We reach the Paraguay immigration, I hand him my passport and he's shaking his head and saying something I don't understand and probably don't want to hear, in Spanish.

He calls an English speaking officer over and he confirms what I fear ... Australians DO need a visa as a pre-requisite for visiting Paraguay! Doh!

Two other Australian girls also don't have it ... (Those on English passports don't need it). 

I ask him has it changed recently as I'm sure I checked and it was available on arrival? He agrees with me making me feel a bit better!

He scratches his head and flicks through our passports.  He questions us and confirms it's only 3 of us without Visas and how long we'll be staying for?

Just 2 days we tell him, then back to Brazil via Ponta Pora.

Finally he says it's fine and it will be $50 USD ... Phew!

Others are annoyed as went to a bit of trouble to ensure they had one for the trip!

I read my lonely planet and trip notes and both say Australians need Visas!  How did I miss this? First stuff up in 2 months and easily overcome so all good :0)

The border town of Cidudad Del Este seems to be just a shopping mecca.

Although my Spanish is not great, I'm relieved to be able to make some conversation and understanding with the people in the shops.

Cameras are VERY cheap!  All that I look at are about $100 AUD each and someone else saw the Olympus underwater model for $130 before bargaining!

I still couldn't get an original iPhone charger (the knock off doesn't work on 110v).

But at least they seem to sell iPhones in Uruguay!  I couldn't find them in the stores in Brazil, but just about every one of Luci's friends had one!!!

I didn't want to put anymore weight in my already too heavy pack so just browsed the stores with no intent to buy.

Whilst filling in time waiting for the group to meet back up, I try on a couple of pairs of sandals ... A black pair fit nice so I ask if the price on them '50' is in US?  Thinking they're a bit exxy! No they're $50 Guarani ... 'Whats that in US?'.

$11!  I'll take them!

Wow! Thought buying my Havianas in Brazil that are $30-$40 AUD in Aus were a bargain at about $10, but this was super cheap!

We met back up with the group and ended up having to get cabs to the bus station to make our bus to Asuncion in time!

At Asuncion we go for dinner at yet another Churasco Rodizio ... I need something different!!!

Then can't find an Irish pub when it's St Pats day - even though every town I've been to in South America has had one so far!!!

We instead find a place near the hotel and stay for a few hours. I leave when they move to the karaoke room!

Next day I do a city tour of Asuncion for 4 hours, cave and have Burger King for lunch for some variety!

Try to take money out in USD again to no avail (needed it to pay people back for visa and city tour as both required USD).

I get as much local currency as I can instead ... Always try to get heaps as there's a local fee for using ATM as well as one from home bank (usually $10 AUD total!).

I take my 1.5million Paraguay Guaranis straight to the Cambio to change to USD instead ...

I work out what I should get back, put 2 of the $100,000 notes away for later then quickly count 13 in my hand and pass them to the man.

He asks for my passport which i give him a copy, and then tells me, 'Doce'.

Huh? I gave him trece ... thirteen!!!  

Confused I check it wasnt still in my purse or caught up somewhere?

I check his table and he hasn't dropped it? I check on the ground ... 

Did I drop it getting it out if the teller?

I show him the receipt that I've only just got 15 of those notes out and he just shakes his head ...

It then dawns on me that nooo! Although very quickly, I DID count 13 notes before giving them to him ...

He's ripped me off!

Of course there's nothing I can do?! He'll deny it ... And I dint have a leg to stand on!

I work out it's only about $23 AUD equivalent ... Grrr!  

Not the end of the earth but it's the principle ... He probably does it all the time!

Alas I leave there wiser, knowing in future to count and confirm the money I have with the Cambio guy BEFORE sliding it through the hole under the glass window :-(

A quieter evening with dinner, and only a couple of drinks at the bar we went to the night before.

Final day we leave our hotel then board a midday bus to border town, Ponta Pora, 7 hours away.

The buses air conditioning stops after a couple of hours, but at least the windows open.  

The whole way we stop to pick up people who walk down the aisles trying to sell us food and gadgets.  And just to make it even more crowded, we pick up extra passengers who are left to stand in the  aisle!  

We stop to let people off and have children yelling at our windows trying to sell us items. 

As we drive we see from our windows make shift shelters covered with black plastic in which the poor homeless locals live. The heat inside must be extraordinary as it's over 30 degrees outside and very humid.

It's seeing people living like this that makes you really appreciate how lucky you are to have been born into a country with a healthy economy, and a decent health and welfare system ... But there's still so much to learn from these people about things that having money makes us no longer appreciate.

And THAT is what I love about travelling & why I think it's important to get a regular fix :0)