In addition further material is to be found on YouTube. Also under the name SimonsParaguay (link below). There I set out to show as well as describe the land.

Amongst subjects you will find there are the landscape in which I live, my travels and city life in Asuncion. A good mixture that I hope includes something for everyone.

As with the items on the website I do my best to keep everything both interesting and entertaining. No formal lectures or lists of statistics. Just sights and sounds that I enjoy and hope that you will also.

For anyone wanting to know a little more about Paraguay and to see some of the less visited sites I strongly recommend looking through what I have published on YouTube

I can give a long of details and insights here in the articles I publish, but being able to see what I am describing does add a little something extra.

So with that said please do click on the link below and subscribe to my YouTube channel

Simon

https://www.youtube.com/@simonsparaguay

The post SimonsParaguay is also available on YouTube appeared first on Simons Paraguay.

It is something I like to do to help people who are thinking of moving to Paraguay. Sometimes they come out to visit me in Piribebuy and sometimes I travel into Asuncion.

On this occasion I caught to bus and travelled into the capital.

As the temperature was up around 40 and there is no air conditioning on the buses the fairest thing to do. I have made the journey many times and for me it is no hardship.

The person I met up with I shall call Brian. Partly out of vanity (it is my tale after all), and partly because everyone deserves a little anonymity.

So then what was it that made it an interesting day?

For me most trips into Asuncion turn up something memorable.

A trip into Asuncion is always a long day with an early start. This time I was up before it got light and after a quick cup of coffee out of the door by 6.30 AM.

Then on my motorbike I rode the 30 minutes into Piribebuy. At that time of the morning the air was fresh and the weather just about perfect. Added to which that as always there was very little traffic around.

In Piribebuy I parkred up on the petrol garage forecourt. A standard thing to do in Paraguay. Free parking and vehicles in a secure place where they are visable to people working in the garage all day.

From there a nice brisk stroll across town to the bus stop. I did not have to wait long and by 7.30 was seated on my first bus of the day and heading towards Asuncion.

It is only an 80 km journey but always takes a while. On this occasion once we approached Asuncion there was plenty of traffic about and all the way along there had been regular stops for passengers getting on and off the bus.

The end result of that was that it took me 3 hours to reach Asuncion. About half and hour longer than the average. I was fine though, had been there a thousand times. Just got myself comfortable, relaxed and watched the scenery slowly pass by.

Buses arrive in the main bus terminal in Asuncion. Just outside it city buses stop ferrrying their passengers to all points in the city.

I was very lucky in that when I approached the bus stop I could see that one heading to where I wanted to go was sitting there about to leave. So I hopped on before it had a chance to do that and was soon once more on my way.

Having arranged to meet Brian in the Old Town I had caught a bus that was going that way. It is a few kilometres from the bus terminal to the Old Town and as the bus has to wind it’s way along the streets of Asuncion and through the main market that takes a while.

As such by the time I had got over to the Old Town and walked across to the cafe where Brain was waiting it was 11 am. I had left home at 6.30 and was only just arriving at my destination to start my day.

The fruit juice and snack I found waiting for me when I did finally get there and meet up with Brian were very welcome.

It had been getting hotter and hotter during the morning so and hour’s relaxing chat and the chance to sit and answer questions in a smart air conditioned cafe were just what I needed to relax and cool down.

Like always when I meet up with someone the questions cover all manner of topics. I enjoy the chance to share some of what I have learnt over the years with people to whom it is useful. There are limits as to what can be learnt about Paraguay by yourself, so always of benefit to have someone there on the ground to answer questions and fill in all the blanks.

There was no point in staying in the cafe all afternoon, however cool it was in there. A little bit of the city at least needed to be seen and experienced. It may have been 40 degrees but there is no excuse for no doing at least a little sightseeing.

So I took Brian down to Asuncion Bay (pointing out historical buildings as we went) and to the smart Costanera boulevard that runs along it. There is minimal shade down there so at the first exit from it back into the Old Town I took Brain back towards the bustle of Calle Palma.

Although well past it’s glory days Calle Palma is well worth a stroll along. It is the main thoroughfare and principal shopping street of Old Town Asuncion.

Time was moving along a little now so we headed into another cafe for cool refreshments before contemplating onward journeys.

