Bye, Bye Brasil... Hello Paraguay !

I am in the city of Encarnation in southern Paraguay having come from Brasil by crossing over the "Friendship Bridge" to Ciudad Del Este in Paraguay. The bridge is also known as a favorite smuggler's route for contraband (knock-offs or fake) goods and the city is regarded as "the Department Store of South America." Big GAP labeled hoodies are popular and electronics are apparently cheap compared to Brasil. There are also more Chinese merchants here and the city even has a plaza called "Chinese Park" including a knock-off pagoda and semi-Chinese bridge. I picked up a "Nike" top for $7 as it is rather cold here in the winter. The main street through Ciudad Del Este is like a huge, chaotic market with noisy traffic crossing the border both ways.

I am finding out that having a Canadian passport is a lot more hassle and costly in South America than other passports like from France it UK. For Paraguay,  Canadians have to get a visa at the consulate and shell out $95 or else be turned back at the border (technically, no one checks at the Friendship Bridge but you will be fined heavily if leave the country by any other route). Having a US and Australia passport is equally difficult as our governments make it difficult and costly for their nationals to enter into our countries. Even worse for Chinese nationals as their passports need to be sent to the capital city which can take several weeks.

As for Encarnation, it has a recently renovated river walkway and beach area and is close to several Jesuit Mission ruins (following their expulsion from South America in 1767). As Paraguay has very few tourist (as it has few major attractions), this is both is good and bad. The good, the ruins hardly has anyone there and you can walk through the church and mission remnants practically alone. Land locked and literally in the heart of South America, it is often by passed. People are friendly and genuinely curious and often greet you as you walk down the street. The bad, there is no real tourist infrastructure and you have to take local buses or taxis to each of these places which can take time as evidenced by my bus breaking down today. You can not go to most of the national parks without a car and you will have to arrange a tour but I have yet to see a tour company. There is often only Spanish in signs and most people here do not speak English.

I like Paraguay so far. It has the distinction of being the first independent country in South America in May 1811 when it separated from the Spanish Empire without shedding any blood. Unfortunately, Paraguay has also gone through a series of dictators including the longest running dictatorship in South America from 1954 to 1989 with General Alfredo Stroesssner's rule.

On a positive note, there has been an enclave of Arabic immigrants in Encarnation so that means some great, cheap street food with a local twist.

Essentially, a Swarma  or stripes of roasted chicken or beef wrapped in a pita bread with tomatoes, cabbage and mayonnaise (yes !) and then put in a clam shell to grill the outside. Delicious, especially when you add sarachi sauce. The Paraguayans also like to eat chippa, a sort of crunchy, semi-sweet roll roasted over a fire pit. The locals also drink lots and lots of mate tea and you will often see many locals carrying a themos and insulated cup with a straw and full of tea leaves.

Off to sleep for me, another chilly night.