A Sketch of Paraguay

This may seem like a no-brainer, but Paraguay is definitely not Bolivia.



Even though Paraguay can boast having the first railway in South America and being the biggest exporter of beef to Argentina and Brazil, it doesn't really have any tourist attractions to speak of.

Not like having a robust tourist industry is a must-have for a country. It's just that what I write here about my time in Paraguay will be less about what I do and more about what I experience. Because in the next five days, I doubt anything monumental will happen but instead there will be a series of small observations and seemingly unmemorable moments, which when pieced together will create a panoramic picture of what I will forever know to be Paraguay.

Here are a few snippets to start:
1. If you're black, you will be stared at. Most likely people will think you're Brazilian. Sadly, my Portuguese is worse than my Spanish.

2. Even in big cities, you can have small town moments. Like walking to the corner store for chipa (a food sort of like the crust of the corn dog sans the hot dog), and sitting outside with the shopkeepers, helping them roll the dough onto long wooden rods and place them over the charcoal to cook until they are crispy on the outside and warm and doughy on the inside.

3. The best variety of Paraguayan takeout food can be found at supermarkets. Much like at Whole Foods, you load your selections onto a plate and are charged by the pound. Unlike Whole Foods, most of the salads use mayonnaise as its dressing and at the end of line is a microwave in case you need a little nuke.

4. The signature Paraguayan drink is terere. It's made by putting tea leaves in a special mug that has a strainer to hold the leaves and a built-in straw to reach the liquid below. Cold water is poured over the leaves and the first sip goes to Saint Thomas (which is to say, the cup is placed at an empty setting and everyone waits a few moments before serving continues). Then going clockwise from the host, or the youngest family member, a person is offered the cup and sips until it is empty. The host then refills the cup and passes it to the next person in the circle, serving himself/herself last. During this whole process, I only thought about Hepatitis B once.