Situated 66km from Asunción stands the market town of Paraguari. In addition to serving as a retail and business hub for the surrounding districts it is also the county town of the department also named Paraguari. Sitting on the main road to Asunción it is idealy placed for the transport of it’s goods to market there.

The town itself sits on the flat lowland savanna lands at the base of nearby hill country. The town is surrounded by hills with such names as Santo Tomás, Hu and M’batovi.

Within the town it the large chuch of St Thomas which is unusual in having twin bell towers sitting apart from the main chuch building. The chuch sits in the center of a large well kept grassy plaza. Reflecting however the main focus of the town it does not lie in it’s center.

This place is taken instead by another plaza much more heavily planted with trees and with a far more hectic mercantile atmosphere. This plaza is circled all day long by a steady stream of traffic and constantly crossed by people going about their business.

One three three sides it is encircled by stores ranging from hardwear and electrical to fashion and stationary. In addition to a couple of cafés from which to watch the world go by.

On the forth side sits the local bus terminal and behind that the towns large market. The market is a constant source of activity as buyers and sellers alike go about their day.

Facing outwards onto the street, on all four sides as the market covers a whole city block, are stalls selling fresh produce such as fruit, vegetables and meat which spill out into the street.

Then once inside the open spaces giveway to a labyrinth of stalls which wind their way through the market and rather than the fresh produce of the exterior tend to be stacked high with clothes and small electricals. One stall often being very similar to it’s neighbour.

In addition to all this activity there is also a restaurant area constantly filled with the smell of freshly cooked food. And also hidden away at the very center of the market a day nursery for the children of the market workers.

All this activity makes Paraguari a more hectic place than many Paraguayan towns but it is only necessary to travel a very short distance from the town center to once more be in the green, tree covered countryside.