Paraguay: Encarnacion

We based ourselves in Encarnacion for visiting the Jesuit Missions. Unsurprisingly the origin of Encarnacion goes back to a mission. However, there does not seem to be a single old building left in Encarnacion. Nevertheless Encarnacion seems like a rather tranquil, livable town. On the morning of our departure, we finally managed a little walk around town in the daylight - there was a Half Ironman aka Ironman 70.3. We seem to run into marathons quite a bit. This was a first.

Our apartment in Encarnacion was very close to the bus terminal, and even closer to this old-style gymnasium, now the home of Basketball Club Pettirossi.




The eating was good in Encarnacion. Our first night we had veggie arabes (sandwiches) at El Amigo (1st and 2nd below), and then a couple of chipas at a fast food place a block away (3rd below). According to Google: In Paraguay, chipa is a small, savory cheese bread made primarily from cassava (manioc) flour, cheese, eggs, and a fat like lard or butter. It is a staple food, often sold by street vendors and considered a symbol of national identity.






The next morning on our way to the missions we stopped for a few chipas at Chipa Don Pipo on the way to the bus terminal. A single traditional chipa costs 4000 Paraguayan Guaranis, about 60 cents.


After returning from the missions, we set out in the rain for veggie tapioca wraps and a quiche at NutriFrut Restaurant.




On the way home from NutriFrut we stopped by the Cathedral where a wedding was about to start.




The next morning we had less than an hour before our bus departed to take a quick look around at the waterfront, and were surprised to see a (Half) Ironman 70.3 in progress.




A photo-op at the nearby sandy beach with views across the Rio Paraná to Posadas, Argentina.


The former Encarnacion Railway Station.