Rapid Travel Chai

See also parts 2, 3 and 4 of my 27 Hours in Paraguay.

Two weeks pre-trip and Pluna calls that my Saturday night flight to Asuncion, Paraguay has been cancelled and I need to fly out Sunday midday. The plan was already tight, with 400 km to cover by night, and slicing to half a day meant taking a cleaver to the Circuito de Oro (Golden Circuit) of Franciscan church towns heading southeast from Asuncion.

Uruguay leftovers in flight

Asuncion Airport

First stop was Cerro Koi and Cerro Chorori, outside Aregua, unusual sandstone formations found only there and a place each in Canada and South Africa. Took some hunting and lots of conflicting directions from local amblers. Finally, upon reaching Cerro Koi a motorcycle policeman appeared, ostensibly for my protection, too bad did not find him prior to getting repeatedly lost.

Cerro Koi

Police escort

Already 14:00, there was time for only one church stop, Yaguaron, the only one in the region mostly intact from its original design.

Yaguaron church

The a race across country to the Misiones region for the museum at Santa Maria de Fe. I lost. Already past five and dark, my driver attempted to negotiate entrance with the caretaker but was defeated by timed alarms. Nice little town, and a sample of the unusual town square design seen throughout Paraguay.

Santa Maria de Fe's church

Channels across squares in Paraguay

Trying to open the museum - no dice

Night in Encarnacion. Back on schedule. Until the traffic and Brazil border.

Encarnacion, a toddlin' town