Readers of the first hour, I owe you a little explanation. Indeed, Paraguay was not in my list of countries to visit. Worse, I was even condescending enough to consider it as a "useless" country, where there was not much to do or see.
All I knew of Paraguay, was the name of its capital (Asunción or in its longer version: Nuestra Señora Santa María de la Asunción!) and the fact that last June the right-wing opposition had cleverly hidden into a destitution what was in fact a coup to get rid of the former bishop who was elected president four years ago. Obviously, with this level of knowledge, I only had my prejudices on which to base my opinion.
Then I recalled the advice of three cyclists from Normandy, France with whom I had exchanged email when I was in Portland (Oregon, USA) last March. My ex-colleague and friend Antoine also warmly recommended me to go see what's going on on the other side of Río Paraguay. Finally, Nina and Steve with whom I shared a 4x4 to discover South-Lipez and Salar de Uyuni (Bolivia) in December had convinced me that I was missing something if I did not add that country in my list.
Finally, it happens that two very good friends are planning to visit me in Argentina from mid-February. So, between the departure of my parents in Santiago and their arrival to Buenos Aires, I had three weeks to fill in. Thus gradually came to my mind a stay in Uruguay, then a detour by the Iguazú Falls and finally a week in Paraguay. For obvious reasons of geography, I eventually reversed the order.
So I spent a week in Paraguay, where I left Fred with whom I had hitch-hiked the northwest corner of Argentina and I met Henning my traveling companion of November and December (Peru-Bolivia). And finally, like Panama, I was captivated by the Paraguay and promised myself stop being a dumb ass who thinks he knows and can judge without knowing.
And since there was supposedly not so much to do, what have I finally got up to my program? Lots of things! I started by visiting Asuncion. This is a sweet mix of colonial architecture and decrepit buildings straight from the 1960-70 (questionable aesthetics!). It is a gentle atmosphere of tranquility despite the size of the city. It was two nights in a family pension recommended by Nina & Steve and whose manager was very sweet and as talkative as interesting. And finally, we took greedy pleasure without shame or restraint: empanadas de jamón y queso (turnovers stuffed with ham and cheese).
In Asunción, I also met Rosa, an interesting personality recommended by my friend Emilie. Rosa opened the feminist cultural centre called Serafina eight years ago. It is above all a place and an association that helps lesbians (and to a lesser extent gays and transsexuals). But it is also a structure that advocates for the rights of lesbians, whose work was recognized in December 2011 by the French Republic’s Human Rights Prize. Interesting exchange on the situation and the rights of homosexuals in Paraguay, especially when they are put into perspective with the debate in France about same-sex marriage.
With Henning, we decided then to go visit the Mennonite communities of the Paraguayan Chaco, in the great North-West of the country. Mennonites? Yes, it is a religious group from Northern Germany and the Netherlands, following the precepts of a certain Menno Simons (1496-1561). Chaco Mennonites settled there in 1930, after being expelled from Communist Russia (where religious freedom was gone). In this particularly arid and inhospitable, environment, they mainly live on cattle (dairy and beef) and a bit of agriculture (peanuts and sesame). The community is divided into three colonies of fifteen villages each. At first, about 25 families made up a village. Today, they are 18,000 living in the Paraguayan Chaco. They speak a dialect German (the Plattdeutsch) and have their own educational system, German and Spanish, enhanced by the Paraguayan State. The reason for their presence? Mennonites generally look for places where they can be both guaranteed religious freedom and at the same time enjoy a certain autonomy vis-à-vis the welcoming State. Given the isolation of the Chaco, one can easily understand that the region met their criteria. So for years, Mennonites were exempt from military service (now abolished in Paraguay), not paying taxes and obeying no administrative authority from Paraguay. How does one survive in such an environment if it is so inhospitable? You adopt first a motto: "Gemeinnutz vor Eigennutz" ("The general interest before self-interest"). And then more concretely, you create cooperative, you help each other, you are disciplined and you all have the same ideal. And obviously, it works! Again, I'm glad to have dipped a little in this world that I knew by name only. I had some prejudices: people living and dressing as in the eighteenth century, etc.. No, we do not speak of Amish. Mennonites are just white men and women who speak German in the heart of South America!
We managed to hitch-hike back to Asunción, which left us naively believe we could easily hitch-hike to explore the south of Paraguay. Nay! It is a mode of travel that is not so widespread as that. Drivers made back strange signs, like raising the thumb also (saying “thanks, I'm fine!”) when they did not lift another finger! So we ended up in a bus after waiting (too much!) at the roadside.
What I liked in this country in the end? First, the fact that there are very few tourists or travelers. After that, people are very friendly and very welcoming (except for hitch-hiking). And the country is beautiful: arid and flat in the vast northern region, more hilly and green (with a very red earth) in the south. But let's be honest, the cities are pretty ugly. And last prejudice, Paraguay is not a poor country, not super rich neither, but pretty well developed. The standard of living is quite high and people seem happy to live there. I eventually understood that!
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