Paraguay - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 685

see more remote areas of the country
cheaply, though petrol costs are low
(around Gs6000 a litre for unleaded). An
international driving licence is required.
Heading off the Ruta Trans-Chaco
on your own is strongly discouraged.
If you plan on going deeper into the
Chaco than the Mennonite colonies, you
should take a guided tour (see p.710)
- many tourists come to grief by
embarking on poorly planned journeys
in an effort to save a little money. Once
past the Mennonite colonies there is
nowhere to stay or buy food, and very
few places to refuel.
There are rental agencies at the airport
in Asunción, including international
chains, but the only company that
currently serves all three of the main
cities is Localiza ( T 0800 979 2000,
W

bathroom and breakfast included. You
don't usually need to book in advance,
except in Caacupé during the weeks
surrounding the Immaculate Conception
(Dec 8), during the Carnaval in
Encarnación (Feb) and in the Mennonite
colonies during the Trans-Chaco Rally
(last weekend in Sept), when prices
are higher.
In Asunción there are ten or so youth/
backpacker hostels that have opened in
recent years. Don't bank on camping in
Paraguay as campsites are few and far
between and in rural areas most land is in
private hands and you risk being accused
of trespassing if you do not have the
permission of the landowner. Times are
changing, however, and SENATUR is
trying to develop a camping culture to
attract tourists, so it's always worth asking
them for updates if you're determined. www.localiza.com); 24hr breakdown

cover is provided by the Touring y
Automovil Club Paraguayo (TACPy;
T 021 210 550, W tacpy.com.py). 8

FOOD AND DRINK
At first glance, Paraguayan cuisine may
appear to be based entirely on junk-food
joints selling hamburgers, milanesas
(schnitzels) and pizza. However, a little
exploring will uncover a number of
excellent restaurants, at least in the major
cities. The mainstay of the Paraguayan
diet is asado - essentially barbecue
- almost always accompanied by
mandioca (manioc, also known as cassava
or yucca). he best cuts are tapa de
cuadril, corte Americano and colita de
cuadril . Those with a weak stomach
should avoid mondongo (tripe), lengua
(tongue), chinchulín (small intestine) and
tripa gorda (large intestine). Morcilla is
black pudding and chorizo is sausage
- but no relation to Spanish chorizo.
Pollo asado (grilled chicken) is often sold
on roadside grills, and don't forget to try
corazoncitos (chicken hearts).
Fish is generally expensive and at least
twice the price of beef, surubí being the
most frequently available. For a cheap,
tasty snack empanadas (pasties) are widely
available and there is almost always
somebody selling chipa (cheese bread
made with manioc flour) - it is best when
hot ( caliente ). Oddly, chipa in Asunción is
frequently disappointing, so don't let it

BY TAXI
Taxis are well organized in Paraguay
and there is not as much need to barter.
Taxistas are assigned a rank to wait at,
and these are clearly marked in towns
by a yellow shelter saying “Taxi”. Ask for
the meter ( contadora ) to be switched on
( prendida ), or at least agree on a price
before embarking. Journeys in small
towns or around central Asunción will
cost around Gs10,000-25,000, while
trips out of towns or to airports may be
up to Gs100,000.

BY BOAT
Most of the boats for tourists in Paraguay
are very expensive. For the budget
traveller there is just one boat trip from
Asunción up the Río Paraguay to
Concepción (or the reverse). From
Concepción it is possible to take another
cheap boat further upstream into the
Paraguayan Pantanal.

ACCOMMODATION
On the whole accommodation in
Paraguay is good value for money,
and you'll usually get a/c, TV, en-suite