Enchanted and perplexed. It was how I felt after a couple of days in Paraguay’s capital Asuncion. I was enchanted by the breezy sensibility of some of the locals that I’ve just met; the tranquilo streets of the paint worn old down on the banks of the lazy Paraguay river. Set against the gleaming sense of well dressed modernity in the new centre. Trendy bars playing British indie music, seemingly graced by attractive smiling twenty something girls all to willing to practice their English. But also perplexed. I was beginning to read about the countries farcical and destructive history, and to witness the distinctive quirks of national character. Nothing added up in a conventional sense. I remained with this twin feeling days later on the other side of the country. Enchanted even as I bitterly argued – by launching out every Spanish swearword I could recall – my way across the border to Brazil.

Today’s Paraguay is a minnow within South America. On the backpacking trail it sits in quiet isolation. Surrounding it are the gringo havens of Bolivia, Brazil, and Argentina. I’d spent a month in the vast Andes mountains and Amazon of jungle Bolivia. I would soon spend a month in Argentina travelling through spectacular scenery towards the chilly frontiers of the southern most city in the world. And the sole reason I’d spend less time in the beaches and mega cities of Brazil would be that it offers little outlet to practise my Spanish. To these destinations fellow travelers would nod knowingly and lazily, they’d heard it all before.

But Paraguay? Why did you want to go there? The guide books point to some middling ruins and a free tour of a hydroelectric dam as the two main towards extractions. The country is a flat overheated landscape with none of the scenic majesty of its neighbours. And economically too, it’s undistinguished. It’s cities remain small, relatively sparsely populated, and largely free of cultural distractions. But one friend and one eloquent stranger in a hostel had told me that Asuncion was a good city to spend a few days. Good parties and friendly people. That was enough for me. A clear 100% record of satisfaction. I just had to persevere through a 36 hour bus journey from Santa Cruz, Bolivia’s closest major city, to reach Paraguay’s capital city. The roads were poor quality, the bus cramped, and the boarding crossing an 8 hour process. This was a country that didn’t even want to be visited!