things. There is also in the area a sizable German population and a craft market in town most weekends. San Bernardino also becomes crowded during the summer.

A little further to the east lie the Cordillera Hills. The closest upland area to Asuncion. Up in the hills are to be found some very pleasant country towns such as Caacupe, Piribebuy and Tobati. Each has it’s own character with Caacupe being a religious centre, Piribebuy a resort town surrounded by hills and streams and Tobati another town with a strong handicraft traditions.

Further east still is the peaceful city of Villaricca. Here again are be found large unspoilt expanses and green tree covered countryside along with hills and waterfalls. In the area there are also a number of German colonies.

Then at the far eastern edge of Paraguay sits Ciudad del Este. The gateway to Brazil and a city that thrives on retail and commerce. For many items this is where they are to be found at the lowest cost in Paraguay.

A little way to the north is the huge Itaipu Dam. For many years the largest hydro electric dam in the world and well worth a visit. Then just to the south the Monday Falls. An impressive waterfall which if it not for the Iguazu Falls just over the border would receive far more visitors.

Another alternative heading out of Asuncion is to travel south.

In that direction one of the fist places you will discover is the town of Yarguaron. Here you will find a large church filled with very fine wood carvings and murals and paintings depicting of figures from Guarani folklore aross the town.

A little further along the road is the busy market town of Paraguari. This sits in the lowlands surrounded by hills many of which are ideal for hiking.

Follow the road south and you will then eventually arrive in Encarnacion. A riverside town looking towards Argentina. Here large beaches have been developed into the nearest thing in Paraguay to an oceanside town. It is a modern resort town with plenty of restaurants and also home to the largest Carnival in the country.

The one final direction to head away from Asuncion is north.

Roads here head up into the Paraguayan Chaco.

This vast area covers the northern half of the country and is thinnly populated. Most of the people living in the Chaco live in and around the Mennonite colonies in the mid Chaco.

Away from there the Chaco is truely wilderness. The wildest land in Paraguay.

Here there are to be found native tribe living as they have done for hundreds of years and it’s forests contain animals such as jaguars that keep well clear of populated areas. It is the best place in Paraguay for wildlife tourism.

The Chaco is a harsh enviroment and a vast place. Someone not to be explored without experience or a guide.

That then is just a very brief overview of what Paraguay has to offer.

There are many reasons why a trip to Paraguay would be a rewarding one and I would be happy to discuss any thoughts you have on doing so with you.

The post To visit Paraguay as a tourist appeared first on Simons Paraguay.

The tale of how they came to be is as follows.

One of the first people had a daughter called Kerana. She was beautiful but prone to daydreaming and wandering off alone into the forest.

While doing this she was spotted by Tau the spirit of evil who decided he must have her for his own.

He watched her for many days before following her back to her village. There Tau took hold of Kerana so that he might drag her away into the forest.

Angatupyry the spirit of good saw what was happening and rushed to help Kerana. He was though defeated in combat and Tau was able to escape with his prize.

The moon goddess Araci had seen what had happened. She was unable save Kerana and sought instead to ensure that Tau gained no benefit from the forced union.

To that end Araci laid a curse upon all the children born of Tau and Kerana.

The curse was that they would have seven children and that those seven would all be monsters cursed in different ways.

In addition she gave the children seven griefs. Fear, pain, despair, hunger, thirst, disease and death.

And seven vices. Envy, laziness, green, avarice, drunkeness, hate and anger.

Then finally seven afflictions. Theft, injustice, unhappiness, famine, flood, fire and war.

The children were then to wander the earth as monsters and as manifesations of those griefs, vices and afflictions.

Teju-Jagua

Teju-Jagua was the first of the children of Tau and Kerana.

He was given the shape of a giant lizard with seven dogs heads on snake like necks. From the eyes of those seven heads Teju-Jagua could shoot fire.

Fierce as he may look he is timid and slow moving preferring to hide away out of sight.

This draws him towards dark caves which in addition to buried treasure he guards.

Mbio-Tui

The second born child was Mbio-Tui.

In shape he has been given the form of a large snake with the head of a giant parrot. From his mouth extends a blood red forked tongue.

The gaze of Mbio-Tui brings bad luck to all that it falls upon and his squawk fills all who hear it with fear.

Mbio-Tui is to be found in swamps and other such damp dark places.

Living there he guards the wetlands and all aquatic life that lives in them.

Monai

The next of the children was Monai.

He was given the form of a giant snake with two colourful straight horns that act as antennae.

Monai is to be found in open fields as well as swamps and estuaries. He is able to climb trees to hunt prey such as birds using his antennae to hypnotize them.

He was the only one of the monsters to be destroyed as he also liked to steal from villages and hide what he took in caves.

Doing so he saw a woman named Porasy and fell in love with her.

Monai wanted to marry Porasy but she tricked him saying that she would but first she wanted to see inside the cave.

This was agreed to the night before the wedding and once Monai and Porasy were inside the cave the other villagers blocked it with a great stone and set it on fire.

For her sacrifice Araci turned the spirit of Porasy into a bright point of light that would shine at night for all to see.

Jasy-Jatere

The next child was Jasy-Jatere whos name means piece of the moon.

He is the only one to have been given a fully human form. He is a small blond haired child, naked but always carrying a wand or staff.

Jasy-Jatere lives in amongst the trees near villages and settlements.

Normally invisible he guards hidden treasure and the yerba mate plants.

