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 cheap (less than $30) and the non-English speaking folks behind the reception desk were super helpful; they did arrange a taxi across border.

The rooms were sparse but functional in there was a bed, a mini fridge and a bathroom. The soft bed cradled me like a hammock once I avoided the broken spring poking through. A small cockroach kept me company. I called him Jackson. Jackson seemed content until he brushed too close to my foot and had to be put down. The next morning I did not have the included buffet breakfast but it was there. I was still in mourning for Jackson.