Paraguay Day #1: Asuncion, San Lorenzo & San Juan Bautista Missiones
Day #1 was a success. We made it to the airport on time. And we made it thru the refugee camp like conditions at the international terminal. Food on the plane wasn’t too bad. Didn’t sleep much on the overnight flight which made me cranky by morning. While we were in route to Sao Paulo (BTW no direct flights to Paraguay,) the pilot came on the loudspeaker and said that due to weather conditions in Sao Paulo, we would be landing in Rio De Janeiro. Rio would have been a nice addition to our trip, but since we had no way to contact whoever was supposed to pick us up at the airport - partly b/c we didn’t know who was supposed to pick us up, I am glad that the weather conditions quickly changed and we were able to turn around and land in Sao Paulo as scheduled. We changed terminals and hopped on our plane for Asuncion.
In Asuncion, a couple of my cousins picked us up at the airport. (Mystery solved.) I would not have recognized either of them, but fortunately Ruben saw “Susie.” I think this is what my dad called my mom. Carolina, who was a year old the last time we were here, was a tremendous help today. She doesn’t speak much English but she understood what we needed and knew to ask if we needed food or a bathroom.
We stopped by Ruben’s house to say hello to his family and then we headed to the cemetery in San Lorenzo to see where my dad is buried. We had a little trouble finding the spot - still not totally sure we really found it, actually. The monuments remind me of New Orleans. Most are above ground and they are very poorly marked. Actually, the place is very run-down - even a little creepy. His grave number is 2125. (Now I have a record, in case I ever need it.) The number was missing from the monument so again, not totally sure we were at the right place.
We spent the rest of the day in the car. My mom’s very impressed at what great conditions the roads are in. It took us almost 4 hours to get to San Juan. Apparently, most everyone has power now - this relieved some of Heidi’s anxiety. Lots of folks have cell phones, too. While some folks have cars, most seem to get around by foot, bus or motorcycle.
Tonight I met a load of cousins. Honestly, I can’t remember hardly any of their names. We’re staying at my Aunt Elmia house. My aunt was pretty emotional when she first saw us, in particular me. When we came in the house, I was shocked to see a picture of both me and my sister on the wall.
Still not totally sure what to expect in the coming days. I wish my Spanish was better, but if we’d waited until I knew more, we’d never gotten around to coming. With Palm Sunday, I think tomorrow’s gonna be a big day. I hope so. We’re going to bed at 9:30 on a Saturday night.
BTW, today is Heidi’s bday. She got a couple of very nice gifts and a card. She’s being a pretty good sport on this trip.