He is also Lord of the Siesta.

Coming into a village Jasy-Jatere will make himself visible to childern who are playing outside during the siesta. Any he finds he kidnapps and takes back to his forest home.

There they are fed on fruit and honey and become his playthings until he sends them back to their homes foolish and empty headed. Some are otherswise unharmed, but some have their eyes picked out.

For fear of Jasy-Jatere all children are taught by their mothers that the siesta is a time for sleeping and being indoors.

Kurupi

The fifth child was Kurupi.

His form is that of a short, ugly man covered from head to toe in thick, dirty hair.

The most noticable feature of Kurupi is his giant penis. It is so large he winds it around his body three times like a belt.

This giant penis is also prehensile, able to unwind and extend through doors and windows to impregnate women sleeping inside their houses.

Due to this Kurupi is used to explain away unexpected pregnancies.

It has made this short ugly creature a symbol of fertility and sexuality.

To try an ensure that he is not just blamed for bad things Kurupi also is the guardian of all the forest animals, protecting and watching over them.

Ao-Ao

The sixth child of Tau and Kerana is a much wilder beast.

Ao-Ao has the form of a giant wild boar. He has long fangs and sharp claws.

His only food is human flesh which he actively hunts.

If someone is being hunted by Ao-Ao the only escape is to climb a high palm tree.

Any other tree he will circle howling before knocking down and then devouring whoever had been hidding in it.

He is the the guardian of the hills and mountains over which he roams.

Luison

The last of the childern is Luision who is the most fearsom of them all.

His form is that of a wolfman. Half wolf, half man.

He lives in cemeteries and burial grounds and will eat only dead and rotting flesh.

Invisibility is one of his powers and if Luison passes between someones legs they to will become Luison.

Darkness and death are his abodes and he is the Lord of Night and Death.

In a Paraguayan family a seventh son will also become Luison.

With the arrival of the Spanish Luison aquired many of the features of European werewolves such as biting his victims and an attraction to the moon, but these are recent additions to his character.

In Summary

These seven monsters endure as a central feature of the culture and mythology of Paraguay.

No one in Paraguay is unaware of their stories and in many ways they remain as real as any of the other creatures that roam the countryside.

The post Seven monsters of Guarani mythology appeared first on Simons Paraguay.

The Guarani in common with the others in the region had no written language. Theirs was a purely oral language with traditions and folklore passed by word of mouth from one generation to the next.

Without any written texts there was distinct danger that upon the arrival of the Spanish much of their culture could have been lost.

It was however saved. In a large part as a result of the Jesuits taking the indigenous people from their scattered forest homes and relocating them into purpose built settlements.

Here in addition to teaching the Guarani music and Christianity the Jesuits took care to see that the traditional myths and customs were recorded and preserved.

It was inevitable that through this process their would be some loss and alteration but the great bulk of the pre contact culture was preserved.

These tales and the figures who feature in them form the bedrock around which the modern culture of Paraguay has been formed.

The first of these is the Guarani creation myth. Their description of how the world came to be.

This begins at a time when all was silence and before there was any life.

At that distant time all that existed was a universe filled with nothing more than the twinkling light of a multiude of stars. Among these and across the voids of space travelled the two first entities.

First of these was the creator god Tupa. As well as being the creator he was also god of the sun and the bringer of light.

The second of the pair was his divine counterpart. This was Arasy the moon goddess.

Although the only beings in the universe and destined to be together at first they were not. For a long time they sought each other out, chasing endlessly around the stars.

Finally the moment came when at last their paths crossed. At that moment amongst the stars they were married and joined together in partnership forever.

Once that was done the next day the divine couple descended to Earth. The place of their landing was upon the top of a hill outside Aregua in what would one day become Paraguay.

Seeing an empty land Tupa the creator then set about the task of filling it.

First he created water which formed streams and then river which filled the lakes and then the seas.

Next to bring life to the land that had not covered by water Tupa created the plants. These grew and grew until a vast forest covered the Earth.

This new land was though still silent and so next Tupa set about creating the animals to fill it. These he created in every shape and size to fill the Earth with life.

With the whole Earth now alive all that remained to be added were creatures in the form of himself and Arasy. Humans who would inherit the world he had created.

To do this Tupa took some clay which he mixed with juice from the yerba mate plant, the blood of a nighthawk, leaves from various plants and finally a centipede.

This Tupa moulded into the forms of himself and Arasy, a man and a woman, and left to dry under the hot sun.

Once the figures had dried Tupa breathed life into them. The male he named Rupave, father of the people, and the female Sypave, mother of the people.

These first members of the human race he told to go live in peace and multiply.

That done Tupa then had two final forms to bring into being. Good and evil, for without them there can be no right or wrong.

These figures were named Angatupyry for the good and Tua for the evil. Once brought into being they were let loose upon the world.

Rupave and Sypave lived good peaceful lives as Tupa had requested and had many children. Principal among these were their three sons.

These were Tume Arandu who was the wisest of all, Marangatu who was the greatest leader and Japeusa who was a trickster bringing all humankinds negative traits into the world.

His devious ways eventually caused his downfall and for that Japeusa was turned turned into a crab, forced forever to move sideways.

As for Marangatu he had a daughter who was the most beautiful in the world.

Her name was Kerana and word of he beauty reached Tua. Being created as evil to do evil he wanted nothing less than to have Kerana for himself.

To that end he stole her away to be his wife.

