Central Cuidad del Este is mess, a slum, and a marked difference from the capital, Asuncion and beachy Encarnacion. Construction is everywhere. Sidewalks and streets just start and end for no apparent reason as if the installers installed only where there was shade. I arrived around 4 PM and the entire tax free black market area I wanted to witness first hand was closed, the stalls shuttered or empty, garbage trucks moving the remaining waste behind street cre...

The Jesuit Missions for the Guaranies is the least visited UNESCO World Heritage site on the planet. There was only one other couple when I visited which is unfortunate because they showcase the Catholic Church's penetration into the jungles of Paraguay and northern Argentina and their penetration into the lives of the native Guarani people. The missions carved out the jungles and housed entire Guarani villages, training their people in European handicrafts, cu...

Ivan Burger I wanted to go to a fish restaurant recommended by the hotel for their Paraguayan fish dishes but after wandering the streets of Encarnacion I realized they were closed so I ended of at Evans burgers to try Lomitos Arabea, Paraguays take on the Doner kebab. A Lomito is similar in build to a hamburger but rather than ground beef the sandwich is full of grill chunks of tenderloin. The Arabea swaps the bun for flat bread. Oddly the only two restauran...

Located on Lomos Valantinas between e/Wiessen and Cerro Cora streets, the Terwindt Hotel is modern and clean. The folks behind the reception desk speak very little English or none at all but are friendly and reflect the beachy tranquil vibe that is Encarnacion. It is less than 500 meters to the beach and about the same to the bus station. Rooms were super clean. Single rooms were $44 a night with tax. There is a pool. The included continental breakfast was ...

Ok, twenty three days of pimsleur speak and read essential Spanish is not enough. Maybe there is reason the course takes 90 days? At the bus station ticket counter I stepped up to take the three o'clock bus to Encarnacion. So confident in my Spanish I wondered why I needed to repeat my name so many times. I bought three tickets. Full bus but that white guy could really spread out.