"Laid Back City in a Laid Back Country" Top 5 Page for this destination Asunción by DSwede

Asuncion often goes overlooked to most people. Those with moderate geographical insight may know it is in South America, but again a few number of people know where it is. That is part of the reason I chose to visit. Little information is available on the area, particularly in English, so I was expecting the town to be relatively quiet, relaxed and underdeveloped for the tourist.

I was right and I was wrong.

Asuncion is underdeveloped for the tourist. There is little information, few landmarks and relatively little to see for the tourist looking to put a few more pins in their map.

However I was wrong to think that the town was quiet and relaxed. Almost immediately I was mixed with a new group of local friends, shown around, pointed in the areas of interest, and introduced to the surprisingly vibrant nightlife that Asuncion has.

I walked the city and explored on my own. I met up with locals for meals and drinks. I saw Paul McCartney in concert. I even saw a rendition of Les Miserabes. I had a good enough time that I found myself returning to the city a week after I thought I'd have over stayed my welcome.

Presidential Palace

Asuncion can be navigated by bus and taxi, but it will quickly become obvious that if people can afford cars, they will use them. Traffic can be bad, but I guess that is no different from any other metropolitan area.

The historic or central area can be explored by foot. I walked nearly every street, up and back, left and right in a matter of about two days. I think I saw everything both in the day and at night. While the day time is obviously safer, if you manage at night too, you will see some beautiful lighting.

The central area is quite busy during the day hours since it is a main commercial zone. However with few exceptions, it does calm down in the evenings. The city sprawls outwards in mostly three directions (the fourth being blocked by the river). These suburbs are where the action is at night and many weekends. The shopping centers, bars, restaurants, etc. are spread out in the web of roads that rarely have a straight line route. To experience the real Asuncion, you must get out of the center, otherwise you may think you're in a relative ghost town after the sun sets.

Doorway for the Have-not

Feel free to visit my Paraguay page for more comments on my experiences here.

(for more pictures, feel free to visit my Paraguay Gallery. If you enjoy the pictures, please leave a comment.)

• Pros:Asuncion has an active nightlife and social scene
• Cons:Little information or infrastructure for visitors
• In a nutshell:A friendly, lazy and yet mostly forgotton city