Ybicui - Escaping Asunción

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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 they do for a living, as there is so little around the areas where they live.

So after three hours or so of driving we arrived at the campsite with the car somehow still in one piece after driving two or three kilometers down a dust track, a very uneven dust track, to get there from the main road. The campsite was simple and beautiful. A sloping hill of grass and trees gradually flattening out at the bottom at the edge of a gentle stream with little waterfalls dotted all along. Absolute heaven after being in stiffling, polluted Asunción for three months.

Most people were camped under a cluster of trees next to the stream so we decided to join them. Camping in the sun - not a good idea! It was a great spot, the ground was soft so easy to put the pegs in for the tent, nicely sheltered from the sun and any wind, close to the stream so the rushing, spashing sound of the water was just audible in the background, and no stones to make sleeping uncomfortable! The only problem was the sandflies! Especially seen as we made the rookie mistake of not taking repellent... By the end of the weekend we were both covered in bites... my ankles are still covered in scars!

So after having a look around and a quick paddle in the stream, we decided to set up the tent which was surprisingly easy... and after we had finished, we emerged from the tent and the sun had set and everything was dark. Then I noticed little bright white dots everywhere across the field. The place was covered in fireflies lighting up the dark campsite. I had never seen a firefly before in my life! So exciting (yeah, wildlife makes me really happy...) and then, I heard all these strange noises coming from the stream, which was now full of tiny little frogs and GIANT toads all calling out into the night.

After attempting a bit of wildlife photography we decided to try to make a fire - and failed miserably. That was until a nice, young man, who obviously camped a lot, came over with a flint and a knife and some cotton wool and showed us how to do it. So we sat by the fire for a bit before deciding to call it a night.

Now, I, being from England, was prepared for the night to be rather cold. My Paraguayan friend, on the other hand was not, and therefore woke up freezing in the middle of the night. We went for a walk to warm up, and as we emerged into the field, the sight in the sky was... undescribable. I had never seen so many stars in my whole life. The entire sky was lit up. So incredibly beautiful. I even saw a shooting star! Ace!

The next day we spent most of the time sat by the stream, feet in the water, me reading my book, Jose playing his guitar, butterflies fluttering by all around us, fat toads trying to eat them. So much nature. Such a happy Natalie.

Sadly, at the end of the weekend, we had to return to the hustle and bustle of the city. Although on the way back we bought some mosto, a strange drink made from sugar cane, non-alcoholic drink that is. Super sweet and really refreshing, although it did take me a few sips to decide that I did actually like it... Now I feel addicted and really want to go back to get more... I think that's a good enough excuse to return!

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