Paraguay to Foz

Asuncion was looking more lively aswe set out around 7.30am. While we got a good start we soon lost it as we had trouble finding the road out of the city. We had to turn around a couple of times and got lost later as we approached the border with Argentina. It turned out to be an extremely long day as we didn't stop for lunch and we had got the impression we would be there in five hours - it was more like 12!!! My problem was that I had spent all of my Guarani currency thinking we would be out quickly and so, even when we stopped at a service station I had no money for food. The drive took us through more fertile farming country and it was nice to see the red soil being used for crops like soy bean in very neat rows. People were selling large mangoes by the roadside and there were also lots of melons on sale again. We went through the town where the religious festival had been held the day before. There was rubbish streamed along the road in both difectionsin and out of the town as pilgrims must have been served food and drink along the way and dropped the paper and plastic cups were they stood. The border, which we reached around 3.30pm was teaming with people and their Christmas shopping all trying to get back to Brazil and through their customs. We were told there is a lot of contraband going from Paraguay to Brazil but I don't know what the trade is in. We saw a few cars pulled over and searched but the number of people in luring those in sleeping buses with the holds absolutely stacked probably means that a lot of whatever it is gets through. Our bus got held up in a traffic jam so we eventually walked up to the border, got our exit stamp and then across this gorgeous river on a high bridge into Brazil where we lined up for entry stamps in the passports. This time it worked out well as our bus crawled into view through the traffic at that stage. Sadly our excitement at being on our way was short lived as we climbed aboard Millie only to then have to wait in the heat while the bus was signed into5The country. We were all getting a bit frazzled by this time and the offer of a night out to a dance/buffet evening got no takers. Had dinner at the hotel restaurant which was ok but not great.Wen are staying in the Taroba hotel which is in the Best Western group. It is quite nice.