Paraguay from every angle
Life, culture, landscapes. All that is Paraguay, and my life hereAlways another sunset in the Paraguayan countryside
One of the many joys of living where I do is the knowledge that unless there is cloud and rain the sunset will be glorious. With rains coming just occasionally that means most days. My home is in the countryside in one of the outlying districts of the little town of...
Atmospheric Phenomenon a solar halo
I was recently treated to a sight unlike I had ever seen before. A rare atmospheric phenomenon called a solar halo. My first inlination that something was going on was when I stepped outside to find a huge black disc just hanging in the air above the house. Anyone who...
Mandioca, the Paraguayan staple
Manihot Esculenta as it is known amongst scientists is a central part of every Paraguayan meal. Here it is known as mandioca or manioc and a dish without a side plate filled with it would be incomplete. In English mandioca is know as cassava and it is a New World root...
Beyond the tarmac the roads in Paraguay turn to earth
Most of the roads between towns and across the country in Paraguay have now been paved. The same is true of the principal roads around the towns and cities, however it does not take long, even in Asunción to find an alternative road surface. Firstly on those roads...
Supermarkets in Paraguay replace traditional stores
When I first arrived in Paraguay supermarkets were a common sight in Asunción but few and far between in the rest of the country. This has changed completely in the years that I have lived here. As I mentioned, years ago when I first came to Paraguay supermarkets were...
Back to school for the children of Paraguay
After the long, long summer holiday it is finally time for the schools to open their doors once more. Locally they actually reopened last Friday, but Monday is a far more sensible day for the children to begin their new school year. As always in Paraguay due to the...
The first cool spell of the year
Whist winter is still several months away and it would be quite an exaggeration to call it cold the weather now is very different from that of just a couple of days ago. Summer here is a long hot season and although it is a time of great pleasure by mid February...
A day in the English school
The days started early in our English school in Naranjo, Piribebuy. At first light a strong bright sun burst into life. If that was not enough to waken everybody in their tents and huts then the sound of the chickens getting going for the day certainly was. Once...
The Cocotero or Coco Paraguayo
The cocotero is the ubiquitous tree of Paraguay. There may be more graceful trees and there may be trees with more edible fruits but it is the tree many think of first when describing Paraguayan trees. No scene or image of Paraguay would be complete without one and...