The year is nearly over and here I am: sitting upstairs of a casket factory, in Paraguay, watching the incoming rainstorm swiftly flood the turbid ground. My exciting adventure (my big mid-life crisis) has gone awry, and I don’t know how to get it on track – or even what that track might be.Four days ago I arrived at the outskirts of Asuncion (the capital of Paraguay) where Marie and JP have given me the warmth of their friendship and the luxury of having a place to land and clear my head. The flat is comfortable, for sure – with great company, big bright windows, my own room (with a big cushy bed), internet, good food and drink (including unlimited coffee ;-), and the utter bliss of air conditioning.
From our upstairs perch, the verdant landscape and lazy river look peaceful, but that is just a veneer … you cannot ignore that this is South America’s poorest nation. In fact, this country is rife with corruption, pollution, poverty – and with that, crime (yet despite this, some truly delightful stimulating people I have had the pleasure of meeting). It is a dichotomy, of rich and poor; of beautiful and abundant natural resources … that are blatantly contaminated with trash, chemicals, and industrial runoff; of an ancient culture of native people … who barely subsist hand-to-mouth; where a horse-drawn carriage pulls up next to you at the stoplight and cows lumber along the sidewalk and it costs $1US to have your tire changed. Above the drone of the rain and tumble of thunder, Marie and I talk -- about how you can love and hate Paraguay all at once; for me, the bleak future of this country and the people is sorrowful.
Marie has brought me a cocktail and small dish of eggplant in garlic as a precursor to lunch, and after that, a brief siesta. For now, we watch with humor as the dogs romp through the swamp; laugh at the giant toads as they shuffle around; and contemplate the magnificent storms that roll through, obliterating the view of Asuncion in the distance. We listen to the animated songs of colorful birds; look for monkeys and pumas in the surrounding greenery; and wait for the rain to fill the river so that DOMINO can sail away …
More pix here
1 comment:
Betsy,
You ARE on track. Your glass is empty, giving you the infinite possibilities the universe has to provide, as you are finding out.
Your fortitude is as impressive as your nose is beautiful.
Enjoy, Have Fun, Be the Wild
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