Asunción
Here I am in another country, Paraguay. After a few weeks in the high mountains of Argentina where the climate is cold and semi-desertic, exploring and discovering a new country with average temperatures in excess of 20 degrees, relatively flat terrain and where everything is green and lush is a huge change. The Paraguayan people are friendly and welcoming, and many of them speak Spanish and/or Guarani.
The country has two official languages, one of which is an indigenous language. In fact, Guarani is the mother tongue of over 85% of the population, who numbers just under 7 million. Paraguay is one of only two landlocked countries in South America, along with Bolivia.
In retrospect, I liked Paraguay, but I have to admit that, although everything is pretty, most of the tourist spots aren't super impressive. Despite this, I spent almost two and a half months there. I wasn't always on the move or in tour mode... I spent a week in the capital Asunción, a week in the Chaco and even two weeks in Concepción doing nothing and relaxing.
The first stop on my tour of Paraguay was its capital Asunción. Relatively small, the city has around 460,000 inhabitants. Including the outskirts, this number rises to almost 3.6 million. For me, it's an interesting capital, but with very little charm. There is some colonial architecture in the city centre, but nothing breathtaking. A day was enough for me to see it all.
The Panteón de los Héroes, also known as the Oratorio de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción is a mausoleum housing some of the great figures in Paraguayan history.
Museo del Barro in Asunción.
A variety of works in this very interesting museum.
