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Dan stretching in a yerba plantation

Bosque to boards…

Iain cruising into Missiones

Encarnacion from the banks of the Parana

Happy to be in Paraguay!

Asuncion

April 20th - April 26th, PARAGUAY!!!

The final leg started typically. The wind shifted to a stiff frontal assault and the skies closed above us. 80km into the wind and we crashed at a municipal sports arena. We ate dinner as usual and set up the tent under a pavilion. Lightening was blasting in the distance and rain smacked the thatched roof. We crawled into the tent and fell asleep. We were awakened by the mumblings of the night watchmen, who had not been around when we laid down for the night. With unintelligible Spanish he drew us from our slumbers to demand an explanation of our presence in his night domain. He informed us that he ruled these poorly lit grounds and that he alone would decide our fate. He was drunk and was unable to disguise his slurred speech and sloppy behavior. "Call the cops, we have permission to stay here. People in the municipality told us to stay here." Appeased for the moment he wandered off into the night. Half an hour later he returned to again proclaim his dominance of the soccer field and small pavilions. Bueno, go get the cops we told him, but please leave us alone. The cops showed up right after we had fallen asleep and checked our passports. Old man grounds keeper drank off in the distance. He had made his stand.

The next day we prepared mentally for four more days of fighting the wind but the grasses only swayed moderately. For three days we biked into a quarterly wind, but made good time. The excitement was building. As we closed in on Posadas the landscape became increasingly Paraguayan, especially as we entered Missiones. The area we had entered all used to be forest. You could tell from the way that humans lived in pockets of cleared space surrounded by lush trees. The forest once covered everything, A long last day took us over rolling hills and through a new kind of humidity. We arrived at the base of the River Parana and sat, tired and slightly bewildered, starring at the swollen river. Only a bridge remained between us and Paraguay.

Getting a visa to get back into Paraguay went smoothly. We showed up at the Paraguayan Consulate and started speaking Guarani. We presented the trip and our connection to Paraguay and they gave us a free tourist visa. Guarani is an amazing language. It draws people together. It is a language of emotion, storytelling and friendship, and allows you to show respect for someone without formality.

The next day we crossed the Parana and arrived in Encarnacion. The difference between Argentina and Paraguay was immediately apparent. We were back in the land of cold tereré and mango trees, of deep brown eyes and two languages blended into one.

Thank you for being part of this trip. For those of you who donated money, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your money is going directly to buy land. As we arrived back in Paraguay we received the news that a large landowner in the San Rafael reserve has agreed to sell 1000 hectares of high and humid forest that is physically linked to the 140 hectares already owned by GUYRA. If the 60,000 can be raised, the land will be bought and your donations will be part of the buy. This is something to be proud of!