Asuncion to Filadelfia

I found I like Asuncion. I only really experienced a small part of the city, what I could walk from the hotels. The center of town, where I stayed, has retained a handful of old buildings however it is truly a mix of eras and architecture, nothing exceptional.

I did locate a copy of the movie “The Mission” and I noticed in the credits that the settings for old Asuncion were filmed in Cartagena, Colombia. I was planning on taking a city tour to get a more complete feel for the place but it never worked out. In fact the tour company never called me back and the hotel couldn’t get them on the phone either.

I left Asuncion one early day since I wasn’t able to arrange the tour. For some reason I feel I’ll be back there because it is definitely a city I’d like to explore more. Driving out of town I crossed the Paraguay River and took a picture looking over the bay towards the city. It was a very pleasant morning, not very hot or humid and I drove without the a/c until around 11:30. My goal was to reach Filadelfia about 400+ kms to the northwest of Asuncion on the Ruta 9 heading to Bolivia.

Even though the countryside across southwestern Paraguay (from Puerto Iguazu to Asuncion) was heavily agricultural it felt very densely populated. There were little ranches or huts alongside the road and there was always activity in the form of other cars or people walking alongside the road. Today’s drive was notably lacking in fellow travelers. I saw more people on horseback than in cars. And what other vehicles I saw were mostly trucks or the occasional bus. The bulk of the terrain was simply flat grazing land for cattle or sheep.

As I approached Filadelfia more organized farming appeared. I saw large ranches along the highway and started to think that Filadelfia must be a large city. I turned off the Ruta 9 for th 15 km drive to Filadelfia. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I had heard these were the lands Mennonites had settled.

Expect for the occasional panic inducing pot hole (a foot deep and two feet wide is not uncommon) the Ruta 9 and the road to Filadelfia were both well paved. I could see a monument announcing the city from a distance but it was shrouded in dust. As I approached I saw a modern sculpture incorporating a leaning cross in the center of a round-a-bout that was indeed in a fog of dust as the round-a-bout was not paved. In fact from the monument into and throughout town no road is paved. This is the exact reverse of most places I’ve visited where the highway is unpaved and the town paved. There are very wide avenues in town with a center median that collects water. It obviously rained recently as parts of the roads are still wet and muddy. It gets hot here (likely in the 90s when I arrived) so there is lots of dust from the cars and motorcycles.

Despite the very wide roads the city is quite small. I passed right through the center and doubled back on a second street thinking I had missed the town center. As I was turning around a very northern European looking guy stopped on his moped to ask about my car. He wanted to know what size the engine was, the tires – the usual questions. There are only three hotels in town and the first I stopped at (which the curious moped driver had recommended) was full. The second (Safari) had a room and that’s where I am now.

I walked to the supermercado which is part of a large coop. The supermercado has signs in German and Spanish. When I inquired about some sausage the young blond butcher answered in German. When I responded in Spanish he had a woman come over and talk to me. The cashiers at the checkout were also all talking to each other in German. The guidebook, in Spanish, that I finally did find (in the tourist information office in Asuncion) says these areas were originally settled by Russians in the 30’s and doesn’t say anything further about Germans or Mennonites.

When I checked into the hotel I asked about internet. They have two computers in the breakfast area. I asked about in the rooms and wifi and was told no. But when I turned my computer on I was pleasently pleased to find excellent wifi in the room. I don’t think the receptionist even knows it exists. That’s not the first time that has happened.  The room is actually quite spacious – with three beds.  There is a/c (but it is a pleasant temperature out and I have the window open), a fan and a TV.  There is only one TV channel and it is relatively fuzzy.  I usually the TV on in the background hoping to grab phrases and occasionally improve my Spanish.  But I had to turn the TV off this afternoon because the only thing on – the one channel – was a Jerry Springer like show with shouting, crying, fist throwing, the works.  It seems some our media translates well to Latin culture.  Now it’s telenovelas which have a lot of the same themes but the people sure are attractive.

Tomorrow I will get up early and head to the border with Bolivia. I hope to arrive in Santa Cruz on Sunday.