Off to the Chaco?

Yesterday we made preparations for a journey to the Chaco Lagoons. The Chaco region is 280 miles north of Asuncion, mostly on paved roads but the last part is unpaved. Characterized by an arid climate, we hope to find shorebirds at one of several lagoons. After running a few errands in the morning, Peter and were left to the task of getting grocceries for the trip. We thought the local supermercado Lambarde might not fulfill all of our desires so we went bigger and farther, to STOCK. We loaded up on veggies, pasta, cheese, bread and beans the essentials for any field outing. The jugo de duranzo (peach juice) I am saving for desert, it is sublime! We took a 15-gallon cooler with us and filled it to the top with our groceries and began the journey home, only a mile or so. I must say that Paraguayans are much the same as Americans in there reaction to anything out of the ordinary. You should have seen the looks Peter and I got as we loaded our groceries first into my large waist pack and the rest into the cooler. It was great teamwork getting it all home. Sorry, no picture available for this one, use your imagination! The last few days have been defeating. No birds anywhere. You think that would leave lots of time for exploring the city but not so. I kill most of my time tackling logistical issues like where to live and how to get money and preparing reports in my makeshift office. On a day to day basis the logistics are often not finalized until late morning and then in is lunch. Lunch is daily from 12-2 in the office. Before you know it, the day is gone. We haven't quite figured out how to get ourselves around yet either. We are still dependent on the personnel of Guyra Paraguay for this. Though with a good map I think Peter and I are ready for an excursion.

At the hotel, when none of use were willing venture very far, we were confined to the hotel itself or a few adjacent dining places, Don Vito (fast food empanadas) and Tio Tom (not really sure how to categorize this one). Leti took me to a fabulous vegetarian restaurant, in the mall food court no less! Just up the road from the Guyra Paraguay office is a restaurant, Prime, with a buffet containing various items including those sin carne. I did have my fist taste of South American wine here in Paraguay albeit from Argentina. Arne and his wife invited us for dinner and served a mellow 'fine red table wine'. We have another bottle to try, this of '“fine white table wine' but we are lacking an operational wine bottle opener. Five utility tools between the Peter and I and not a corkscrew on one of them. Peter discovered the best tasting beer though, Pilsner Negra’, a genuine Paraguayan product. (Dad, it is too bad I can'’t bring the bottles back for you!).The pictures are of my new pad. The house is actually pretty huge, too big for a decent photo of the whole thing at this point. There are ten or twelve bedrooms like mine on the second floor and a hallway with six of seven full bathrooms. The downstairs has many rooms, kitchen, offices, places for research, a library and common rooms. The place was only acquired recently and is still coming together. I just got word that the truck needs repairs and it will not be done until noon tomorrow. We are suspended again! Wish me luck in getting to the Chaco! I feel that excursion coming on today!