Laguna Blanca

Rather than hanging around the city again this weekend, three of us decided to head to Laguna Blanca which is in the north-east of Paraguay, about a 6-8 hour bus journey away. In order to make the journey worthwhile we took Monday off from volunteering... well, we deserve a Bank Holiday as well!

After going out for Laura's birthday on Friday night and getting in at 2am, I wasn't overjoyed when the alarm went off at 6! The bus journey wasn't too bad, although nowhere near as comfortable as the one from Argentina. Various people were getting on the bus along the way to try to sell us all sorts of bits and pieces. My favourite was the guy who got on and gave a speech about dental hygiene before trying to sell toothbrushes. We wondered whether you could buy everything you would ever need on a bus...

At Santa Rosa we were told we need to change buses to get to Laguna Blanca. The bus we transferred to was packed, with one family of six packed in to two seats. We stood up for a while, but eventually managed to get seats when a few people got off. We had been told to call the ranch when we got off the bus at the gates, and someone would come to pick us up and drive us to the lake. Unfortunately Sally had no reception, Jen had no battery and I have no phone - so we decided to walk. Little did we know quite how far it was to the lake. The guidebook had informed us that there were no mosquitoes at the lake, which we quickly discovered was a lie. It was hot and sticky, and we were getting bitten, but the blissful silence was amazing, and made it well worth it.

After walking for about an hour, we suddenly came across the lake and a couple of buildings. We checked in at the main house and started to talking to a Dutch couple who were travelling around South America with their three year old son. What an amazing thing to do! They had been doing some volunteering at an orphanage in Bolivia and, other than that, were just travelling around spending a day or two in each place. Something I would defintely love to do one day. Sally and I had an interesting conversation about how the best way of achieving what you want is to be happy for those you see that already have it, and I was happy for them. What a life...

The Dutch family's car. Complete with roof-tent!

Earlier, on the second bus on the way to the lake, we had all decided that there would be nothing better than steak and salad (with home made coleslaw) for dinner...we'd been surviving mainly on carbs on the bus journey and I was desperately craving some protein. After we checked in, I went for a paddle in the lake and Sally went to ask what was for dinner. The answer was steak and salad! Her visualisation skills are amazing, this is not the first time she has managed to magic up what she wanted. When we actually went for dinner, the (massive) steak arrived with fried eggs on top (a new one for me, but I had said I wanted lots of protein) and the salad consisted of shredded cabbage and carrots - so we used the mayonnaise to make our own coleslaw! Fortunately we had brought a bottle of wine with us (they don't sell anything at the lake) so we supped that and played a few games of cards before an early night.

In the morning we had a leisurely breakfast before heading to the beach where Sally got covered in butterflies. There are so many here, and they are not scared of people at all. The Dutch family left mid morning so, apart from a few Paraguayans coming to look at the lake, we had the place to ourselves. The water on the lake was crystal clear, and we had to have a few swims just to cool off. After lunch, they let the chickens out to run around (so we were reassured that our eggs from the previous evening were free range) and we all decided to have a little 'me' time. Sally went for a walk, Jen wrote her diary, and I relaxed in a hammock. Bliss.

We had a little more time on the beach where I managed to acquire a pet butterfly who sat on my hand for about half an hour. The beach, however, was left in shade by late afternoon, so we decided to take one of the rowing boats out before sunset. Steering it was interesting, as was going in a straight line - one paddle was much shorter than the other which didn't help. The sun was getting low in the sky so we decided to start to head back to shore as we weren't sure how long it would take us... We made it back before sunset, although I managed to dunk my camera in the water as we were pushing the boat back on to the beach, fortunately the case took the brunt of it and it seems to have survived unscathed.

After a fabulous, almost too hot, shower (a huge novelty), we went for our dinner which was somewhat less impressive than the previous evening. We didn't even have any wine left! Being the party girls that we are, we had another early night with the intention of being up for sunrise...

When the alarm went off at 5am I managed to drag myself out of bed for the sunrise. I headed down to the beach where my eyes started playing tricks on me. I was convinced I could see some sort of creature on the sand, and thought I might be about to catch a glimpse of a rare Paraguayan creature....as the sky gradually got lighter, it became clear that what I had been looking at was actually a tree! The sun didn't come over the horizon until 6.15am, but I had a very peaceful hour under a beautiful sky.