That tale is for another day, but for now it is enough to say that the children brought forth by their union were cursed and became the seven monsters of Guarani mythology.

The post The Guarani Creation Myth appeared first on Simons Paraguay.

Doing that was very enjoyable thing to do, and very rewarding.

I left to head back to England after nearly two years in 2004. By then the project was running down and would shortly come to it’s natural conclusion.

Back in England I took time to consider what to do next. Looking around I could see nothing that particularily appealed to me. Two years of freeedom living in South America did not make the prospect of returning to an English office overly exciting.

As it was I stayed in the UK for just three months whilst I decided what to do next.

In the end I chose to return to Paraguay and to see if was going to be possible to build a life there.

By the time I arrived back the school had long gone and all the buildings it had used were being reterned to their original farm yard purposes.

It made sense to me to start my search for a home in the neighbourhood that had housed the school. I had got to know the area and made a number of local friends.

Whilst I took the time to see if my idea was a feasable one I lodged with a local family. That gave me a base and people nearby to asssit me in my quest.

Over the next couple of months I looked at a number of possible properties. Mostly nearby, but a couple a little more distant.

One of my greatest troubles was that no one seemed to have a piece of land avalible that was just big enough for a house and garden. Everything on offer was far larger.

That has now changed as selling large properties as small individual plots is now very much the fashion.

However in the end I did find something that appeared suitable. A plot of land covered with sugarcane only about half a mile from where the school had been.

It represented far more land than I really wanted, but I was convinced to buy it by the cheapness of the land.

Also I saw it’s potential. It was on land the rose gently away from the road and faced a horizon to horizon view of rugged hilltops.

The property covered an area of 8.5 hectres and I dicided I would leave the problem of what to do with all that land for another day.

I am not the only foreigner to come to Paraguay and after being amazed by the apparent cheapness of land ended up buying too much of it.

The actual purchase of the land was simple and straight forwards. Back then I did not yet have a Paraguayan ID card. Using my British passport was sufficient for identification.

Most important of all was making sure that the property deeds to the land were all in order and in the name of the person who was selling it to me. They were, and so the purchase was trouble free.

When buying property here in Paraguay a notary is required to action all the legal processes.

I was told of a good, reliable, and trustworthy one in Piribebuy. She turned out to be all those things and processed the land purchase for me without any trouble and surprises. I have used her several more times over the years and am always happy to suggest people use her as a notary when they require one.

When purchasing properties in Paraguay the usual practice is to have the notary draw up a private contract between the buyer and seller before the legal processes begin. At this point it is normal to pay a deposit to the seller of 5% or 10%.

That done I had nothing more to do than wait for new title deeds to be drawn up in my name.

Doing that only took about a month and so then after paying the balance of the purchase price the land was mine.

Having now bought the land the next item was to get a house built.

With the freedom you have on your land in Paraguay when it comes to building I was able to walk around a little looking for the spot with the best view. Once I had found a view I was happy with I then simply stuck a stick in the ground to mark where the house would be.

Next I had enough sugarcane cleared away for a spot for the house to be built on and a working area around it. Whilst the house was built the rest was cleared. I suspect some would have been taken and sold, but that did not bother me.

As for the house itself. I did not want anything fancy. Just a box divided into rooms that was large enough to never feel cramped.

So simple was the house design that I was able to draw it up myself.

I then hired a team of locals as my builders and after giving them the plan I had drawn they set about house building.

Many of the materials came from nearby, such as the bricks which arrived by ox cart, or as with the rooftiles, direct from the factory. Other items on the whole came from a building suppliers in Piribebuy and were send out bit by bit on the bus. Even bags of cement arrived that way.

The actual build took several months as once the structure of the house was finished the pace at which everyone worked slowed. It did though get finished in the end I was able to move into my new home and look out over my own personal bit of Paraguayan countryside.

It soon though did become clear that 8.5 hectares was far too much for one person. Even after lending out land for cattle grazing or crop fields there was still far more than I could ever get any use from.

Things continued that way for a few years. All along I tried without success to thing I some way I could use and manage it.

Eventually it became clear that the only option was to get rid of some of it buy selling it.

Looking at the shape of the land and thinking of how it would better be shaped what I chose to do in the end was sell off 6 hectares and keep 2.5 hectares for myself. The portion I kept would then be a square block with the house at it’s center distant from any of the fences.

So I put the land up for sale in about 2010 and as is nearly always the case it took a few years before I found a buyer.

That brought me to 2013 and left me with a much more managable 2.5 hectares to live in.

Again I used the notary in Piribebuy I had used when I purchased the land in the first place. One more the process was simple and painless.

The buyer lived far away the other side of the country and I was expecting him to have a holiday home built for use during the summer months. Instead a more simple house was built along with various animal sheds. Then a groundsman was installed to look after everything.

Over the following years I saw the owner no more than two or three times and there was a stready turn over in groundsmen with several new ones being installed and then replaced.

It seems that the whole business was deemed impracticable by 2023. The last groundsman left and the property was put up for sale.

So it is now sitting there abandoned becoming everymore overgrown waiting for a fresh owner to come along.

Therefore if anyone fancies being my neighbour I know where 6 hectares of Paraguayan grassland can be found.

The post Land I bought for my home in Paraguay appeared first on Simons Paraguay.

Located as it is close to the capital Aregua is easily reached on a day trip from there. This can cause it to be crowded on summer weekends. However on a sunny weekday out of season it is a very pleasent and peaceful place to pass a few hours.

