Canada Oruro, BO/PY
The station of the immigration in Bolivia is at approximately 20
meters after the last tollbooth on the way with the Migration panel
close to Casa of Cambio where I changed my last Bolivianos. The
formality lasted less than two minutes to remove the exit form and
to affix the ad hoc stamp. Approximately 55 km further after two
military checkpoints the customs house are just at the border with
Paraguay. The civil servant controlled N° Vin then kept the
custom-house note, without receipt. I cross the barrier I were in
Paraguay. On the left the customs house where the employee fills the
ad hoc form no without difficulty and me gave a specimen to be
returned to the exit, the procedure lasted approximately 10 minutes
with my assistance. At the border the station of immigration after
the optical character reading of the code of my passport gave me a
30 days visa. At the two border posts there is nothing to pay. I
continued my road up to La Patria where I bivouacked at the edge of
the road by 40°C' and 30% of moisture; it is the difference with
Bolivia where there is 87%¨of moisture.
La Patria
|
| Bivouac, wild camp |
Filadelfia
On Thursday, February 18th I traversed the 124 km from La Patria to
Mariscal Estigarribia in about 5 hours! Since the beginning of my
world tour in January 2006, I had never traversed a road whose
roadway was in such a dilapidation. My rear shock absorbers being
out of use from Mexico, I vituperated against the authorities of
this country and the civil engineers. On the way I met a French
couple with whom I briefly exchanged information. In Mariscal I made
a complement of diesel fuel and I withdrew money at a Cajero
Automatico, to buy food. Finally I made the detour to Filadelfia, to
go away it does not have nothing there to see. It is a typically
American modern small town dedicated to agricultural mechanization
although inhabited by a Mennonite community. I bivouacked at the
external of the city, always by 40°C.
Ruta #9 de La Patria a Mariscal Estigarribia
Filadelfia
Pozo Colorado
On Friday, February 19th was one day dedicated to the washing of my
truck, in search of a bank to pay the insurance by banking transfer,
none did agree to do it. Finally I looked fort a cybercafé, it there
no. But a salesman of electronics proposed an USB key to me, as in
Morocco. But after discussion my French passport was not accepted,
it is necessary to be resident or obtain from the police in Asunción
an agreement on a photocopy of the passport to be transmitted to the
Internet access provider, a galley. A customer of the store hearing
this discussion proposed to me to come to his store to use WiFi
connection, thank you with this inhabitant, probably a Mennonite. I
continued my road up to Loma Plata, the sister city of Filadelfia.
Then I stopped in Pozo Colorado to bivouac at the edge of the road
at the fallen night.
Asunción
On Saturday, February 20th I arrived around 10:00 in Asunción. My
first task was going to Mercedes-Benz to confirm my appointment on
Monday, February 22 taken by Internet but remained unanswered. I
noted with the reception that it had indeed been recorded but not
confirmed. Then I sought to go to downtown area to visit this
curious town of +2 million inhabitants. Whereas I consulted Lonely
Planet a gentleman stopped his car and saw me to go assistance. He
proposed to me to go at his house to give me a city map and to
station during the night in front of his house. In the evening he
invited me with his family to divide an Asado, barbecue of beef, pig
with a typically local accompaniment. I spent a pleasant evening
with this Paraguayan family. One second experiment of the
hospitality of the inhabitants of Paraguay. In the afternoon I
visited the downtown area, great disappointment. Plaza de Armas is
squatted in by a slum, the real neighborhoods are almost ruins or
will become it. The old railway station remained in the state of
unfinished restoration. It is the déshérence like the state of the
roads in Chaco. Only Plaza de Los Héroes and Plaza de Urugaya have
an about correct aspect. Plaza de Los Desaparecidos where Palacio
Lopez is, seat of the government, also surrounded by dilapidated
houses.
La ruta #9
Centro de Asunción, clock la photo
On Sunday, February 21st I did the administrative job and I rested
on Costanera by 40°C. Strange thing all Plazas have a WiFi
connection with a good transfer speed!