We had been told that we were supposed to get the bus at 8am from the gates to Laguna Blanca, however, our lift to the gates was running late so, after a bumpy ride in a trailer on the back of the bike (and the realisation of quite how far we had walked on Saturday), we arrived at the gates about fifteen minutes late. We knew there was another bus at 10.30, but thought that we needed to be in Santa Rosa for 9 to catch the bus to Asuncion. With no other option, we sat down by the side of the road to wait for the next bus. When the odd vehicle did pass we tried to hitch a ride, but with no success. Surprisingly a bus arrived at 10.30 on the dot. Not only were we amazed by the punctuality, but by the fact that it was the very bus we had caught from Asuncion and was going directly back there, with no need for us to change at Santa Rosa. The bus was full, with a number of people standing...but things were quickly shifted around, and we were all provided with seats. We felt rather guilty about this but, as we had booked seats and had a 8-9 hour journey ahead of us, we were very grateful. The people that had been moved were only going as far as Santa Rosa anyway.

On arrival back in Asuncion, our senses were assaulted by the noise and the smog. After a crowded journey, on a local bus, from the main terminal to near our house, we decided to nip to one of the roadside bars for a swift beer before facing the flat. Shortly afterwards, a few of the other volunteers turned up with excited talk of their crazy weekend. With the lorries, cars and bikes charging past, we all longed to be back in the peace and quiet of Laguna Blanca.

Thoughts on Paraguay...

It's the bicentenary of the independence of Paraguay this month so there are red, white and blue banners everywhere.

On our way to work today (and on Tuesday) we passed what looked like a cross between a polling station and a street party, complete with armed guards and riot police...only mildly disconcerting!

In spite of the fact that the bus was incredibly crowded and, with the erratic breaking, it was a struggle to stay on our feet, hawkers were still getting on the bus to try to sell bananas, chewing gum, chocolate etc... Then someone got on with a live chicken!

The other day about five people snuck on the back of the bus, crawling under the barriers, with about 15 large sacks of oranges... random.

Today on our lunch break, the only place to go to sit was the local petrol station. This seems the thing to do in Paraguay - there were tables and chairs set up outside. It was nice and sunny, although a little fumey. On the up side they did sell an ice cream that resembled a Toffee Crumble.

Asuncion is a strange place. There seems to be no main centre, just a sprawl. I'll have to go and investigate properly this weekend and see if there is more to it than meets the eye...

The News from Paraguay

It's now been a week since I arrived in Paraguay so I thought I had better write a little about what's happened so far...

The volunteer house is basic, but no different really to what I was expecting...the entrance however was a bit of a surprise... The front of the apartment looks like an abandoned garage, with a tiny child-sized door in the main garage door, serving as our entrance - try getting through that wearing a back pack! Far from being in the middle of nowhere, we are situated right on the main road heading south out of Asuncion, meaning it gets very busy and noisy in the mornings and evenings.

Anyway, we have a living room with a rather uncomfortable sofa and a couple of chairs, a dining table, a basic kitchen (but with everything we need), three bedrooms (that can sleep 10 people all together) and a bathroom with a temperamental toilet! There are extra bunkbeds in the garage downstairs (not so appealing), as well as an extra toilet.

After a cold shower (oh yes, the shower is temperamental too), Bryony walked with me up to the local supermarket to get some supplies and I quickly got the impressiont that all was not rosy in the house... It turns out that two of the volunteers and taken it upon themselves to impose rules in the house and 'tell off' the other volunteers. This didn't sound ideal, but I decided to reserve judgement until I'd actually met them...

Anyway, it seems that people were unhappy with good reason. I completely agree with the importance of keeping a shared place tidy, but there are ways to go about asking everyone to pitch in, and they were doing it the wrong way, and consequently causing arguments and making people unhappy. They also put out a very negative vibe, which isn't nice to live with. Thankfully they were leaving at the end of that week so I decided the best way to deal with it was to smile and ignore it!

On my first night we headed up to the local bar 'Empanadas' which serves litre bottles of beer and a selection of empanadas - a traditional South American snack, a little like a pasty but I think the pastry for them is made with manioc flour. Tasty and cheap!

On my first full day I shadowed two other volunteers in their English lessons as I will be taking these over when they leave at the end of the week. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I will be at a church run centre just around the corner called Koe Pyahu. The morning session runs from 9.30-11 and the afternoon one from 12.30 - 2. Happy days! The number of children depends on who bothers to turn up and can range from 1 to 30! The kids are somewhat lively, but I think with some boundaries, and activities that motivate them (unlike the worksheets they were being given) they will settle down. When I finished for the day at 2, I sat on the roof enjoying my book and some Paraguayan sunshine! In the evening another new volunteer (Sally) arrived and we all tried to sort out a schedule for the next week (and ignore the argument that was going on in the kitchen!).

