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.

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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.

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The summer months here run from December to February. It is no coincidence that the schools have their long summer holiday over those months.

Exactly how hot the summer is and what in the way of storms it brings varies from year to year, but even on a slightly less hot year temperatures will climb from time to time above 40 C.

It is the time of year when much of Paraguay slows to a halt. In addition to all the children being off many professionals take a large parts of January off as a summer holiday. Legal work can be hard to get done at that time of year.

During the summer anyone living in the countryside heads for the cooling waters of a crystal clear stream, or at the very least the shade of a large mango tree.

For city dwellers a weekend at a country park and bathing in it’s stream or river is a must.

Summer is also the time when electricity usage peaks in Paraguay. Air conditioning units run all day and all night. In even the smallest of houses fans turn continuously in an effort to take some of the heat and humidity out of the air.

Although the heat can be as fierce in December as in February summer can be split into three phases.

First from the end of November until Christmas and New Year. This is the time for finishing the school year and putting the final touches to any tasks that need completing before the end of the year. It is a busy time with all the build up to Christmas and New Year as well.

Christmas and New Year are both celebrated at night. A sensible action is such a hot land. There on the patios of houses around Paraguay large barbecues are roasted and many drinks are drunk in celebration.

The Christmas celebrations are for the family whereas New Year is more of a party with groups of friends travelling from house to house and the youngsters often heading out to larger parties in the early hours.

Then once Christmas and New Year are over January is very much the holiday month.

Those that can travel either overseas to the beaches of Brazil and Uruguay or to upmarket Paraguayan resorts such as San Bernardino with it’s lake and night life.

They are however the privileged few as most people either settle for weekends in the countryside, or if already living there seek out a river to bathe in nearby.

I always consider that phase of summer being over after the last of the summer festivals. That is San Blas on the 3rd February. Once that last summer party is over it is time for everyone to head back to work, and for children to think about the approach of the new school year.

This makes February the worst of the summer months. By then the novelty of a bright sun and 40 C of heat has well and truly worn off.

Everyone all across Paraguay waits impatiently for the weather to break and the air to have a slightly more autumnal feel to it.

That always happens at some point during the second half of February. The is no certainty as to when the weather will break. All that is for sure is that by March the heat will be far more pleasant.

This year has been a hot and very dry summer. It remained around 40 C for days on end and the rains didn’t fall. The normal pattern is for the heat to build then every week or two for a storm to freshen the air and bring the temperature down for a couple of days.

However the storms did not come this year. The last was over Christmas. The result was day after day of extreme heat and hot and humid nights.

I spent much of December and January in England and so missed most of the summer. It was though still very hot when I returned to Paraguay in late January.

All the humidity in the air meant it took much longer than normal to adjust from the cold of and English winter to the heat of a Paraguayan summer. It was a couple of weeks before I was fully at ease with all the heat.

Now in mid February is seems that the highest of the temperatures may be over for this year.

A blanket of thick cloud rolled up from Argentina and overnight the temperature dropped 10 C and the humidity vanished.

There are many reasons why Paraguay traps differing amounts of heat from year to year. Global and continental weather patterns are the real drivers. However behind it all the undeniable fact the Paraguay like elsewhere in the world is by incremental steps becoming a hotter place.

The post Summer in Paraguay and it’s eventual end appeared first on Simons Paraguay.

This is a monument to the Paraguayan harp the national instrument of Paraguay.

The statue is made of metal and being positioned along the road leading from the airport to Asuncion city centre is one of the first images of Paraguay many visitors will see.

It was built as both a monument to the country’s national instrument and to pay homage to Felix Perez Cardozo.

Felix Perez Cardozo (1908-1952) was one of the best know harpists and a composer of many pieces of music for it.

The monument itself was made by the artist Junapi Pistilli.

On the day of the installation of the monument a large festival of Paraguayan harp music was held on the lawn in front of it.

The Monument to the Paraguayan Harp has become a popular place to visit and take photos. There is even a stand to hold the phones of those wishing to take a selfie with the harp.

Roots of the Paraguayan Harp can be traced back to the arrival of Christian missionaries with the Spanish.

They sought to bring religion along with some of their European culture to the Guarani of Paraguay.

It was the Franciscans who first noticed the natural musical talents of the Guarani. They taught them an number of instruments to be played alongside the singing of hymns. Of all these it was in the harp that the Guarani found the greatest mastery.

Once the missionaries departed the Guarani did not disguard all they had bought with them. The harp they retained and it soon found a central role in their culture.

To their myths and legends it gave a musical backing. Thus becoming as interwoven with their lives as the tales it’s players told.

The Paraguayan harp had also by this time developed its distinctive look and sound. This makes it a little different from the European harps such as the Irish one from which it is ultimately derived.

A wooden Paraguayan harp stands about 5 feet tall and weighing about 10 pounds is somewhat lighter than a European harp. This makes it easier for it’s owner to carry from one performance to the next.

All Paraguayan harps though are not made equal. In terms of strings a harp may have a few as 32 or as many as 46.

These strings are lightly strung and plucked with the fingernails.

