Concepcion interviews...getting to know the Paraguayan countryside

So for the past couple of months I've headed out to Concepcion, Paraguay to conduct interviews for my Portunhol research with the help of my amazing contact at the Ministry of Education, Dr. Benitez. Our adventure begins on the outskirts of Asuncion to catch a public bus or "colectivo" for a 6 hour ride out into the 'interior' or along the beginnings of "el chaco" the part of Paraguay that remains mostly undeveloped, beautiful and green, with vibrant red clay dirt roads that will either help or hinder you to reach your destination....thankfully I haven't been caught in a down pour yet, but when the road was extremely dry we had to open the windows (and thus sacrifice the AC) in order to vent out the red dust that was slowly covering us in the bus.

We arrive in the middle of the night in a ghost town, mostly dirt roads. The first time I went I stayed at the Concepcion Palace Hotel, which @ $60USD is most definitely the priciest, and is designed to host business negotiators, complete with a lap pool and a tasty breakfast buffet (I still do the buffet). However, I currently use the Gran Hotel del Norte which, at $12 is basic (AC, cable, internet, light breakfast) but much more affordable, as the round trip to Concepcion is about $30.

Anywhoos, when you awake you will first hear the constant hum of dirt bikes and motorcycles, the primary form of transpo here in Concepcion, which is great! So much easier to cross the street as a pedestrian because most moto cyclists get that we can co-exist. The food is tasty, the market is cheap and fresh, and my latest discovery is an organic sheep n goat farm close by....will I score some feta before I depart from this country?!

The best part about Concepcion is the sense of community and tranquility that doesn't exist in Asuncion (like any other nation's capital). People here are open and honest and take the time to lend a hand...I've conducted 11 interviews here with the help of the faculty at Universidad Nacional de Concepcion (the accredited university there) and they've taken me out to dinner, included me in Sunday family lunch, and drove me around the town, showing me what Concepcion has to offer. In the end, it doesn't get much better than sharing thoughts, stories, and future dreams and adventures around a cold thermos of Terere, can't wait to go back for a bittersweet 'hasta luego'!

the market

the 'moto hum' of Concepcion 

Went to interview Maria T in her home, full of chickens, ducks n turkeys, all in different stages of life, from incubator to today's lunch, here's some sustainability and true love for animals :)

Simplicity 

Paraguayan River, swollen from "el Nino"

isn't the red lovely?

Donkay...

they're hard to spot but those are goats chillin' in the shadows, the first ones I've seen in Paraguay

enjoying a sunny Sunday

You can take a boat (it's 3 1/5 days) up the Paraguayan River to the Pantanal, which is an insanely diverse part of the Amazon and is shared with Bolivia and Brazil. Hopin' to make this trek before I leave as well!