The town was originally founded in 1538. From then and for many years after that it remained a very small settlement. Just a few hundred inhabitants living close to the church.

It was not until the late 19th century that the town began to grow in size. It’s proximity to Asuncion made it a destination for tourists seeking to escape the city. Principal amongst those new arrivals were writers and artists.

They gave the Aregua it’s artistic character. Something it maintains through to the present day.

Of all the sights in the town arguably the most impressive is the lake. This lake, Lake Ypacarai is the largest body of water in Paraguay. It is 24 km in length and covers and area of almost 150 square kilometres.

From Aregua the town of San Bernardino is just visable on the far shore.

During the summer it is a popular place for tourists to go boating, one of the few places that can be done in Paraguay, and for fishing.

Swimming though is not advised in the waters of Lake Ypacarai. It is a place best enjoyed from the surface or from a viewpoint.

In Aregua the lakeside has been turned into a park. There is a small enterance fee, but the park is well kept and clean. Well worth the small access charge.

Down by the waterside a wooden pier has been built out into the lake. This gives excellent views out across the water and back towards the town. A small covered area near it’s terminus allows the view of the lake to be enjoyed even when the sun is at it’s strongest.

From the top of the pier you look forwards across the water to San Bernardino in the distance and back to where the water plants blend seamlessly with the grass covered shore. This is the spot to which every visitor to Aregua heads upon arrival.

As for the rest of the park. That is well laid out with paved walkways and green lawns. All around there a seats and benches on which to rest or take in the view. There are also plenty of wooden tables for picnicing upon.

One path follows the shore for a couple of hundred metres. This passes the small boats waiting to take tourists out into the lake and continues on to another viewpoint. From here the lake si shown from a different angle, looking back across the water towards the pier. A small fountain sits at it’s centre. A quieter viewpoint than the pier.

Behind the park and away from the lake sits the town itself. Sloping downhill it is always looking towards the waterside.

A large part of the town is given over to artists. Many produce the colourful ceramics that are for sale throughout the town. These are made from the local clays and on the town’s market stall are avalible in great numbers.

Following the founding of the artist colony in the late 19th centry the art scene in Aregua has flourished.

Aregua is though not just a town of potters. There are a number of painters who also make the town their home.

A walk around the artists quarter is a fasinating one. Seeing the various artists at work, passing by their studios and workshops.

All this gives the town something of a bohiemien feel. Something that is on display in the many cafes located around the town.

Many have been adorned with the works of local artists and with their exterior seating ideal places to sit and watch the world slowly go by.

The refreshments they offer are of a high quality. Hand made Paraguayan staples and freshly ground coffee or freshly squashed fruit juices.

No one should visit a place like Aregua and not take a little time to sit down and take in the atmosphere.

It is also a good place to appreciate architecture. There are many examples of fine colonial architecture to be seen around the town. Most are smartly painted and immaculatly maintained.

Continuing away from the lake the road rises gently towards a hilltop.

Upon this is the church around which the town was originally sited. Back away from the lake but overlooking it from a high view point.

The church is named Our Lady of Candelaria. The current church was first built in 1862 and then restored between 1912 and 1914.

It is a striking building painted in a brilliant white. From the main building rise five spires across it’s front. A high central one with further spires above the secondary doorways and it’s collonaded sides.

A very distinctive building. It and the forecourt that surrounds it are kept spotlessly clean.

The principal festival in Aregua is that of the Virgen de la Candelaria. That falls on 2nd February.

It is not though just for the sights within the town that Aregua is know throughout Paraguay.

Here also are the be found a large number of farms specializing in growing strawberries.

They are grown in great number and when in season can be purchased in small wicker baskets in town and all across the surrounding countryside.

To celebrate the crop Aregua has every August a strawberry festival. The strawberry has become a symbol of the town.

For anyone living in or visiting Paraguay Aregua is somewhere that needs to be visited.

Away from those busy summer weekends it is a relaxing and pretty little town with ample to see and do for a few pleasant hours.

The post Aregua, an artistic lakeside town in Paraguay appeared first on Simons Paraguay.

Whilst individual districts are walkable there can be great distances between them. Transport such as a taxi or a bus is often required to travel from one to another. As such it is useful to know before arriving in the city which districts you wish to visit,

Of all the various areas of the city the two that have the most to offer to a visitor are the old town and the new town.

The old town is the historic centre of the city and new town the districts that make up the modern retail and commercial heart of the city.

Both have their pros and cons. Both as places to visit and as areas of the city in which to be based.

The Old Town

Asuncion old town is wrapped around Asuncion Bay and is where in the 16th century the city was founded.

This is the very heart of Paraguay and for many years was the extent of the city. Bit by bit Asuncion grew and spread but this is where many of the most historic buildings are to be found.

There are many fine colonial era buildings to be found in the old town as well from the time of President Carlos Lopez in the mid 19th century.

These buildings include some of the most important ones in Paraguay such as the Presidential Palace, the Cathedral and the Pantheon de los Heroes.

It is a pleasure to walk the streets around here and just take in the architecture.

Many of the buildings are in a less than pristine state. Gradually however more and more are being renovated and repainted, restoring their former glory.

The main street running through the centre of the old town is Calle Palma. This runs from Plaza Uruguaya to Calle Colon. It is the city’s principal shopping street but has suffered over recent years as more and more businesses have relocated to the modern shopping malls.

