Arriving at some ungodly hour in Posadas, we took a taxi over the Paraguayan border. And back. I would love to tell you how much fun and how interesting Paraguay is, but I can’t. It isn’t. They may as well put posters in travel agencies that say ‘Paraguay: Forget it’.
So as soon as possible we headed out of Posadas on another coach, arriving at Resistencia a few hours later. Only when I got off the coach, I forget to pick up my GPS tracker which I need to keep you all informed where I am each day! Horrified by my rampant stupidity, Carlos came to my rescue and got the coach company to ring the driver (now on his way back to a place called Corrientes) and retrieve the GPS. Which they did, and had it driven back to Resistencia on the next bus.
I love Argentina.
So with a new spring in my step I checked out the town of Resistencia – not much to write anywhere about (never mind home) and all it did was solidify my belief that nothing even halfway decent has been built by anyone, anywhere in the last fifty years. Way to go, human race – losers!! Maybe in centuries to come, this period of time will be known as the era of concrete and piss.
The next bus we needed to Salta was an overnighter, arriving at 4am in the morning. Carlos was doing well, but after a couple of days on the road I could tell he’d had enough. I’ve got another 300 days of this…
Oh, Hughes, two days in and you’re already off on an anti-modern architecture tip.
Not only that but at the end of all this all the arguments I have will bested by you being able to say “well, I’ve been to every country in the UN and I still haven’t seen any good modern architecture”.
DAMN YOU HUGHES.
Hi Graham, I was starting to read your website as someone who admire the people who have the guts to take the steps to travel the world. But to my surprise, I found and awkward comment about travel agencies having to hang posters saying “Paraguay: Forget it”. I respect this comment, but I think it is to hard to judge how a country is just visiting a little city in the border without even having any contact with locals from other places. Maybe if you had the opportunity to visit Asuncion and experience it, you would have another opinion. You’re always welcome to come back.
I spent a couple of days in Asuncion back in 2002 and I really didn’t have a very good time! It rained constantly, there was little to do or see, the city itself wasn’t very attractive, I had difficulties accessing my money and I’m pretty sure the guesthouse I stayed at was also a brothel. Travel is a very subjective business and somebody else might go to Asuncion and have a wonderful time, but I didn’t! Sorry 🙁
I’m sorry to hear you had a bad experience in Asunción and I have to tell you that it’s not as common as you’d think to hear someone say that. I just hope you keep in mind and are aware that the circumstances of your visit were unfortunate coincidences (it was rainy season and I promise most guesthouses are not brothels, you might’ve just chosen the wrong one) and that this country, like any other, is not easy to know in a couple days.
I do agree that travel experiences are very subjective and that first impressions are everything, but I just hope that by now you at least try to think of Paraguay as a country you didn’t really get to explore and not just tag it as “not fun nor interesting”.
But as Osvaldo says, you’re always welcome to come back. Locals will always be glad to show you around and make sure you have a great time.