Truly an unexplored gem of South America, Paragauy is known by it’s neighbors to be “as mysterious as the Mona Lisa”. It’s capital Asuncion boasts a working port which is frequented by barges, small container boats and ferries. Destination guides for Asuncion are sometimes hard to get, not to mention specialized books such as a gay destination guide.

It is said that a certain Senor Juan de Ayolas sailed the Paraguay river for many months searching for a way to get to the silver mines of Bolivia. Unfortunately he was killed by the Payagua on his return trip. Juan de Salazar was then dispatched to look for him (in vain). In August 1537 De Salazar visited the location of the present-day Asuncion and made the decision to found a fort there. He called it Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion.

A city soon began to take shape around the fort. From here many explorer in turn left to establish a number of other cities. These include Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina and Santa Cruz de Sierra in Bolivia. Asuncion is thus one of the oldest cities in South America and one that can rightly claim to be the “mother of cities”.

Asuncion is located next to the river Paraguay. The old part of the city, including the harbor, looks out over the Bay of Asuncion. This is a natural harbor and from here numerous boats sail up the River Paraguay to outlying destinations – including Brazil.

For those who love charm and character – this part of the city offers it in abundance. It has an assortment of beautifully restored colonial buildings as well as some art nouveau architecture. A short trip down Palma (the main street) will introduce you to many of the delights of Asuncion: you will no doubt be approached by one or more vendors selling chipa – the delicious Paraguayan bread made from corn flour or manioc; you will also no doubt hear traditional Paraguayan harp music emerging from the doorways of various stores and everywhere you will be able to buy the Nanduti lace for which Paraguay is famous.

Staying at the atmospheric old Hotel Armele is an experience in itself. You will have a view across the harbor and the Bay of Asuncion from most rooms. The evergreen Chaco on the other side of the river stretches as far as the eye can see.

Because of it’s heat in the summer months, the locals tend to frequent its many restaurants, bars, night clubs and open air festivals at night. Paraguayans love music and sing spontaneously in the streets. It’s not strange to hear a group of people walking and singing their favorite songs.

Make your way to the east of the town and you will be totally astounded at it’s modern buildings and opulent Villas. All the malls have food courts with a variety of local and international food available. Multi-screen cinemas are the order of the day. This is also where you will find the modern concert hall established by the Paraguayan National Bank with regular classical music concerts.

The city is also dotted with many parks and plazas, all boasting huge trees that offer a reprieve from the sun. Strategically placed Asuncion has a large number of hotels which will suit all pockets. You can find budget accommodation around Plaza Uruguay, where the Lapache trees are transformed with spectacular purple blossoms at the beginning of Spring. The Plaza de los Heroes offers a few four and five star hotels.

Since destination guides for Paraguay are hard to find, the above information should be useful to visitors who plan to visit Asuncion – the Mother of Cities.

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