That was time to say goodbye to coffee Brazil and welcome world capital of mate – Paraguay. To border (or rather 3 borders because in Foz do Iguacu meet border of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay) I came without spectacular problems. In Curitiba I met Deise who organized for me room in home of her friends in Foz. Because of Priscilla and Alcides I could rest few days under the roof 😀 only because of them we drank mate on stick of borders (what was funny argentinian and paraguaiyan side were full of music and brazilian was completelly death. Where is that samba I’m asking?), we came by car in places where on first sight it’s impossible and where view was amazing, and came through three borders with my first and shortest visit in Argentina. Only 5 minutes! Why? Because Alcides put his ID into washing machine and guy on argentinian border didn’t want to let him go inside. And I learned how to cook manioc 😀 thank you very very much for that time! And I cross my fingers for your travel plans 😉

Mate with Paraguay in background

Paraguaiyan soup. Most weird whitch I ever tried, and probably only one witch you can eat by fingers. Nobody know why it have this name becasue it’s more cake or omlet with chease than soup. But it’s very tasty!!!

Paraguayian border control point

When we made rides through borders we decided to made a desant from water on argentinian ground. My personal D-Day had only 5 minutes.

Priscilla and Alcides. The best from the best! 😀

In Foz there is not many things to see. Classic border city with a little of crime, mix of culture (even muslims, people from Asia and USA) and tourists who tooks pictures in front of shopping mall (I don’t really know why o.O ). But on suburbs there is a place which everybody should visit before death. I like nature but after few hours of watching stones, rivers and trees I’m changing myself in one of that tree. But National Park of Iguacu, with probably the greatest waterfalls in the whole world and one from the 7 Wonders of the World makes an incredible show. I read that it’s possible to enter from brazilian and argentinian side, and that the first one is much more boring. But because brazilian was much closer and I didn’t want to walk on the other side I decided for “more boring”. From the beggining and even few hours after I had biggest smie in my life! I felt like a kid during watching how hektoliters of water are falling down with incredible power!!! Thats seems simple but can hipnotize for many hours 😀 If you can, you should definitely visit that place, because will give you amazing energy. And I’m wondering if it’s looks so incredible from brazilian side how can be from other? But I don’t really care because from that was enough for me 🙂

Exactly in that place is boarder between Brasil and Argentina. Devil’s Throat. Water in that place is falling down from 82m! It’s higher that waterfall in Niagara!

Like a 5 years kid 🙂

Ladies and gentelmans thats socket. In the middle of National Park directly from the stone 🙂 What the hell is going on here?

I saw also one from the new 7 Wonders of World but… it sucks. Giant dam on Parana river produced around 95% of energy used in Paraguay and only around 20% i Brazil. Maybe If I came there during rain season and see those mass of water I could felt in love in that thousands of concrete but without that I was deaf on beautiful of working turbine 🙁

Many people comes here to visit that dam. Then was also excitement, after only concrete, concrete, concrete…

In rain season here is probably incredible view. Now it’s good place for skaters 🙂

Few words more about borders because I feel that they are only on maps. During our rides through borders absolutely nobody noticed when we left and came back to Brasil. We and houndrads of other cars just passed by border without any control! But Paraguaiyan side wasn’t better. During first cross of border some guy from sanitation wanted to see my list of my vaccinations, without it theoretically I couldn’t enter. But of course I didn’t had it in my pocket after few seconds of wondering he just said that I should drink a lot of water andust said th let me in 😀 And the same situation was when we couldn’t enter to Argentina and we need to come back to Paraguay. Soldier on boarder didn’t check us, our documents, nothing. Just asked as to not saying nobody that he let us in without control. So I didn’t said to nobody, I just wrote it here 😉 So in my personal ranking of borders where you can smuggle absolutely everything, from tones of cocaine to elephant, this one in number one. But that was only first sign what is waiting for me on the other side of border.

I’m on my way! Border which is but you don’t feel it. Supposedly there are days when they check absolutely every car. Supposedly.

Because finally I putted up my anchor and sail on the ocean of small Paraguay. How is here? Definitely cheaper than in Brazil (my wallet was very happy for that) and it’s much easier to catch cars (my legs were happy for that because that didn’t need to walk so much. In Brazil also was quite good but they had so big fear because of robbery or something that I need to boil on street even 2 hours. And what is more interesting they feel the samlionaire fear to gangsters and road Police). Thats a łące where everything looks easier, where you can but you don’t need to to. First guy who i met here just told be “Be cool, tranquilo, you are in Paraguay” and after that he drank shot of cachaca, jumped on motor (of course without helmet) and rode somewhere to catch happiness 🙂 Thats a country with the biggest amount of milionairse. Paraguay after big inflation didn’t had denomination so even now they are using 100 milions banknotes and pay for example 3000guarani for beer. You can’t find here big factories, army have 15 tanks and everybody are travelling in cheapest motors. In other words – poverty.

