smithers2002

On returning to Paraguay after two months travelling it is good to see that some things never change. It is still as hot as ever, still as quirky, the people still manage to surprise me day in day out. Food is still as cheap and tasty (and just as likely to give me diabetes), Asunción still has it's run down charm that I love so much. After changing country every week (more or less) for 10 weeks, this was very comforting. Although three minutes after getting off the plane, the extremely professional immigration officer tried to hit on me, so the men don't change either - I wish they would. On the other hand some things change a lot... I returned to Paraguay during an outbreak of dengue... an illness spread by mosquitos which causes flu ... read more

After travelling solo through Central America: Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, I have learnt a good few things... New vocabulary... There are some words that vary greatly across the different Spanish speaking countries. For example 'banana' in English, can be banana, platano or guineo, depending on which country you are in. The word 'cool' also varies a lot: pega, chivo, chevere... Even if you know Spanish it is sometimes difficult to know what is going on! Things to take when travelling... SMALL denominations of money - it is impossible to break into the large ones although that is all the cash manchines will give you. A torch - essential for powercuts, badly-lit hotels or places in the jungle, and toilets when the light bulbs have blown. Vitamin B1, B6, B12 - Makes you ... read more

My experience in El Salvador was very different to my experiences in all the other countries I visited on my trip, as a few weeks before I arrived my Paraguayan sis put me in touch with a friend of hers who lives in San Salvador. I had planned to stay in El Salvador for about 6 days, but this quickly changed into 10. To get to San Salvador, I took a shuttle from Copan Ruinas in Honduras which cost me about $35. The shuttle arrived late due to is tyre bursting on the way. Luckily there was just one other girl in the shuttle so we had plenty of room! The quickest way to get to El Salvador is to cross into Guatemala and the over again into El Salvador, lots of stamps! You have to ... read more

My journey into Honduras was probably the worst of my life so far. Having woken up at five in Flores, Guatemala to get the bus to San Pedro Sula in Honduras, then to La Ceiba, it was a very tiring day. First of all, I had to change bus somewhere in Guatemala to get the bus to San Pedro Sula, which had not been explained to me on purchasing my ticket. Then, when crossing the border, I became very confused. Firstly, there are men everywhere trying to change money (too many men!). Then between the Guatemalan immigration office and the Honduran immigration office there are about 16km of nothing. This made me very nervous as I though they had taken me across the border without me having chance to get my passport stamped. You are also ... read more

I felt quite apprehensive on my arrival to Guatemala city having read a few days earlier about the 'bus wars' there where gang members get on buses as normal customers only to later shoot the driver in the head while the bus is moving and bail off before the bus crashes... due to the bus drivers not wanting to pay for 'protection' anymore... My apprehension grew as I walked out of the terminal and there was noone waiting for me with a sign to take me to my hostel. I thought I may have to get on one of these crazy buses. And then, I hear some one shouting my name and turn round to see an amazingly friendly face smiling at me as a man with a puppy Shitsu walks over to me and introduces ... read more

As soon as I arrvied in Ecuador, crossing the border from Peru, I fell a little bit in love. The scenery was breath-taking and the customs officers made me laugh with their religious pictures and their pornographic calendars side by side in their office, on full public view... excellent. The first thing I noticed about Ecuador was just how green it was and how clean it appeared (which in comparison to Peru is not difficult!). Instead of signs on the roads telling people how to drive there were signs telling people to look after the evironment, save water, not kill the animals... They really want to look after their country. It reminded me slightly of home, the greeness, the nature, and the mountains. Ok, in the UK there are more hills really than mountains... but I ... read more

I arrived in Lima on 21 December feeling in a pretty sorry state. I arrived thinking 'What am I doing here? Why have I not just left my family in the UK for Christmas but also José and everyone back in Paraguay too?' My goodbye on Monday night was particularly difficult, something that I had not expected. It was almost a tearful event, but I don't cry, so it was ok. So I get to the hostel, a lovely place in Barranco, Lima and realise that someone has been through my bag during my journey... Not good. Luckily, the crazy person had only taken my make-up and my suncream. Make-up, fine, I can do without. Suncream I will have to buy as I at this moment in time, have a very red nose! At the hostel ... read more

Key points of the last 2 months... Football hooligans. In Asunción there are a few different football teams, the main two being Olimpia and Cerro Portania (this may be spelt worng!). The fans of the clubs here have huge rivalries, and the first time I felt unsafe in Asunción was because of this. One night after work at the Anglo we were all pretty hungry so off we went to Cafe Lito's (they do reaaalllly good pizza and empanadas). There had been a football match but we were not aware of this until a large group of young men walked past yelling things at each other and then began throwing bricks. The owner of the cafe got his staff to baracade us all in so no one got hit by the bricks... Exciting - yes. Something ... read more

Finally, after two weeks of failed plans, Jose and I went camping. We went to Ybicui (or Ybycui) National Park, about 3 hours by car, outside Asunción, if your car survives the amazing obstacle course of random cows in the road, horses and carts trotting along the wrong side of the motorway, moon-crator-sized pot holes and extremely precarious, make-shift, wooden bridges... Such a fun journey! No, seriously, it was a great journey. The scenery is so beautiful on along the road. There are huge expanses of untouched fields and marshland amongst tall hills covered in lush, green vegetation and palm trees. Every now and then there is a small village of maybe fifty or one hundred people living in tiny, but really pretty, little houses. It made me wonder about the life of these people, what ... read more