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Paraguay
Paraguay
Bec2004-09-17 11:50:49
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Gran Chaco
Three bus companies were offering service to Paraguay. I looked them over and picked Stet Turismo that appeared to be the best one. I don't know if the other two are better or worse but I cannot recommend this one.
This was the scenery we saw after driving all night.
This savage land was the home of small bands primitive hunters and gatherers. It was completely ignored during colonial times but it became the object of a struggle between Bolivia and Paraguay early in the 20th century. Eventually the discovery of oil led to the War of the Chaco that partitioned the Chaco, two thirds to Paraguay and one third to Bolivia.
The Chaco is not a desert in the usual sense but it is endlessly desolate for hours along this bad road.
Actually much of the Chaco is now used to raise cattle. It seemed green enough to support cattle but I did not see any.
In the afternoon we came upon this roadside restaurant on the Picada 500 trail where the Paraguayan customs went through all our baggage with great care. There was not much traffic and they had nothing else to do so they took their sweet time to do it.
Filadelfia
The bus had left at 9 PM, an hour late and border formalities had taken an eternity. Instead of going through Filadelfia where I was going, the driver decided to dump me off at Cruce Los Pioneros where I had to wait several hours to get another bus for the last 50 km to Filadelfia. I finally got there at 3 AM after a 30 hour journey.
I had paid all the way to Asunción with a stopover at Filadelfia but I had to buy another ticket to get from Filadelfia to Asunción. I don't mind delays and a little adventure but I do like to get what I pay for.
In spite of the hour, I was well received and given a 2 bed room at the Florida Hotel
Filadelfia is an oasis in the Chaco desert in more
...
See photographs from:
Paraguay Gallery
