Paraguay is a landlocked country in the middle of South America with a population of around 7 million. Nearly 1 in 3 people live in metro Asuncion, Paraguay, the area we chose to visit. You can read more about our entire itinerary in Asuncion here.
Best Thing I Ate This Week
Rodizio at Churrasqueria O Gaúcho
Fogo de Chao is a Brazilian restaurant that has made rodizio style dining (all you can eat) popular in the United States. A rodizio restaurant has various buffet stations located throughout the dining rooms and servers come around with freshly cooked meat that they carve on your plate table side.
In Asuncion, Churrasqueria O Gaucho has perfected the rodizio experience and is a favorite among locals for celebrating special occasions. We were able to get a table by showing up shortly after opening and were immediately impressed with the service. All night, the employees shared more about the different types of meats, a local artist played music on the violin, and the quality of the food made for a truly special dining experience. As the night went on, the restaurant was packed and a line had formed for those waiting for their celebratory meal.
An Interesting Fact I Learned
Triple Alliance War was the Deadliest in Latin America
In the 1860s, Paraguay fought against Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay in what is now known as the Triple Alliance War. During our tours, we learned about the history from a local perspective, and, although not all of the facts about the conflict are concrete, historians agree that it was the most devastating war in Latin America.
Paraguay wanted to support their allied government in Uruguay that was under siege from Brazil. This led to an initial declaration of war against Brazil, but, in order to pass through to Uruguay, the army needed to cross Argentina. Argentina would not permit Paraguay to pass, so they then declared war against Argentina. While all this was happening, the Paraguayan allied government in Uruguay was defeated. and all three countries signed an alliance to fight against Paraguay.
Both sides of the conflict would go on to have substantial losses during the war, but some estimates indicate that Paraguay lost 90% of its male population during this time. It was only when Paraguay’s leader, Solano Lopez, was finally killed while on the run that the conflict officially ended. Paraguay ended up ceding territory to both Brazil and Argentina, but it remained as an independent country. In order to re-populate the country, Paraguay invited all to come and today even though it is not an official open border country, it welcomes any that wish to settle there.
My Travel Tip of the Week
Investing in the Right Experiences Pays Off
Paraguay is not known for its destination tourist attractions, but there are many interesting places to visit outside of Asuncion such as Circuito del Oro, El Chaco, Pantanal, Encarnacion, and Ciudad del Este. We were going to take public transportation to visit Encarnacion ourselves, but the length of time in transit made it less appealing for our limited visit to the country. Circuito del Oro was appealing because it encompassed a variety of different towns and lifestyles not too far from Asuncion which meant it could be visited in a day tour.
Rather than rent a car and drive around looking at the places without context, we found a highly rated local tour company that offered an all day experience. Unfortunately, it was a private tour which we normally don’t pursue because of the price, but, when weighing all of our options, we decided it would be worth the investment.
Our guide, Pedro, grew up in Asuncion and had spent nearly three decades leading tours around the country. He had exceptional knowledge about Paraguay’s history and shared his perspectives on cultural traditions. At the various stops on the tour he introduced us to people that he knew and answered our questions about life in Paraguay. By the end of the day we had a much richer perspective on the country and had made amazing memories with a local expert. You can book this tour through this WhatsApp link.
My Additional Anecdote This Week
Keep an Open Mind when Visiting Less Traveled Locations
Paraguay is not a name that appears on the top places to visit list, and there are not a lot of English language resources explaining what the country has to offer. This led us to have very little context when we landed at Aeropuerto Internacional Silvio Pettirossi in Asuncion.
Shortly after arriving we received a warm greeting as we checked-in to our first night in the city. It was the first of many kind interactions such as being invited to participate in the terere tradition, receiving an extra long walking tour on a holiday, and getting a surprise extra stop on our Circuito del Oro tour.
In addition to the memorable interactions with the people of Paraguay, the dining scene also stood out. We were able to enjoy modern preparations of many traditional Paraguayan dishes such as Mbeju, Empanada de Mandioca, Chipa Guazu, and Sopa Paraguaya. However, the international food was also delicious from countries such as Venezuela, Italy, U.S., and South Korea.
Beyond the people and the food, we learned about a culture and history that we had no idea about prior to arriving. All of these combined to be a reminder that less traveled destinations can be as fulfilling of an experience as the most touristy and to keep an open mind when planning out an itinerary. You can read more about the culture in this region here.
