Paraguay - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 696

Destinations Asunción (hourly; 5-6hr); Ciudad del Este
(6 daily; 4-5hr); Posadas (every 15min; 1hr); San Cosme
(3 daily; 2hr).

CARNAVAL
For most Paraguayans, Encarnación is
synonymous with Carnaval ( W carnaval.
com.py), a spectacular celebration
transforming the city into a whirlpool of
frivolity during four weekends from January
to February. Some claim the Carnaval here
is better than Rio's thanks to the crowd and
community participation. Things begin to
hot up during the week with bands of
children roaming the streets armed with
spray-snow and water balloons, looking to
make a fool out of the unwary, but the main
events are the weekend corsos (parades) in
the Sambodromo on Av Rodriguez de
Francia. The action begins around 9pm
each night in the Sambódromo on the
Costanera, and lasts through to the early
hours. Tickets (Gs30,000-150,000) sell out
rapidly so book ahead via the tourist o ce,
or in person at the TIGO store at Mcal.
Estigarribia, at Av Caballero, or at their store
in Asunción, Av Mcal. López, at República
de Argentina.

INFORMATION AND TOURS
Tourist information Good English is spoken at the
Ruta Jesuítica tourist o ce run by SENATUR, Mcal.
Estigarribia 1015, at Curupayty (daily 7.30am-6pm;
T 071 205 021, E [e-mail]). They can
help with booking Carnaval tickets, reserving posadas
and luggage storage. There is another o ce at customs
at Puente San Roque González de Santa Cruz (daily
7.30am-5.30pm; T 098 579 4595). Good road maps
can be bought at Touring and Automovil Club Paraguayo
(Gral. Artigas, at Villarrica).
Tour operators Most of the tour operators in Asunción
will do one- or two-day tours to the Jesuit ruins, but
they tend to be prohibitively expensive unless you are in
a large group. The tourist information o ce can provide
an English-speaking guide to take you on public transport
to the missions, for a fee.
Taxi Central Encarnación is easily walkable, but there are
taxi ranks every few streets; no journey within the city
should cost more than Gs25,000. Taxista Diosnel Cabral
has a nice taxi fully equipped with seat belts. He'll do a
return trip to Jesús and Trinidad for Gs250,000 (one-way
Gs120,000).

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around its streets. However, unlike its
commerce-hungry fellow border town
of Ciudad del Este, Encarnación has
a laidback modernity that makes it much
more likeable.

ACCOMMODATION
Book well ahead for Carnaval, when prices rise consider-
ably. Avoid the hotels around the bus terminal (except
Germano ) and those along Tómas Romero Pereira in the
centre. The former attract an undesirable clientele, the
latter have serious noise issues at weekends.
Casa de la Y Carmen de Lara Castro, at Yegros T 071 203
981, E [e-mail]. Doña Yolanda will make
you feel like part of the family in this cosy homestay with
dorms. Space is tight, and booking ahead is essential,
but a good choice for a bed with breakfast in a city with
slim pickings on the accommodation front. G s80,000

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Although it's a pleasant, cosmopolitan
town, there's not much to do here outside
of Carnaval (see box above) but enjoy the
benefits of the town's immigrant
populations - which include Germans,
Eastern Europeans and Japanese - in the
city's restaurants , and become a river-beach
bum lazing on the sandy beach looking
over to Posadas in Argentina. If you're
visiting in winter, you're probably better off
experiencing the countryside and staying
nearer the reductions (see p.702), but it's
worth stopping by to get some good food
and to visit the tourist information,
specializing in the Jesuit missions.

CROSSING TO ARGENTINA
Buses between Encarnación and
Posadas in Argentina originate from Ruta
1 at the junction with Caballero (opposite
Camelot Pub ) and go down Mallorquín
through the centre where you can catch
the bus on most corners every 10min
(5am-11pm; 1hr; Gs5000). Make sure to
get off the bus at both ends of the bridge
for customs formalities. The bus won't
wait for you to get your stamps, but your
ticket remains valid for the next service.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By bus Most visitors arrive at the bus terminal on General
Cabañas at Mariscal Estigarribia, six blocks downhill from
the Plaza de Armas. If you're coming from Argentina you'll
arrive at the San Roque González International Bridge in
the south of the city.