10 March 2011

I had no idea what to expect from Asunción. Or from Paraguay for that matter. Which is good because it's nice to go somewhere without expectations. Still I apparently did have some expectations because it is totally different from what I thought it would be like…

As far as capitals go, Asunción is one of the more quiet ones. And when I say quiet I mean really quiet. In the daytime there's not much happening. In the small, run down center people wander around a little, street vendors sell trivia, to whom I have no idea. A couple of old cars pass by. I have lunch at Bolsi: the best place in town. There are always people there. Unfortunately I never took the time to learn Spanish. And nobody speaks English here, so not much conversation going on. At night there's absolutely no one around. It's almost scary. But it's completely safe.

Let's say for me it's one of the more solitary places I visit. After all the crazy stuff that has happened in Holland after Christmas, finishing my book, staying in Holland much longer than planned, getting used to that life again, and the party time in Rio, it takes some getting used to. But I'm growing into it again. It's just that sometimes the contrasts are so high. Shifting from massive energies to absolute quietness. It screws with my head sometimes.

It has something nice and mysterious too, to walk around alone, exploring a new, old, city. Observing. Quietly reading by yourself at every breakfast, lunch and dinner. Short conversations with the hotel's receptionist. Taking black and whites, trying to capture the feel of the city. It's the not so spectacular side of Streets, but it's beautiful too.

I've found a nice street corner with an old colonial building being renovated on the opposite side, a church, a taxi stand with drivers hanging around for non-existing clients and a magazine stall with Shakira al lover it. It feels like a typical Asunción street corner. Where local life just unfolds in its unpretentious ways.