I spent most of my time in Asuncion but was always happy and looking forward to travel to the inside Country, even if it was just to close towns like Aregua or San Bernardino…even Luque, that now that they have build a new “autopista” or highway the distances are pretty close.

The lands away from Asuncion are still pretty cheap, and you can buy it in with small payments during 10 years, I bought a land is San Bernardino and just pay less than 50$ a month, the 10 years are almost over and I’m so happy that I did that little investment years ago.

I remember that every time I wanted to see and go around I called some Real Estate agency and they took us on a bus to see lands, those trips were always fun, even if I didn’t buy anything I got to know this unbelievable hidden places even (in distance) very close to Asuncion but nothing alike…

Thanks to these bus trips I really saw very rural towns, lost towns hidden under our noses, where people have to wash their clothes in creeks, where they don’t have electricity, were streets are tiny little alleys or were streets didn’t exist at all, and obviously they all were dirt streets, houses are made of cardboard or wood, and of course there is no bathroom, at least not the kind we know.

I recall that In one of these trips I really wanted to use a bathroom and we stopped at very simple house and I asked them to use their bathroom, she was embarrassed and of course I felt bad about that, she was super nice and apologized and showed me the way, the bathroom was outside, a little room with no door and a hole in the ground.

Then, afterwards they told me they were building their house slowly but they were proud to finally own a land and a own house, they were just married and were super happy…and I was more happy for them because they didn’t relate material things to happiness and were happy knowing that everything they did was with  great effort and sacrifice but at the end all is worthy.

I learned not to take anything for granted and be great full for everything. I’ve also learned that the more simple we keep things the more free we are, and freedom is closer to happiness that it is processions or money.

I still think of Paraguay as the enchanted world…were anything can happen at its own magical way…not good, not bad, simply the Paraguayan way.

Chacarita’s Photo (marginal neighborhood in Downtown Asuncion)

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