While Stan and I have not yet fallen in love with Asuncion, we have discovered there is a good bit to like after taking a more in-depth look.
Even though Asuncion has areas that are super cool, ultra-modern, highly commercial, and very rico, Paraguay is a developing country. Some people say it is third world but there seems there is no exact definition for the term. During the Cold War, the term applied to countries that were neither a part of NATO nor communist countries. That definition does not apply today. Today the term third world countries applies more accurately to poor socio-economic situations including lack of basic infrastructure, high poverty, economic and /or political instability, and high mortality rates. From the limited exposure Stan and I have had here, Paraguay unquestionably has issues but is not third world. After overcoming two devasting wars, Paraguay has made great developmental strides and boasts a 94% literacy rate, a growing economy, and one of the most stable currencies in South America. However, low income for the masses, high costs for home ownership, and rampant governmental corruption continue to drag the country down.
All that said, Asuncion is a very safe place to visit . . . at least during daytime hours. Even at night, a person is not likely to be mugged or killed, but it is recommended visitors use UBER at night for safety. Plus, the streets are dark. We’d never be caught on those streets at night. But then again, I’m not sure where in the world we’d be comfortable walking the streets late at night.
Let’s talk about the good stuff. There are beautiful houses in many neighborhoods here, particularly Villa Morra, where we are staying, and each one is surrounded by a wall and gated driveway. Many people have dogs for security. Dogs live at houses across the street from our apartment building. A big one, maybe a German shepherd, was barking incessantly when we first arrived ten days ago. We thought “uggh!” And since we’ve been here, he barks off and on all day. It is quite annoying. Thankfully we are away from the apartment most days and the owners usually bring him at night so no worries about hearing him as we sleep. One day, however, the dog barked and barked and kept barking into the night. He must have been left alone. Our nerves were shredded. As we were preparing for bed, I was busy finishing up in the kitchen and didn’t notice that Stan had grabbed a metal cooking pot and a big heavy knife. The dog was still barking. Suddenly I heard the door to the terrace slide open. Stan leaned over the balcony wall and banged the heck out of that pan with the heavy knife handle. Rapid and very loud DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! I nearly jumped out of my skin, but it also scared that dog!
Silence! Dead silence! Not only from the dog but the entire neighborhood went quiet as well. There was pure silence!
We wondered what the neighbors might have thought but then again, they were probably thankful and relieved as well to have that dog shut up! I couldn’t help myself. I started laughing! I could just picture that dog’s eyes bulging out and his tucked tail when he heard those DINGs! Later, I could hardly get to sleep. I could not stop imagining how that dog must have reacted and what his eyes might have looked like when he heard that noise, and each time I thought of him, I got the “tears-in-the-eyes” giggles all over again.
The pot and the knife stay handy . . . just in case.
Near to us are several fancy shopping malls, like the Paseo La Galeria and Shopping Del Sol Mall, both packed with high-end stores, a fancy supermarket, cinema, food court with all the US fast-food brands and loads of fancy restaurants with indoor and outdoor garden-searing. Lovely!
Before we arrived here, several blogs noted the downside of Asuncion. They said the bus system is non-existent and the selection of food in supermarkets is limited. Not true at all. The city bus system is quite extensive but by no means luxurious. They barrel down the street but will get you anywhere you want to go. A better choice is UBER which is reliable and cheap. A 40-minute ride from the airport cost us 61,300 PYG, or less than 8 US$.
There are plenty of good, white linen-restaurants with steak, gourmet sandwiches, Italian, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, and seafood . . . but the typical Paraguayian food is the real find. It is delicious. One of the most popular dishes is called sopa, or Chipa Guazu. It is not soup. It is a moist, baked cake made from cornmeal, onions, cheese, eggs, and milk, and is served as a side dish. It is scrumptious and better than cornbread!!! And I do love cornbread! A 4-inch square costs less than $1. Paraguayans love soup and Bori-bori is a delicious favorite. Their empanadas are the best we’ve ever had. Here empanadas are baked and contain much more filling than those from other countries. All Paraguayan empanadas include a bit of chopped hardboiled egg mixed in the filing. Choices are carne, pollo, ham and cheese, or choclo (corn filling made with cream-style corn, onion, and cheese). I like the carne empanada best; they are hearty and just right for a snack, breakfast, or light lunch. I’ve had four so far.
A strange coincidence: in our walking tour a few days ago, there were 5 of us in the group . . . a couple from Mexico, a young man – an American living in London, and us. Naturally, we chatted with the other members of the group and learned a little about them. The young man from London speaks four languages, is seeking residency here, and runs his own business as a financial consultant to South American businesses. When we mentioned our adventure in riding the bus to get to the tour, he said he uses UBER exclusively for transportation because it is so cheap. Plus he said he lives a long way from old town. “So do we,” we said. As we went on, we learned bit by bit that we are staying in the Villa Morra area of Asuncion. Not only that but later we learned that we live in the same apartment building and guess what? He is our next-door neighbor. We have a new friend. We had lunch together following our walking tour, had wine together that evening, and visited the botanical garden and zoo together the next day.
Over and over again, we find that life seems to enjoy throwing us an occasional surprise pitch just to keep things interesting. Many of them turn out to be unexpected gifts. Thank you, Lord.
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