I’m a millionaire, on my hand I have more than 1,5 millions of Guarani! But it doesn’t matter If in shop i left 27 thousands 🙁

In shops constantly is spooking me some old Lady…

Public bus in Paraguay. This boy is collecting cash from passangers after bus is left the bus station. And give a sign for driver when he can ride. Strange situation because also bus driver can look back 🙂

Poverty drowned in houndreds liter of mate. Absolutely everybody are drinking it here. Police and soldiers on duty, bus drivers (of course during ride), mechanic when they are changing wheel. Maybe I will cut something to see If even surgeon will drink mate during operation 😀 definitely I need to find plantation of mate to see how that prepare it. I have experiance of work in banana farm so maybe I can even work there? We will see 🙂

Poverty in marihuana fumes. Whole country is full of marihuana bushes. Probably every family have small field of it. Od course every druga are prohibided here but you can pay 150milions of Guarani (around 30 dollars!!!) for Police in case of emergency and everything is allright 🙂 But can be diffrent If through many years even govermant had a cash from selling drugs and guns? As in Poland they plant it mostly in the middle of other plants and because that country is mostly agricultural so here is many good spot to harvest marihuana. That field can be very interesting from air. And now prices. In Foz 1gram costs 1real. Here they don’t even don’t know because everybody have theirs own plantation and they don’t need to buy it! Probably situation in cities will be diffrent.

With one of my drivers and his family “small” field of marihuana

Poverty which are scare off by guns. In viiliages probably everybody have some guns. I saw kids who played with weapons and in front of shops with wheals I saw a security with shotguns (wheals are so valuable to secure it in that way?). People said me that in villigies probably is more guns than have army 🙂 but mostly that are old one…

Poverty obscured by laugh. People here have specific sense of houmor and can laugh from everything. Mostly fodeigners. Maybe because they are shame of that poverty (but who can be proud of it?). They are laughing but in the same time are interesting for what, from where, why, and they can’t believe that I’m from Poland. And unfortunately i feel that they are more closed than people on Brazil.

That how ot looks like in first touch. And what are my plans for that country? The best thing is that I don’t have it 😀 Mostly places which are worth to see are on the South so first I will go to see North. I’m heading to Chaco, most hottedt region in South America and probably with less amount of people. Besides that I’m putting my way of hands of fate. If some driver will want to turn somewhere i will go with him. Tranquilo.

Here is everything – fringes, Jesus, local music hits and jammed accelerate…

Somewhere in paraguaiyan village

That spot was incredible. Shadow, chair, and socket illegaky connected to energy linę where I could rechsrge my phone. And what is interesting 24/7 there was connected bulb. Powersafer. That Paraguaiyan way of using energy will kill me. Lighted bulbs whole day or not shutted down engines when drivers are going to barber is normal here.

Shop&bar. You buy and drink on place. Perfect place of meeting 🙂

In that way I spend 3 days in small village with proud name General Bernardino Caballero. One road, around 50 houses, shop, church, cementery. In front of shop I met a guys who were my guide there. We took a crazy rides on his motorbikes, we saw a villiage party with classic bingo, and official footballu match between villiages with was stopped few tines because someone was run across the field, made a motor ride or wanted to turn around by car. In front of that shop in one moment I felt like in house company because 3 guys wanted to gave me a palce to stay 😀 I chose one who had a bakery so I had bad his work place where with whole family we watched “The Sixth Sense” when rain was falling around through wholes in roof and in oven was preapered bread. Pure magic! I spend there 3 days but even one more and I could die without anything to do. But what is interesting mostly nobody there want to change place. Almost because I met some boys who want to explore world. Brave guys! Save your souls.

My villiage

Like on every villiage party there was fancing, toys selled from cars and clasic fight between some guys from diffrent villiage 🙂

We are playing on our villiage so much more funs on our side 🙂

Also Mary with two big bags of fruits and other staff jumped over there

My home

And my host 🙂 what is interesting they always in this villiage take picture in that way – father in front and sons besides him. Maybe not only here?

Cementery. Graves looks here like a small houses or are almost invisible under small amount of rubble.

I’m heading north. First big stop National Park Cerro Cora. I should be there tomorrow If I will not turn with some driver to another villiage. High-five!