I have made another soft landing, in a small town on the outskirts of Asuncion: delighted to be at ‘Casa Dufour’ catching up with Marie and JP, admiring DOMINO, enjoying the greenery and racket of birds and frogs along the River Paraguay …
Nov 11 9PM
“Whiskey?” José asked, as he stood in the aisle with a tray of plastic cups and a fire-hydrant sized bottle of Southern Comfort. I was pretty shocked; but the trip to Paraguay is proving to be probably the best bus ride of my life; comfortable, smooth, clean; with friendly and excellent service! (perhaps excluding the dodgy 10-20 year old music videos …)
My final day in BA was spent with a long walk, lunch in Chinatown (funny, huh?) then back to Aurora’s where I crammed the last of my stuff (a few hand-washables that dried swiftly in today’s searing heat) into my Pigbag. Truly, I don’t need all five pairs of long johns and two wool sweaters in (80°) Asuncion; but I’m not keen to ditch any more gear - so my bag is the size of a pygmy hippo and thankfully Willy, Viviana’s husband, picked me up, brought me to the station, then stayed until I was securely situated on the bus in my comfy recliner seat; he having given the driver unforgettable instructions on exactly where to drop me off. For the one-millionth time: I have been so spoiled here … it is so nice to be loved!!!
Leaving Buenos Aires the land spread out and breathed a sigh of relief. Gone from the clamor of the city, the green hills stretched out: miles of verdant brush and pasture, dotted with simple homes, and livestock, along a highway so nondescript -- it could be the New Jersey Turnpike.
8:00AM – Nearly 12 hours later … the scenery is much the same. Green. Green. Green. But the pastoral landscape starts to look a bit more tropical, with palmettos, the occasional flowering tree, and clusters of what look like yellow irises, as best I can tell at the speed we zip by. There are humble casitas, and proud roosters. Cows. Dogs. Rubbermaid chairs. And mud. Lots of mud. This looks like a place where the laundry never dries.
The sky is cluttered with clouds, but not so much that you can’t feel the warmth of the sun, even through the windows. Chutes of dark rain streak down at angles. José serves breakfast: sweet coffee, and a tray of cookies and sweet crackers.
It’s so posh, I forget I’m on a bus ... until we have to stop and get off at the border, where my US passport gets a lot of attention. We wait for clearance, dodging a downpour amongst the beggars and peddlers and colorful stalls of hammocks and knick knacks. Shortly afterwards, we stop at the Mariano Roque Alonso pull-off where Marie is waiting outside, despite the light rain. I tell José the bus driver/attendant (he has shared the driving and serving duties with another man) that if he weren’t married with two children I just might fall in love and ride the buses to Paraguay for all eternity. But instead I get off, and start the next leg of my wayward journey.
Nov. 13 9AM – No wonder the internet’s not working: it’s Friday the 13th!! While Marie makes protracted phone calls to set up yet another new modem, I fiddle with her groovy coffee-maker, trying to figure out how to make a large cup of strong coffee ;-) I’m on cup number three right about now and I think, whether I got it right or not, I’d better quit for today! Their home – an upstairs flat surveying the marsh, river, and city of Asuncion beyond, is comfortable, spacious … and has a/c.
The internet is ON! So I will wrap up fast before it craps out … Once again I’ve had a warm and loving welcome; comfortable place to stay; great conversation and humor; and the boat is REMARKABLE! Check out Domino!
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