NUESTRA SEÑORA SANTA MARIA DE LA ASUNCION

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Next stop is Asunción, Paraguay's capital city. Asunción is one of the less visited capital cities in south America. Without major archeological and natural wonders, it is in disadvantage with regards to its neighbor countries. 

For me, its history, music and food are attractive enough, and there is also Lake Ypacarai ...

The bus drive from Encarnación took about 6 hours, including a 30 minutes stop for lunch.

Asunción was founded as a fort  in August 15, 1537 by  the spanisch Juan de Salazar y Espinosa, while he was in a mission that had started in the first Buenos Aires, searching for Juan de Ayola. There are however very few colonial buildings left and none from the initial period.

Popes John Paul II and John XXIII were canonized as I was in Asunción. There was a big celebration in the city and in the cathedral.

Paraguayan music is a special case in south America. There is no other place, as far as I know, where the fusion of native and Hispanic music resulted in rhythms, dances and dresses with clear spanish influence, but lyrics in the native guarani language. Whether marinera, cueca or zamba, they all have spanish lyrics.

Just like brasileans, middle-class Paraguayans like to tune their cars and one of the things they look for are oversized stereo systems and loudspeakers.

Railways are disappearing in south America, and Paraguay is not an exception. Here Asuncion's former train station now serving as museum.

This photos were taken in Areguá, at the shores of Lake Ypacarai. Just like the Danube river or Puerto Montt's sky, the lake waters are not blue.

In Asunción I stayed at Hostel Arandú, a reasonably clean, central house. Here I met Mustafa, a 26-month traveler that is on his way from New York city to Istanbul. I liked our chats and the short time we spent together. All the best Mustafa!

Cable TV was available too. Unfortunately it was just to see Bayern Munich fail 0:4 against Real Madrid. The dream of winning the CL a second time in a row is over.