For a long time the sound of the harp resonated solely within Paraguay’s borders. Then between the 1930s and 1950s it broke out beyond Paraguay. During that time a number of professional harpist took the sound of the Paraguayan harp all around the world.

This heightened exposure did not though dilute the cultural significance of the harp. The tunes these performers played remained the ones they had bought with them from Paraguay.

A few of these tunes such as Pajaro Campana and La Missonera have become staples of the harp and are preformed whenever there is a recital.

Most tunes though remain unwritten. These are passed orally from master to student with anyone free to make their own additions.

The great majority of these tunes covers themes of national identity and Paraguayan pride. Accordingly there is often a need for new tunes to be written for subjects as diverse as football teams and politicians.

Styles of music for which Paraguayan harp music is most often written are Polka Paraguayas and Guaranies. Both of which provide music to dance to. The soundtrack to many traditional Paraguayan dances.

For a long time the playing of the harp was very much a male occupation. Even now bands of travelling musicians will almost always be all male.

It was not until the late 20th century that woman took up harp playing. Very different from the image of the female European harpist.

Now though although harp playing remains mostly a male preserve there are a number of women playing harps to the highest standard.

Almost no event from a family gathering to a national festival is complete without a Paraguayan harp and the Paraguayan dancing that often accompanies it.

Being such an important part of Paraguayan culture it is only natural that it has a day given over to it every year. 9th June is the National Day of the Harp.

If you are seeking the true sound of Paraguay you need look no further than that of the Paraguayan harp.

The post Paraguay’s national instrument the Paraguayan Harp appeared first on Simons Paraguay.

Crossing the River Paraguay it is clearly visible from as far away as the Bay of Asuncion. That is a few kilometres downstream. From there it dominates the distant horizon.

The bridge itself is a Cable Stayed bridge. That give it a look not dissimilar to a Suspension bridge, although it works quite differently.

In a cable stayed bridge the cables descend from towers placed along the bridge rather from a cable running the length of the bridge as would be the case with a suspension bridge. The effect of this is that it is the towers themselves rather than anchorings at either end of the bridge that support the weight of the bridge deck.

Coincidentally the particular design chosen with cable radiating out from descending points on the towers is called a Harp. The harp is also the national instrument of Paraguay.

There are a number of reason for choosing a cable stayed bridge over a suspension bridge. One is purely artistic The clean, slim look of a bridge held up by cables fanning out from central towers.

Additionally there are practical reason for selecting a cable stayed bridge. Firstly the design is more suitable for shorter spans where building a suspension bridge would be impracticable.

Furthermore geology may affect the choice of design. Solid rocks are required for the anchoring of the chains of a suspension bridge, but with all the forces being passed down through the towers the quality of rocks on either bank is not an issue.

Construction of the Heroes of the Chaco bridge began in 2020 after the awarding of the contracts to do so in late 2019. The work was then done by two Paraguayan firms.

After the awarding of the contracts in December 2019 the first ground was broken on 12th June 2020. The date upon which the work began was highly symbolic marking the 85th anniversary of the end of the Chaco War.

From there work commenced at a pace with a total work force of 1,500 of whom the maximum working at one time was 900. The bridge was scheduled to open in December 2023 but was completed and open a little ahead the projected date.

To build the bridge 7.4 Km of new road ways needed to be constructed. These included viaducts 1 Km long at either end of the bridge and 450 m of the bridge itself over the River Paraguay.

Viaducts were placed at either end of the bridge to lift it above environmentally important wetland habitats along the banks of the river. In doing so anyone crossing the bridge will be able to pass across these natural areas without impacting them.

The height of the bridge deck is 29 m above the normal level of the river. Originally a slightly lower bridge had been proposed. The raised height will allow unimpeded travel for all shipping along the River Paraguay.

For the bridge deck itself the width is approximately 30 m. This allows for two lanes of traffic in each direction. Furthermore the bridge also has a cycle way and a footpath ensuring that it is accessible to all.

This bridge represents only the 3rd bridge across the River Paraguay in Paraguay. The other two are Ramanso Bridge 8 Km further up stream and Nanawa in Concepcion. As such it will represent a mayor increase in connectivity between Eastern and Western Paraguay and the only crossing in Asuncion itself.

Ramanso Bridge has become highly congested and the addition of another bridge across the river will resolve that issue.

The increased connectivity across Paraguay is also projected to improve connections across the region in general and in doing so benefit both Brazil and Argentina.

Linked by it’s 7.4 Km of roadways to the Paraguayan road network the bridge is just a few Km from Asuncion Old Town at the far end of the Costanera. From there it crosses to the town of Chaco’i on the northern bank of the river. Then from there to the growing towns north of the river and beyond.

The bridge will greatly shorten journey times to and from Asuncion and it has been designed with an anticipated capacity of 10,000 vehicles per day.

This new bridge and a number of other infrastructure projects are aimed at ensuring the continued economic growth of Paraguay. This growth will be both in Asuncion and in the towns across the country that will benefit from increased and faster connectivity.

The recent upgrading of the main East – West route across the country is another example of this policy.

For those though who are in Asuncion without any great need to get anywhere quickly the graceful profile of the Heroes of the Chaco bridge will simply be something of beauty to observe and enjoy.

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