Where Brian was staying I noticed was somewhere that my bus back to Piribebuy was going to pass. So I suggested that so as to experience bus travel in Paraguay he travel along with me as far as his lodgings.

A very sensible suggestion at it would also save him the trouble of trying to find his way across Asuncion.

That being decided once we were refreshed we headed up to the stop from where city buses back to the bus terminal could be caught.

As it happend, approaching the bus stop I saw that a suitable bus was sitting there just about to leave. No point though in running to catch it as another was bound to be along shortly.

That turned out to be a little optimistic. We both stood there for 20 minutes watching endless buses go past heading everywhere but the bus terminal. Many of those in duplicate.

Then finally I spotted a bus approaching that was going the right way. Even better than that was that the bus behind it looked also to be going to the bus terminal. Nothing for ages, then two at once.

The driver did not however look very keen on stopping. I had to run along side it waving my arms about to get his attention enough to slow him down just a little.

He was not going to stop so I jumped up onto the still moving bus and with one fluid movement swung myself up into the bus and presented my bus pass to the ticket reader.

It was only once I had paid and stepped forward to find a seat that I was able look over my shoulder and see that Brian was not behind me.

With the aid of the internet I discovered that he had caught the following bus and that that did indeed seem to be also travelling towards the bus terminal.

With a few more messages I described a some landmarks he would pass and where he needed to get off the bus. Then I could do nothing more than hope that everything would work out fine and we would meet in the bus terminal.

Fortuanatly that is exactly what happened and a few minutes after I arrived we met up once more.

Next task was to show how the bus terminal worked and to catch a bus together in the direction of Piribebuy. A seemingly easy thing to arrange.

However the Paraguayan transport system once more worked against us. A bus should leave for Piribebuy about every 20 to 30 minutes, but after 45 minutes there was still no sign of one, and time was starting to get a little late.

A decision had to be made.

Rather than waiting any longer for a Piribebuy bus that may or may not ever appeared I got us onto one heading to Caacupe. That would get Brian back to his lodgings and take me to within one town of where I needed to be. From there I would find something to take me the rest of the way.

So it was that after first heading to a bus stop at 3 pm we were now at 5 pm finally pulling out of Asuncion.

Everything though does sort itself out in the end and after a 20 minute ride I got Brian to within a short walk of where he was staying and I was finally on my way home. Sort of.

About another 10 minutes down the road I did spot a Piribebuy bus heading towards the bus terminal. Taking a bus to Caacupe was the right choice as it would have been a long wait for the Piribebuy bus to arrive in Asuncion and turn around.

The temperature was still somewhere up around 40 but the old bus I was on was not overly crowded. What it was though was slow. It really crept along the road in no hurry to go anywhere. But I was heading the right way and that was all that mattered.

Following a slow and leisurely journey it was gone 7 pm by the time I reached Caacupe. The sun was starting to go down. My one concern as I travelled along was that if I was not in Caacupe before dark I would have trouble finding onwards transport.

Being thankfully still light I descended from the bus in Caacupe and looked around for a taxi. There were none. One more small issue to overcome.

What I did spot were a couple of motorbike taxis. One of them would be enough to get me back to Piribebuy.

I spoke to a driver, agreed a price and off I headed.

It was a much more powerful bike than mine and as we blasted along the motorway from Caacupe and then down the road to Piribebuy the wind tore though my hair. After a very hot day all rather refreshing.

And I had managed to overcome all the obstacles and get back to Piribebuy.

Once we had pulled up onto the garage forecourt I thanked him for the ride and pointed out the little bike I would be making the rest of my journey home on.

Back in town as I was I quckly popped in the supermarket for some snacks to eat when I finally got home and then started the very last leg of my journey.

By the time I pulled up at home it was dark and checking the time saw it was now 8.30 pm. A very full day out.

It had taken 14 hours to go to and from a city that is just 95 km away. Always quite an adventure but something I have done so many times I do it these days without giving doing so a second thought.

There will at some point be a repeat and anyone who wishes any assistance with anything related to Paraguay or to have me answer all their questions need only get in touch.

The post Talking about Paraguay leaves many memories to talk about appeared first on Simons Paraguay.

There are many sights to see in the countryside and visiting them can both make for enjoyable days out and be a bit of an adventure.