This has made Calle Palma a bit empty but recent renovations, such as burying all the previously untidy electric cables, have helped breath a bit of life into it.

Another sight to see in the old town is the Costa Nera, the smart modern boulevard that sweeps around Asuncion Bay. An oasis of quiet just a block or two from the bustling city streets.

All these are very much worth seeing but consideration must be given as to whether this is an area to be staying in.

Tales of the old town being a place where it is dangerous to walk the streets are greatly exaggerated. However caution is needed at night especially away from well lit Calle Palma.

The old town has become mainly a place to visit rather stay in. As such there is aside from the occasional event little in the way of night life. There are a few restaurants such as the Bolsi but not much in the way of bars.

Here exploring the streets by day and then a meal in a hotel restaurant at night is the safest way to enjoy the area.

With much of the trade moving to elsewhere in the city hotels receive less guests. To encourage more visitors to stay they must adjust their prices. Accordingly hotels are cheaper in the old town than in the new.

The New Town

The new town of Asuncion is located about 6 km distant from the old town. It consists of Villa Morra and it’s neighbouring districts.

This is the modern face of the city. Here is to be found the high rise glass and steel that can be seen in any modern city around the world.

In the new town there are a number of modern shopping malls all located within walking distance of each other. Although a taxi may be advisable on a hot summer day.

The largest of these mall is Shopping Mariscal and the newest and most modern Paseo la Galeria. Inside these air conditioned spaces international as well as upmarket Paraguayan brands can be found.

All around the new town there are modern hotels including chains such as Sheraton and Holiday Inn that can be found all across the world. In general the hotels in the new town are modern, upmarket and well maintained.

The district is also just a short drive from the airport making it an ideal first port of call when arriving in Paraguay.

It is an affluent area and so in addition to the shopping malls and hotels there is an abundance of bars and restaurants. Enough for there to be a different experience on offer every night.

There is a much livelier nightlife scene in this part of the city which often goes through until the early hours. Paseo Carmelitas is given over almost entirely to bars and is packed with a local crowd at the weekend.

The new town is considered safe to walk at night. However as with any city a degree of caution is advised.

This part of the city is it’s most upmarket and so also it’s most expensive. It is though a safe area to be staying in and a gentle introduction to Paraguay. There is enough modernity on hand to allow a new arrival to slowly find their feet at their own pace.

The new town though is not the real Paraguay. The one that most of the population live in. As such although all of life’s comforts can be found there is very little in the way of culture on show.

It can be a slightly soulless place and despite it’s buzzing night life a little bland.

A place without a past, but then not everyone wants to spend their days looking round museums.

Conclusion

So then, in conclusion. Where to visit and where to stay?

I would suggest that both the old and new towns should be visited. To experience traditional Paraguay and to see how it is moving forward. The two offer a great contrast.

As for where to stay, for the first time visitor the new town offers a more comfortable base. Air conditioning and a modern skyline.

However for someone who’s reason for visiting is history and culture the old town would place them closer to that side of Paraguay.

I will leave it to you to decide which suits you best.

The post Asuncion, Old Town vs. New Town appeared first on Simons Paraguay.

Before I describe where that is and what it is like I think some background is needed.

When I first came out to Paraguay it was to teach English in a little school that was being set up in the countryside to do just that. It was a voluntary project set up to benefit the local children and not tied to the national education system.

That school was in the rural countryside outside the small town of Piribebuy. Down the dirt track that runs along the Naranjo valley.

The school ran for about 18 months and was a very enjoyable place. Both for those like me who taught there and for the local children who came every day for a couple of hours of English classes.

School is half day here so those with school in the morning came in the afternoon and those with afternoon school in the morning.

Once the project came to it’s natural conclusion I returned to England for a few months. Whilst there I decided to try making a home for myself in Paraguay.

So I returned and for a while lodged with the family whos land the school had been on and looked around for a place for myself.

Knowing the local area and having made many friends while the school had been running I did not want to look elsewhere and set up home where all would be new to me.

As it happened I did soon find some land no more than a kilometre from where the school had been that seemed to be just what I was looking for. Amongst people I knew and with a nice view across the valley.

That then I bought and placed a house upon, but more about that later.

As I mentioned above the town in Paraguay where I live is called Piribebuy.

It is a small country town. Famous for two things, history and tourism. The town has an important place in Paraguayan history. It is tourism though that draws the most visitors.

Piribebuy is in the Cordillera hills which are the nearest upland to the capital. That in itself draws many people as in summer up in the hills it is just that tiny bit cooler.

The area is very picturesque. All around Piribebuy are green fields and tree covered hills that extend right up to edge of town. In amongst those hills run many crystal clear streams that run off the hills starting their journey to the lowlands and the great rivers.

A number of properties with streams running through them have been turned into country parks where visitors can come and bathe for an afternoon or camp on a summer weekend.

Even in Piribebuy the stretch of river running though town has been turned into a park. In summer lock gates are closed and the river backs up to become the town swimming pool.

It is a quiet, peaceful town and the surrounding countryside even more so.

A place to relax, slow down and enjoy all that is best in life.

To reach my home from the town centre it is a 15 km trip past sugarcane plantations and open countryside.

In Paraguay it is just the principal roads that tend to be paved. So my journey from town is 10 km along a paved road and then 5 km along a dirt one.

