There are 467 blog posts for you to enjoy.
Itá, Paraguay
April 26, 2023
Itá, Paraguay, population: about 29,000. Itá is 37 kilometers (22 miles) south of Asunción. Itá was founded in 1539. The indigenous people Guaraní are native to this region, and some of their language is blended into the Spanish they speak in this part of Paraguay. I am having difficulty understanding the people here, because what they are speaking doesn't sound much like Spanish to my ears.
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Villeta, Paraguay
April 24, 2023
Villeta, Paraguay, population: about 37,000. Villeta is about an hour's drive due south of Asunción and directly next to the Paraguay River.
I was in Formosa and from there to the Asunción area there are two routes: north via bus or cross the river to a tiny pueblo called Alberdi then bus north. I chose the more interesting route - the ferry to Alberdi. Alberdi has a population of under 10,000 people, there is no supermarket and one coop bank with one cash machine (which actually accepted my bank card). Other than that, there are four hotels and one hostel, and many shops and restaurants. There are some photos in the photo album. I walked most of the streets in the town in the couple of hours that I was waiting for the bus.
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My South America Journey - Update Part 2
April 24, 2023
My South America Journey Update - Part 2
First, a recap: Part 1 covered leavingColombia, about 2 1/2 months passing through Ecuador, where Ifound two towns that I like as potential new homes, and about twomonths passing through Perú, where I found three towns inparticular that I like.
So far in my journey, I have visited 24 targettowns. Of those 24, I have added five to my top 10 list. Thosetowns are:
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Alberdi, Paraguay
April 22, 2023
Alberdi, Paraguay, population: a bit less than 10,000. Alberdi sits at the edge of the Paraguay River and across from Formosa, Argentina. I was in Formosa and from there to the Asunción area there are two routes: north via bus or cross the river to a tiny pueblo called Alberdi then bus north. I chose the more interesting route - the ferry to Alberdi. The Paraguay river wraps around the city on three of its sides. Now they have a substantial levy around the city but in the past they have endured floods which resulted in many residents leaving the town. The regioin of Paraguay near Alberdi is more water than land. There are a few farms but for the most part is all mangroves, estuaries, wetlands.
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Formosa, Argentina
April 21, 2023
Formosa, Argentina, population: about 235,000. Formosa is located at the border of Argentina and Paraguay south of the capital Asunción. Formosa was founded in 1879 when Commander Fontana founded a settlement. The word 'formosa' is the archaic form of the modern Spanish word 'hermosa' which means, in English, 'beautiful'. All the way back into the 16th century, early explorers called this area 'Vuelta Fermosa' or 'Vuelta la Formosa.' This was the area where the city now sits at a turn in the Paraguay River. Those early explorers searched for the legendary 'Sierra de la Plata' or 'mountain of silver'.
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