Exchange your traveler's checks at the Banco de la Nación Argentina, which is in front of the Panteon de los Heroes. Exchange houses take a higher percentage out of your checks and the American Express office in Asunción does not do exchanges.

Bolsi Restaurant does delivery for a fee of about 6mil Guaranies... that's a little more than a dollar. (021) 491 841. Open on Sunday! No menu online, so just order the Ensalada Bolsi (chico) and add Pollo Grillé for a measly 46mil Guaranies (a little more than $9, including delivery), which is enough for two people.

Freddo's (the Argentine ice cream chain) also does delivery for the pittance of about 6mil Guaranies. One kilo of ice-cream will run you a total of 61mil Guaranies (about $12, including delivery). (021) 616 0800. Open on Sunday!

So, you've spent a little time in Asunción or perhaps you've visited Ciudad del Este and now you're feeling that you'd like to check out the Jesuit missions since you've heard (rightly) that Paraguay's are exceptionally beautiful. How do you do this?

Option 1: Hire a private tour for $200USD a person.

Option 2: Decide that that's a bit steep and set forth on a slightly longer and much cheaper adventure.

So, from the terminal de omnibus in Asunción or CdE, take a bus to Encarnación. This runs between 45 and 60mil Guaraní ($9-$12) and the ride is usually about 6hrs. When you arrive at the bus terminal, you'll be offered taxis. If it's night, take one. If the sun's up, why not walk 10min to a hotel where you can leave your luggage and freshen up? Ask where "calle Estigarribia" is or ask someone where the "plaza" is. They'll point you towards Estigarribia, where after about 4 blocks in the direction of the plaza, you'll see Hotel Cristal. It's inexpensive (about $15-$20USD a person) and clean. No, I don't know the phone number and don't be surprised if they don't have a website. If you arrive in Encarnación in the late afternoon, why not tool around the city for dinner? I've heard that Trinidad has night visits, but I'm not sure of the details.

To get to the two best restored misiones, Trinidad and Jesus, go to the terminal de omnibus in Encarnación. Before you buy a ticket or even look at a bus, buy water. A good idea is to purchase a termo for tereré (the leather bound ones run about 150mil-- $30USD-- and come with bombilla and guampa), ask them to wash it for you and fill it with water (which you've purchased) and ice (which they have). Then pick up a little pack of yerba, fill up your guampa, and you're good to go.

You'll be walking or standing in the sun for hours. There will be no water. You should buy water. Go buy water now.

At the terminal, loaded with your water, find a bus to Ciudad del Este (i.e. a bus that goes up Ruta 6)--they leave about every half hour. A company like Yacyreta or Itapua Poty will work just fine. Don't go to the ticket window, where they'll charge you for the whole trip. Instead, go up to the bus or one of the guys yelling "Ciudad del Este" and say "si, para Trinidad." Or, just get on the bus directly without paying yet. These slightly cheaper buses will stop for half an hour on their way out of the city picking up passengers on almost every block.

At last! You're on the road. The ticket guy comes up to you and asks you "donde?" and you say "Trinidad" and he says "5mil" (which translates to $1 USD). Don't try paying with a 50mil or 100mil-- take out the ratty small bills and use those. About 40minutes after you've left the city, you'll get to Trinidad (remind the driver after you clear the city). This is what you'll see:

Follow that winding rock paved road up the hill for about half a mile and you'll see Trinidad. Admission right now is 5mil a person (yes, $1 USD) but they're planning on raising it to a whopping 25mil for foreigners (that'd be a mere $5 USD). Wander at your desire or hire a tour guide (you pay what you want... 30mil an hour seems about fine).

Once you leave Trinidad and you're craving lunch, walk back down the empedrado (stone paved road) to Ruta 6. Across the street, you'll find a perfectly acceptable copetin where you can eat for 10mil ($2).

Getting to Jesus is a bit trickier. Walk down Ruta 6 to the gas station (about 200 meters). At that corner, ask for a taxi to Jesus. The banged up cars that double as taxis might not be there. Try the gas station, asking for a taxi or the colectivo (local bus) to Jesus. You may have to wait a bit. We payed a dude 50mil (10 USD) to take us up to Jesus, wait there for 30 minutes while we walked around, and then drive us back down. Had the colectivos been running (the road was being asphalted that day and so the buses weren't going up the hill), we would've done that and spent more time at Jesus and spent about 5mil per person for the ride.

This is not a walkable distance, from Ruta 6 to Jesus is a 12km (7.456 miles) walk up a hill on asphalt in the hot sun with you carrying your water.

To get back to Encarnación, wait in front of the taxi stand on Ruta 6 with the crowd of locals that's also gathered to catch whatever bus comes by. Again, price for standing on a crowded bus for 30 minutes is 5mil.

So, let's say, for example, that you're a tourist visiting Paraguay. How do you get to see this?

A way to rephrase the question is: what's the simplest way to cross from Ciudad del Este into Brazil? The first thing to note is that the locals, because they're in Mercosur, which has a common id card (cedula) that allows entry into all member countries, think it's just as simple as walking across the bridge that connects Paraguay to Brazil. This would be incorrect.

Public transportation is the way to go: Either in the form of the buses lined up on the Ruta Internacional (the road leading up to the bridge (Puente de la Amistad) on the Paraguayan side that charge about 8mil Guaraní or 2 reais (a little more than a dollar))-- look for it on the double lane part of the highway in front of Monalisa or via taxis (this option is a Very Distant Second and charges considerably more-- be prepared to pay at least 40mil Guaraní). Remember that Brazil is one hour ahead of Paraguay and so at night, by 7pm Brazil time, the buses between the cities stop running and the best way across back into Paraguay is taxis (be prepared to pay 35 reais--$19 USD-- to get your from the urban bus terminal in Foz back across the bridge into Paraguay). Take a moto taxi only if you have a death wish. Just sit tight on the bus as you pass through Paraguay's and Brazil's migraciones and aduanas complex, comply with the request--should a customs officer come on board in Brazil--to open your purse as they want to see if you've purchased anything in Paraguay, tinker with your cellphone, don't gab loudly in English (this is rude behavior in general), and consider resisting the urge to take out your camera and photograph whatever it is that is catching your eye as you cross that bridge.


You want to go to the "terminal de omnibus"-- the urban bus terminal, which the bus running between Foz and CdE stops at. There, go to the entrance (where the turn stiles are) and pay your fare for the urban buses (right now it's 2 reais 20 centavos) and ask for "parque nacional" or "cataratas." They'll point out where to stand (on the platform on your left after you pass through the turn stiles).

Get in the back of the bus that pulls up-- this is usually the exit, but since you've paid your fare already, you go through here. The last stop on the bus (perhaps a 30minute ride) is the entrance to Iguazu. Citizens of the United States pay a 20 reais entrance fee. Realize you'll get wet-- wear appropriate shoes.