The Naranjo valley is well known for it’s scenery and draws summer visitors every year. They come to bathe in cool streams, walk in the hills and generally enjoy all that nature has to offer.

Those like me who live here can enjoy such pleasures all year round.

Turning off the paved road onto the dirt there is at first little indication of what lies ahead.

For the first couple of kilometres the track makes it’s way past cattle pastures and the occasional homestead with few views to be seen beyond the endless green of trees and grass.

Then after a few turns the track dives down towards a small river. This these days is crossed by a bridge but when I first came to Paraguay there was just a ford and a steep climb. Almost impossible for something heavy like a bus to make after heavy rains.

Next to the bridge is a small country park waiting for summer visitors to come and barbecue meat and play in the river.

Over the bridge and the road rises up once more. Passing the local school and small family stores selling basic provisions. These little shops are common all across the country and exist to serve the local communities. They do a good trade saving people what in many cases would be a long trip into the nearest town.

Beyond the school the track drops one final time and swings sharply to the left.

Now at last the hills are visible running from horizon to horizon a little way back from the track. These hills are steep, rising straight from the valley bottom. Although mostly coated by a thick layer of trees there are bare rocks to be seen where it is too steep for vegetation to get established.

Amongst the rocks hidden pathways run leading to the summit if the hills. From up there the view is of a land of almost unbroken green as far as the eye can see.

It is these hills I see when I wake every morning from my house on the gently sloping land on the other side of the valley.

The view was what sold the land to me.

When I bought it the ground was covered with sugar cane which needed clearing. I chose a spot raised up high enough to look out upon the hills and not the track and had my house built there.

Choosing the location for the house wisely as I did I am far enough back from the road to hear hardly any of the occasional traffic that passes along it.

All day long it is the sounds of nature not man I hear. The singing of the birds and the chirping of the insects.

Then at night I can sit out on the back porch and look up at a starry sky undisturbed by a single artificial light.

It is truly a fine place to be.

From my YouTube channel I have here a short video that adds a few pictures to the words.

The post Where I make my home in the Paraguayan countryside appeared first on Simons Paraguay.

The answer in the most simple of terms is very pleasant. For anyone who is easy going, flexible and keen to get to know the local way of doing things it can be very rewarding. Even more so for those wishing to be left to live their lives as they choose.

Like everywhere in the world it does have it’s problems and difficulties. Those though are greatly outweighed by the positives of living a life in Paraguay. Every country has it’s own way of doing things and learning them is all part of the relocation experience.

It would be a dull world if everything was done the same way everywhere.

Whilst getting things done can be at times a little frustrating it is worth remembering that problems affect everyone. Locals and foreigners alike. You will soon discover that if you mention them to foreigners who have been here for a while the root of the issue is often nothing more than cultural misunderstandings.

Once that is realised many of them just fade away. Either through an adjustment of thoughts and expectations or through the acceptance that some things are just they way they are and must be worked with rather than against.

A foreigner who accepts a country for what it is lives a far happier life than one who tries to bend it to his will.

So much for the required mind set. What about the practicalities of living in Paraguay?

I live in the countryside and as such my thoughts on the matter reflect a country lifestyle rather than the city one found in Asuncion other cities in Paraguay.

The country lifestyle is more traditional and for me a more rewarding way to live than that found in cities.

Life in the countryside is a more natural one, closer to nature.

Much of the Paraguayan countryside is a never ending blanket of green. Woods, forests and farmland stretching off into the distance as far as the eye can see.

Out here nature is never far away and the quiet of the day is broken only by the sounds of birds and insects, or by the running of a crystal clear stream. Traffic away from the urban centres is very light.

The closest thing to a rush hour you are going to experience is a herd of cattle being moved to pasture blocking the roads for a short while.

Those urban centres are country towns of varying sizes which are scattered all across Paraguay. Even a few miles from a town the land can feel remote and untouched. Unless you are seeking a truly remote of the grid life there is little reason to live beyond easy reach of a little country town.

All towns are equipped with the essentials. Doctors, supermarkets, hardware stores and the like. Every country town is stocked with the basic necessities required for life.

In the countryside the pace of life is much slower, more relaxed. Nothing gets done in a hurry and everyone has time for everyone else. Paraguayans are very friendly, open people and a new comer is soon made to feel part of the community.

The cost of living is also low in the countryside, from the price of properties to the expense of day to day living.

It is of course quite possible to live in the countryside and have a lifestyle that is as costly as one in the city, but to live well there is no need to do so.

Dining out in restaurants every day and constant shopping trips to seek out the best of everything run counter to the whole reason for seeking a rural country life.

This is not a place that buzzes with the vibrancy of a city but instead somewhere full of more low key charms waiting to be discovered.

A nightlife there may not be vast stretches of green countryside waiting to be explored there is.

It is also far from the tourist trails. So local customs and traditions have not been adjusted to fit in with what it is believed tourists would expect. Every festival is by the local population for the local population. Any newcomers are made more than welcome and these are some of the best places to see genuine Paraguayan culture.

As for a home you will soon discover that with a bit of searching almost anything is available. From small Paraguayan houses in either modern or traditional styles right up to large working farms and ranches. It is even quite possible to buy some land and have your own dream house built on it.

You will also find that scattered as the population looks in the countryside you will not be alone. The Paraguayans infinitely patient and helpful. Get to know your neighbours and will soon find yourself part of a community that cares as much for your well being as you care for theirs.

