Paraguay… Landlocked, ñandutí and lucky chickens

In 2006, the Nine of Cups crew visited the landlocked South American country of Paraguay. Getting a visa was cumbersome, but worth the effort to sample the country and its culture. We only stayed four days... wishing that it could have been more. We took a tour from Asunción to San Lorenzo and through several small towns in the country to get a small taste of rural Paraguay. Come explore a little with us.

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Republica de Paraguay

Capital City: Asunción
Land area: 157,048 sq miles… about the size of California
Population: ~6 million
Languages: Spanish & Guarani
Currency: Guarani (5400G = $1 US)
Political Units: 18 departments

High Point: Cerro Tres Kandú or Cerro Peró with an elevation of 842 meters (2,762 ft).

Above, the international bridge across the Rio Parana from Posadas, Argentina to Encarnacion, Paraguay. Crossing the bridge took minutes, however completing the border formalities was a long two hour process.

Above, the international bridge across the Rio Parana from Posadas, Argentina to Encarnacion, Paraguay. Crossing the bridge took minutes, however completing the border formalities was a long two hour process.

Asunción

With limited time , we headed by bus directly to the capital city. We headed by bus directly to the capital city of Asunción to see what we could see. Walking always provides a unique look at a city and its people. Our self-guided walking tour took in most of the city’s landmarks and highlights.

After a couple of days in Asunción, we took a bus tour into the Paraguayan countryside. It really wasn’t all that far out of the city, but it was a pleasant foray that afforded us the chance to see a bit of the rural side of the Paraguay. We stopped at churches and colonial Franciscan mission sites as well as several little towns to see the artisans’ crafts.

Some observations

  • Like Uruguayans, Paraguayans drink lots of yerba mate, however they drink it cold and bitter... terrere.

  • Paraguayan specialties include chipas (similar to an empanada made of manioc flour, cheese and eggs) and mosto (cane juice). We sampled both.

  • We were not sure what to expect in Paraguay. U. S. citizens need a visa to enter (a reciprocal thing) and we weren`t sure if we`d be welcome. As it turned out, the Paraguayan people we encountered were hospitable, warm and friendly… as we´ve come to expect in South America.

Marcie was particularly interested in crafts unique to Paraguay and the Guarani native people.

  • Ñanduti (nyan-doo-TEE) is a fine, multi-colored lace fashioned after a spider’s web. The patterns are intricate and the choices were mind-boggling.

    La Gallinita is a Paraguayan lucky charm, a small black and white ceramic hen whose presence seemed to be pervasive at every market we visited. We kind of wondered about the ‘lucky chicken’ and found that the hen symbolizes maternal love… for family, community and country. The hen is self-sacrificing, nurturing, protective, and comforting. Chickens are typically social creatures that actually have a sense of curiosity. When not laying eggs, there is time to wander about and do some pondering. Hmm… chicken pondering? This is much more symbolism than I ever considered for a chicken. A side note… when we returned to Nine of Cups, we put our newly purchased lucky chicken on a bookshelf. Jelly immediately scooped her up and knocked her to the floor. This happened repeatedly until we finally gave up and stored La Gallinita away. Evidently, cats don’t appreciate chickens as good luck charms.

Enjoy more of South America, its people, its cultures and its never-ending surprises.