Apart from for a few of the major sites there will be most likely to be no mentions in travel guides and almost certainly no literature. Any form of signage is also most unlikely. So almost anything can turn into a voyage of discovery.

The lack of tourist infrastructure does also mean that away from summer weekends places are deserted. All the more rewarding for those who make the effort to find them.

Almost everywhere in Paraguay has things that are a well worth a visit. On this trip though I travelled just to the towns of Caacupe and Piribebuy. Places that I know very well, but where even after 20 years I have been able to discover new attractions.

The town of Caacupe is the largest town in the Cordillera Hills area and a couple of hours travel from Asuncion.

It is best know as a religious centre but there is plenty more to it than that.

There many places to eat in town and being a regional centre it also has plenty of retail offerings.

The town is surrounded by countryside which is thickly coated in green. From any high point in Caacupe the ring of hills that surround the town is visable.

Caacupe sits in the middle of an old extinct volcanic caldera. Head out in any direction from the centre and you will find hills.

The best know of these is Cerro Cristo Rey (Christ the King Hill) which sits at the enterance to Caccupe.

The climb to it’s summit is fairly easy with just a few rocks to clamber over at the top. On the very top there are the ruins of a tiny chapel and from there a good view over the town and countryside.

A path winds it way up the hill and lacking any sort of fencing care needs to be taken by anyone climbing the hill as to where they are stepping.

That was not though the hill I intended climbing as I had found a more obscure one of the other side of town.

That hill was named rather unimaginatively Cerro Antenna ( Antenna Hill). Large antennas on top of the hill rather than anything historic have given this hill it’s name.

I found the base of the hill to be just a few hundred metres from the main road, so easliy accessable. Of course there was no signage of any type anywhere to be seen. I could though see the antennas and so knew I was in the right place.

This hill is not accended by a winding path, instead there is a metal stairway up it’s side. A steep stairway that is not far short of being a ladder.

The stairway heads straight up and apart from a small platform halfway up the climb is relentless. Certainly quite a stiff climb.

When I reached the summit (a little short of breath) a man appeared from amongst the bushes. It turned out he was the keeper of the antennas. As such he has to climb the hill every day.

He directed me passed the antennas to a viewpoint that I eventually found after pushing through bushes.

The viewpoint was a rock ledge that stuck out from the hilltop giving a panoramic over the surrounding countryside. Quite a view from up there.

Then it was back down the hill. The steepness of the stairway was visable in the way that looking from the top it disappeared from view after just a few steps.

Once I got back to the base of the hill I headed into Caacupe for lunch.

I was ready for lunch by then and had no trouble finding some good quality and inexpensive food.

Once refreshed I headed over to Piribebuy for the second half of the day.

Piribebuy is a pretty little country town. It is a clean and peaceful place which being a resort town is well used to the needs of visitors.

It is also a historic town. During the Triple Alliance War in the late 19th century it was for a while the capital of Paraguay and was the site of one of the last battles of the war.

The main attraction of Piribebuy is the countryside that surrounds it. Here there are hills for walking in and clear cool upland streams.

I was staying though in town looking for something I had never previously visited, and had only recently discovered existed.

Through the town flows the River Piribebuy. There is a dam across it in the town centre which when closed forms a lake that is the town swimming pool. I had heard that a little way upstream there were the remains of an older dam.

This older dam I discovered was a few hundred metres upstream on the edge of the town.

Climbing down a sandy path that wound it’s way through the undergrowth I found the dam. Or the ruins of it.

It turned out to be a solid structure a couple of metres high and about fifty centimetres deep. A large section of the central wall however was missing.

The dam I found had been built in 1942 and protected the town from flooding until the 1980s when it was washed away in a storm. That must have been quite a storm to have torn the dam down.

Now this historic site sits largely forgotten. Other than local families who know it is a quite spot to bathe in the river on a summer weekend it is largely abandoned.

A very nice secret spot in Piribebuy. The dam is worth seeing and in front of it the river winds it’s way into town between large flat rocks and small beaches.

There are places like this to be found all over Paraguay. They are the rewards for anyone who is prepared to do the work necessary to discover them.

Almost always the visitor will have these places to themselves. No tour groups, no noise, just the peace and quiet of the Paragauyan countryside.

Paraguay is a land that is bountyfull for the adventurous traveller. It has much to give anyone who is prepared to look beyond the tourist trail and who wishes to feel like they are the first person to discover some new hidden gem.