Then in addition to that there are immigrant communities and expat groups all over Paraguay that can provide support and the outsiders view that is sometimes needed.

Paraguay is a rewarding place to be and to live in Paraguay is relatively easy for someone with the right mindset to settle into.

If you have any questions about Paraguay or would like to know more about living here, or about the country in general don’t hesitate to contact me with your queries.

Also if you haven’t already please do take a look at my YouTube channel (also named Simons Paraguay) so that you may see as well as read about Paraguay.

Link below

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLGJr96FQfkxKzbJ5SGSCFg

The post So what is it like to live in Paraguay? appeared first on Simons Paraguay.

In Asuncion I can do a little sightseeing around the city or visit one of the modern shopping malls. Visiting anything even vaguely resembling a shopping mall out in the countryside is just not possible.

So a trip into the big city is something of a treat for me.

This week was my birthday and that seemed like a very good reason for a day out.

With travel to and from Asuncion taking several hours a trip to the city is always a long day. It is also a day that must start very early so as to allow the maximum time there.

I have travelled the route often enough to know how much time to allow for the journey.

Accordingly it was a far earlier start to the day than I would normally make.

Leaving home after a quick cup of coffee I was in Piribebuy by 7.15. Once there I dropped my motorbike off at the petrol station and strolled casually to the bus stop. There was ample time to get there before the 7.30 bus arrived.

My motorbike was quite safe at the petrol station. It would sit there untouched until my return later in the day. Seeing that rain was forecast I made sure to park it somewhere that was covered by a roof. No point in leaving it out in the rain if I did not need to.

Over at the bus stop the Asuncion bus came past pretty much on time. Well, not exactly a bus stop. Instead I just flagged the bus down as it came along the street.

Then I got settled in my seat and was on my way to Asuncion. It is only 80 km but does take a while.

Fortunately with it being mid week the bus was not too crowded. The roads for the most part were also not too crowded. Traffic was fairly light with few hold ups.

This was how the journey was though Caacupe and then down from the hilltops and through the lowland towns of Ypacarai, Itaugua and Capiata. Capiata being the last town before we reached Greater Asuncion from there onwards to traffic started to build.

Onwards then into Greater Asuncion. There as we travelled through San Lorenzo and Fernando de la Mora forward movement often slowed to a crawl. Nothing unusual, that’s just how traffic always is though Greater Asuncion.

I have on many occasions seen it much worse. The last 10 minutes as the bus slowly creeps towards it’s destination are always the longest 10 minutes of the journey.

With traffic out in the countryside flowing well we made Asuncion in good time and after 2 1/2 hours were pulling into the bus terminal.

As I and the only other passenger left on the bus disembarked I was fresh, rested and ready for a day in the city.

Just one more bus ride. Though the bus terminal and into the streets outside and I was soon seated on a local city bus.

That took me directly in about 15 minutes down to the Villa Morra district that was my finally destination.

I had come to Asuncion for a day in the air conditioned delights of a modern shopping mall. I would be spending the day in Shopping Mariscal, the largest of the malls in the area. Just a short walk from my final bus stop.

In the end though I got off the bus a stop early to stretch my legs a little before heading into the shopping mall.

Nothing like this can be found in Piribebuy or any of the nearby towns. So a trip to a shopping mall is always a bit of a treat.

Inside the shopping mall I looked around a few shops and purchased a couple of things before remembering that one of the items I wanted was to be found elsewhere.

That elsewhere was the large department store Feria Asuncion. Three floors of interesting things.

It was only a 10 minute walk away so Headed down there to pick up something I had spotted, but forgot to buy a few months before. That accomplished I headed back to Shopping Mariscal.

By now it was lunch time so my next destination was the large food hall. Plenty of options to choose from and I settled for filling a plate with the offerings of one of the buffet restaurants. A good filling meal and enough to fuel me for the rest of the day.

Once lunch was over I had a relaxing hour wandering from shop to shop looking for anything interesting to add to my list of purchases.

None of the Asuncion malls are huge so that was long enough to see everything. That done I popped out into the street and to the smart supermarket next door.

I had been watching the sky get darker for a while and while I was in the supermarket there was a heavy shower that filled the store with noise. The sound of water beating on a tin roof.

When there is one heavy shower there is always another. So I finished my shopping and then rather than returning to the mall headed to the bus stop to start my journey home.

There was no sense in pushing my luck by staying away longer. It was a 5 minute walk to the bus stop and had it been raining I would have got soaked just catching a bus and had to travel home in wet clothes.

As it was I got back to the bus terminal without incident and jumped on a bus back to Piribebuy just as it was pulling out. The short run across the platform was far preferable to waiting half and hour for the next one.

Travelling through the streets of Asuncion and into it’s suburbs I could see that we were heading east behind the storm. It may not have been raining but there was a lot of water in the streets.

By the time the bus reached San Lorenzo wide rivers of flood water were running down the roads. The water was deep, muddy and fast flowing spilling out in places across the pavements. To save passengers having to swim across to the bus the driver a number of times pulled up onto the pavement to let them board.

All the while I could see dark clouds out in front which we were chasing across Paraguay. For the most part the storm stayed in the distance and we passed though just a couple of light showers.

That was until we reached Caacupe where the driving rain greatly reduced the visibility of the world outside the bus.

Caacupe is the last town before Piribebuy and I was a little concerned that after staying dry all day I might arrive there while the storm was at it’s heaviest.

