My perception about Paraguay
There is certainly sooo much to tell about my month in Paraguay and my rush trip back (before planned) to the US.
So much has changed in Paraguay since I last was there (2006), prices have risen in an impressive way, a taxi that used to cost me 30.000 gs (6usd) from downtown to my home around 9kms now it costs around 45.000gs (9usd), food, clothing, gas, everything is so much more expensive now.
I wonder how people can actually live there with the minimum wage if everything is gone so expensive lately, in the big picture it is still cheap if you come from Europe or US but for locals its hardly affordable, obviously they don’t take a taxi or eat in a decent restaurant if the only perceive the minimum salary.
I also noticed that there are a lot of new coffee places where a extravagante coffee could cost up to 3$ (15.000gs), small malls, very fancy stores, lots of new pubs and bars in nice neighbor hoods, the new part is very modern, fancy and elegant contrary to downtown that is sadly run down, it is ghost town with still a lot of personality.
I particularly don’t like the “beautiful part” the new part, it is too artificial, too fancy, with the only purpose to delight the senses and no particular history behind those places…too flashy, too bright, too colorful, too too too much for me…well, maybe I’m a weird person but that is my perception.
Another interesting thing is that I felt safer than the other times I went there, it is a strange feeling or you feel it or you don’t but I wasn’t afraid even in the none recommendable places where I went to take some pictures…obviously I’m not recommending outrageous things or adventures, I guess I know my way around but it is always wise to be careful in some places.
My biggest perception of all was that Paraguay is not only Asuncion. Paraguay beyond it’s capital and other main cities has an own halo of pure nature, art, music, habits, uses, mythology, history, traditions, language and soul. Paraguay has a strong national ethos that hasn’t changed much thru the years and I love that about this country.
I’m back to the US since saturday…I will be writing more about my experience in Paraguay, the things I did in this short time and the great people I’ve met.