The post A day trip in the Paraguayan countryside appeared first on Simons Paraguay.

As outside urban centres the the service is provided via phone masts allowances must be made for the large country areas which are still on the whole mostly uninhabited. In those places the setting up of the required masts to provide a service would be impractical and would detract from the vast green vistas the countryside offers.

Elsewhere you should with the right service provider be able to connect with the internet and navigate the web with ease.

Much of the network has now been upgraded to 4G but there are places where only 2G or 3G connections are avalible. As of time of writing there is no 5G internet in Paraguay.

There are three local service providers to choose from. Claro, Personal and Tigo. Each has it’s pros and cons depending upon where you are located and what you require from the connection.

SIM cards are readily avalible across the country and can either be pre-paid, pay as you go or post-paid, contract SIM cards. Again depending upon requirements.

In Paraguay SIMs are called Chips.

A pre-paid SIM card is easily obtainable from either the offices of one of the phone companies or from any one of the multitude of convenience stores found along every street in Paraguay.

Stores display posters advertising phone companies and so are easy to spot. Some of the smaller ones will only have facilities to load credit onto SIM cards, but the owner will direct you to the neaest store selling SIM cards.

These cards can be purchased quickly with just a passport as ID.

Any store displaying an poster for an internet provider will be able to load up addtional credit onto a pre paid SIM card.

If arriving by air you will probably be unable to purchase a SIM card in the airport. Instead you will have to use WIFI connection until you are in the city and able to get to a local store.

I have heard that WIFI can be at best patchy in the airport. Therefore if you do need to connect to for example book a taxi from Bolt or Uber have a coffee in the airport cafe and use their free WIFI.

The alternative to a pre-paid SIM is a post-paid one. These are cheaper in the long run but more complicated to purchase and will lock you in with a provider for an extended period of time.

Purchasing a post-paid SIM is best done with a Paraguayan ID card but can be done with a passport. The application will however take longer and be more complicated.

The principal reason for this is that post-paid SIMs are sold on contracts of a year or more. So some sort of proof of address is going to be required.

Additionally once taken out a contract can be very hard to cancel without sizeable fees.

After deciding which type of SIM is best the next choice to make is which provider.

Personal very much focus on the urban centres of the towns and cities. There is often little or no connection out in the countryside.

For pre-paid SIMs they do work out most expensive. However being city focused they do offer fibre optic cables in urban areas.

Outside the towns Claro and Tigo are both viable options. In many places their areas of coverage overlap, but not everywhere. So if you are going to be based in the countryside check first which offers the best connection locally.

In areas where either would be useable it is generally considered that Claro has the most stable connection and Tigo the widest area of coverage.

For further research these are the links to each of their websites.

Personal-

https://www.personal.com.py

Claro-

https://www.claro.com.py/personas

Tigo-

https://www.tigo.com.py

Below is a comparison of the various packages each offers.

The figures are correct as of Jan 2025 and costs converted at a rate of $1 to Gs8,000.

All post-paid rates are for monthly contracts

Personal

Pre paid

1G for Gs6,000 ($0.75) valid for 1 day to 2.5G for Gs15,000 ($1.90) for 3 days

Post paid

6G for Gs60,000 ($7.50), 18G for Gs120,000 ($15), 60G for Gs200,000 ($25)

Fibre optic

200mbs Gs140,000 ($17.50), 400mbs Gs250,000 ($31.25)

Claro

Pre paid

1G for Gs10,000 ($1.25) valid for 2 days to 4G for Gs50,000 ($6.25) for 15 days

Post paid

7G for Gs60,000 ($7.50), 25G Gs120,000 ($15), 100G Gs300,000 ($37.50)

Tigo

Pre paid

2G for Gs6,000 ($0.75) valid for 1 day to 5G for Gs26,000 ($3.25) for 8 days

Post paid

20G for Gs100,000 ($12.50), 50G Gs 150,000 ($18.75), 150G Gs250,000 ($31.25)

Once you have your local SIM purchased and activated you should be able to navigate the internet with ease across Paraguay.

This with the constraints of being a blog post is in places fairly general so please to contact me directly using the connection below for any more detailed infomation

The post Mobile phone and internet services in Paraguay appeared first on Simons Paraguay.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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