On Thursday I went to the same centre again, but this time we were doing craft activities so I spent the morning making cards and getting covered in glitter - lots of fun! In the afternoon I went to another teaching centre, Villa Elisa, which is roughly a 40 minute trek away. Not ideal in the midday heat, but it gave me a chance to see some of the houses away from the main road. One of the roads we walked up looks like it flood regularly as the earth was washed away and it was strewn with rubbish. Max took control of most of the teaching as he can speak Spanish and was able to give directions, and Gary and I acted as his helpers. The evening was spent in a very civilised manner with us all reading quietly!

As I haven't really started properly yet, I took the opporunity to visit a different centre in downtown Asuncion. This meant an hour long bus journey, followed by a 20 minute walk. We were a little late as we had all got up early to watch the Royal Wedding (I wasn't going to bother, but relented in the end as it is a moment of history after all), and the others didn't want to leave until they had seen the kiss! This centre was very different to the others I had visited so far. It is located right in the slums and is not a centre so much as an area covered with some makeshift tarpaulin. Upon arrival we were jumped on by the kids who wanted to cuddle us, sit on us, lie on us. They obviously just want some love and affection, and we're happy to provide it. Rafael, one of the coordinators, went through some English greetings with the kids, then we headed to the park. When it was time to head up to the bus stop, a couple of the older kids wanted to carry our bags up for us. At first I wasn't so sure, but apparently they always do this, and it could well be for protections as a couple of volunteers did get mugged in that area last month. Because of this I only had very little cash on me, and no valuables. In the afternoon

I was supposed to go to another local centre, but fell asleep instead! Whoops! We had grand plans of a big night out on Friday (well, a trip to Empanadas) but the torrential rain prevented any of us from leaving the house!

Saturday was still grey and miserable but, in spite of a slightly unsettled stomach, Sally, Jen and I decided to head into Asuncion for some touristing! After being eaten alive by mosquitos at the government building and palace, and with drizzle threatening, we decided to head to the Mariscal Lopez shopping centre for some lunch and pampering. By the time we actually got there, it was well past lunch time and we were all ravenous, fortunately a food hall offering a 'weigh your plate' meat and salad option was just what we were looking for. My first Paraguayan steak was wonderfully tasty, although a little chewier than those I'd had in Argentina. We decided to treat ourselves and wash it down with a bottle of wine!

We then managed to locate a hairdressers and book ourselves in for manicures and pedicures. Unforunately after the blood sugar rush of all the steak and wine, I came crashing down and thought I was going to pass out or throw up just as my manicure was being started. I managed to convey this through mime (!) but fortunately the feeling passed. I recovered quickly, and was brought a strong black coffee to help revive me! I'm glad I recovered as the pedicure was much needed - even the beautician seemed disgusted by the amount of dead skin she scraped off of my feet! Yuk! Well, that's what living in flip-flops will do for you - guess I'll just have to treat myself more regularly!

I'm not sure if it was our beautiful nails, or the slightly rained on look, but when we were waiting for the bus a man, somewhat unsteady on his feet, started hovering around us and looking us up and down. Next thing we know, he had taken a note out of his pocket and was subtly waving it at Sally... we think she was being propostioned!


Flaunting the no drinking rule, we all had some wine at home that evening, listened to music, and played cards. At about midnight, most of the group wanted to head out but, having drunk nearly a whole bottle of wine each at this point (and being the older two in the group), Sally and I decided to pass...although we ended up chatting until 2am when the others got home. Sunday was rainy again and, due to various stomach complaints, most of us decided to have a sofa and sleeping bag day. Not quite a sofa and duvet day, but the closest we're going to get! Eventually Jen and I did decide to brave the evening drizzle to find the supermarket closed, although we managed to pick up some empanadas at a roadside bar.

On Monday, Sally and I took over the teaching at Koe Pyahu. We started with some games to get to know each other and then made colour mobiles to reinforce the English words. The kids really enjoyed these more interactive activities and quickly started to realise that if they sat down quietly, they got to choose pens etc first...

In the evening, Sally and I had to go for English teaching training. As we're both trained teachers being told how to plan lessons etc was a little pointless and, even though I informed the trainer that I didn't really believe in the learning value of worksheets, I was told it was best to create at least two per session... a piece of advice I intend to forget! The visit was made worthwhile, however, by the cinamon and hazelnut muffin!

Today the sun was shining again and we headed downtown again to Centre Abrazo (meaning hugs), this is a small, government run centre for kids who would otherwise be on the street. We played catch, skipping, colouring and Polydron, which was lots of fun, although we were all a little unsure about the children climbing on the roof to retrieve the ball - no such thing as health and safety laws or risk assessment here!

Sorry for such a long and perhaps unexciting post, next time I'll try not to leave it so long and will let you in on some of the sights and sounds of Paraguay...