However I was in for a surprise when I got there. Not only was it not raining but there was far less water in the roads than I had seen in other towns. It appeared that no more than the edge of the storm had been through Piribebuy.

As a result of the weather it was a slower trip back taking a little over 3 hours. However it was still light, which was good.

After picking my motorbike up I then had to travel the final 15 km back to my house and as the last 5 km was along a dirt track I wanted to travel in daylight so as to avoid any muddy ditches the rain had caused.

I found the track to be far less muddy than I was expecting. The bulk of the storm must have gone elsewhere,

Back finally home I checked the time. It was just gone 6 pm.

A day trip to Asuncion is enjoyable but it is always a long day with at least 6 hours spend on buses.

But I had a very good day out and look forward to doing it all again in a few months time.

The post Taking a day trip by bus into Asuncion appeared first on Simons Paraguay.

It is a relaxed and friendly place to be. An easy going lifestyle can be found here. One where in general terms everyone is left to live as they choose so long as that does not cause harm or inconvenience to others.

That said that in common with Paraguay more generally it is not to everyone’s taste. Everything seems to happen more slowly, many things don’t work quite as they should and it is on the whole still quite undeveloped.

However if you can see the charm and character that such things give to a place and are of an adaptable and flexible nature then the Paraguayan countryside may be somewhere that at the very least you investigate.

It is the sort of place that someone who feels the pull of such places would have little trouble settling into.

The local population is almost universally welcoming of outsiders. Those within a few hours travel of Asuncion are used to people from there visiting for extended periods, and there have been for a long time expat communities scattered across the country.

To feel part of the community and to be treated as such by those who have been there for many years is really quite simple. Integrate with the local community,mix with the people take an honest interest in local events.

Then invites to local events will soon come in.

First though before all that you must if you are considering Paraguay ask yourself what sort of person you are or want to be. A city person, a town one or someone of the countryside.

City life offers those luxuries such as shopping malls that cannot be found elsewhere. It is also a place more vibrant and full of life. However it is hardly reflective of Paraguay as a whole. It is far to easy for the likes of safety for example to stay almost entirely in the modern upmarket districts that bare no relation to the vast majority of the country.

A better way to see and appreciate Paraguay is to be in one of the country towns. There are a lot of nice towns within a couple of hours of Asuncion. They are all surrounded by countryside, which they tend to serve. An advantage of being in a country town is that it is possible to live without owning your own transport. Stores will be within walking distance and buses available for heading further afield.

There are through a few downsides to being based in a town.

A couple are, firstly that the open spaces of empty countryside will be nearby while you have neighbours all around.

And secondly care is needed in choosing where in a town to be. Country towns are on the whole safe peaceful places, but every town in the world has it’s better areas. Also as often there is little going on bored teenagers (as they do in similar places everywhere) will be looking for something to do to liven up their lives, and those somethings could be quite loud.

The final option however for somewhere to live in Paraguay should be far more peaceful. The Paraguayan countryside.

There is no reason to live far from a town with most being surrounded by green countryside. Unless the aim is to be living off grid it makes sense to be just a short trip away from a town and it’s stores.

Once out of the towns roads leading off the main paved roads are dirt, so the quality of the road and the likely hood of it becoming impassable in bad weather need to be considered. Life down these dirt tracks has a slower more rural feel about it.

A complete antidote to the rush of modern life.

The houses out here everything from simple one room dwellings to mansions and everything in between, by way of farm houses and summer homes.

Then of course if you were to find the right spot but discover there is no house there it is quite possible to buy the land and have one built. However when considering building I would suggest finding somewhere with a run down house and removing and replacing it. That way connections to both water and electric should already be on the property.

There are many fine areas of countryside in Paraguay. The one that I know best is the Cordillera hills area which contains towns such as Piribebuy and Caacupe.

Other areas such as Villarrica and Aregua amongst others also have a lot to recommend them, but it is Cordillera that I know best.

It is just a couple of hours travel from Asuncion so within easy reach of the capital for those things that can only be done there. I take day trips to Asuncion a few times a year just to see a little city life. It is though always nice to head home away from the city afterwards.

Cordillera is the nearest region of higher ground to Asuncion and it is just a little bit fresher there. It has a landscape of hills and valleys, all of which are pleasing on the eye. It is also where many of the streams and rivers in Western Paraguay start as crystal clear mountain streams. Cool, clear and refreshing.

Properties can be found, more commonly around Piribebuy, with their own private stretch of river. A stream is one of the few places where the heat of summer can truly be escaped.

I myself may not have a river but I open the curtains every morning to look out upon tree covered hills that rise sharply across the valley from my house. Then at night I can sit out behind the house looking up at a star filled sky that does not have to compete against a single artificial light.

And for most of most days I hear like is to be heard in much of the countryside little beyond the sounds of nature.

That nature must be considered as part of the countryside. It is packed with life. This includes insects and spiders of all shapes and sizes as well and larger creatures such lizards and snakes. So if you do have an issue with bugs the Paraguayan countryside might be a challenge for you.

Alternatively though there are also many colourful and exotic birds to be seen every day.

As I hope you have seen in this brief overview the Paraguayan countryside has a lot to offer anyone of the right frame of mind. Someone who wishes for a new life somewhere more peaceful, or as they say in Paraguay “tranquillo”.

If you would like to discover more please do contact me either by leaving a message below, or through the Contacts page on the website.

The post Living a life in the Paraguayan countryside appeared first on Simons Paraguay.