You cannot get any closer to the central shopping district of Ciudad del Este. It is in the middle of all the action, on the same block as the Mona Lisa department store and if that is your thing then it is the perfect spot. The downside is that the streets empty in the evening and there are zero dinner options, and you certainly will be awoken at 6 AM as the market sets up for a day of shopping and selling. The best part of the Hotel San Rafael is that it is ...

Ok, nevertheless, in every travel guidebook the topic of footwear is covered, "take comfortable shoes that you know", and as a somewhat seasoned traveler, I heeded those warnings and brought the same brown air soled loafers that carried me through Ireland, Portugal and China, and the same Rider brand flip flops from Brazil that were a blessing in the heat of Southeast Asia. However, this time I also brought a brand new pair of unworn Penguin brand sneakers that ...

The road from Encarnacion to Cuidad del Este Entering the Encarnacion bus station I was inundated with folks wanting to broker me a ticket. I am not sure if the 60,000 guarani I paid was the standard rate but the bus was leaving as I was paying. Hoping onto a moving bus with a backpack and flip flops takes focus. The bus was not nearly as nice as the 65,000 Guarani bus from Asuncion, possibly foreshadowing the difference between Asuncion and Encarnacion, from...

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...