At the Yaguaron celebration, we got a chance to see the action. People came from far and near, some arriving on horseback.

Our next stop was the Basillica de Nuestra Senora de Los Milagros, the most important church in Paraguay, which was blessed in 1988 by Pope John Paul during his visit to Paraguay. This church is in the town of Caacupe. It is surrounded by a cobblestone plaza, where many children were begging and selling candles. These children spoke Guarani, the indigenous language, which is more common outside Asuncion.

As we drove through the lush countryside of southern Paraguay, we noticed the changes in landscape, in vegation, and in livestock management. We noticed cows were sometimes tethered with rubber hoses, chains, and ropes.

We observed another unique aspect of Paraguay, its diverse culture. We stopped at a German restaurant near San Bernardino, where we were served by Paraguayans in traditional German garb, who spoke Spanish.

How odd!

By early evening our bus rolled into San Bernardino, 48 km east of Asuncion. This lakeside town was settled by German colonists in 1881 and named after the president at that time. Fortunately, we arrived in time to catch a stunning sunset on Lago Ypacari. Some of the Echo participants stayed on at the Hotel del Lago for the evening. The hospitality of the Paraguayan people has been a contant on our journey so far.

Paraguay---Water that comes from the sea.