Paraguay – Asuncion

It just happened that we were in Paraguay during their Independence Day celebration. We were awakened by the resounding sound of seven cannon shots. Surprised, we quickly got out of bed and stepped out onto the deck, only to discover several naval ships anchored in the bay. Okay, this is new. Today would be the beginning of really experiencing Paraguayan culture!

Paraguay celebrates its Independence Day on May 14th. This day commemorates the country’s declaration of independence from Spanish colonial rule. On May 14, 1811, the Paraguayan revolutionary junta, led by Fulgencio Yegros and Pedro Juan Caballero, officially declared Paraguay’s independence from Spain. This declaration marked the beginning of a new era for the country. Today, Paraguay celebrates its Independence Day with various festivities and events. The capital city, Asunción, is the center of the celebrations, featuring military parades, cultural performances, fireworks, and public gatherings.

We took an Uber ride downtown, eager to explore the day’s activities. The bustling streets were adorned with an array of booths, resonating with live music bands, tantalizing aromas of food, and skillfully crafted goods. Notably, children donned enchanting, colorful gowns, their youthful innocence and joy radiating through their playful twirls. One particular girl, accompanied by her father, both clad in traditional attire, captivated our attention as they gracefully moved to the rhythm of a live band, creating an enchanting spectacle for all to behold.

We have found Paraguay to be a nice place to relax and enjoy the day-to-day aspects of living. We take walks around our “home” and visit the many grocery stores and restaurants in the area. We particularly enjoy going to the movies here, which is just a short $3.50 Uber ride to downtown. The cinema shows English movies with Spanish subtitles, and the ticket prices were less than $10 for a new 3D movie with some snacks and drinks. As you can see, we have been able to enjoy the amenities of a modern city at affordable prices. The downtown area in Asuncion is thriving, with many cute shops, coffee houses, restaurants, and stores. You can’t really tell the difference between this and any other modern shopping mall.

The main dish in Paraguayan cuisine is often centered around meat, particularly beef. Paraguay is known for its high-quality, reasonably priced beef, and dishes like “Asado” (grilled meat) and “Bife Koygua” (marinated and grilled beef) are popular main course options. I have to admit, this was a very pleasant surprise for me. It was nice to have a nice beef steak dinner for a reasonable price and guilt-free.

The other three unique foods we discovered in Paraguay revolve around cornbread and cassava-based dishes. Sopa Paraguaya is a savory cornbread-like delight prepared with cornmeal, cheese, and onions. This combination creates a delightful fusion of flavors that we thoroughly enjoyed. Rick loved it since he loves all things cornmeal. Interestingly, it reminded me of a quiche, despite the absence of eggs in the recipe.

We also were able to do a couple excursions, and one of those was taking a 5-day safari into the Paraguayan Chaco. What a fun time we had trumping around the Chaco stalking wild animals to capture them on film.

Asuncion Paraguay Gallery