Reflections on South America
Hello from The Netherlands! (I started writing this from 40,000 feet a few days ago, but unfortunately haven’t been able to finish until now…) I am back home after an incredible summer in Central and South America. Unfortunately, the fun has come to an end due to some obligations I have in Europe…
In my last “newsletter,” I said I was leaving Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil, and heading to a new destination, but I did not reveal where. The next place I went was… Paraguay!
Why? Because who goes to Paraguay? Not many people. So I was curious to see what’s happening in Paraguay, and why most people don’t visit. Up until last year, there was a $260 visa fee, one of the highest in the world. But, that was removed to try and encourage people to visit as the world re-opened.
Let’s start with a few fun facts about Paraguay. 80% of land in Paraguay is owned by only 2.5% of its population and only 161 individuals control 90% of Paraguay’s wealth. For what it’s worth, Paraguay has a population of only 7 million people, but I know a few conservatives reading this who will probably warm to the idea of a society where very few have most of the power and wealth.
On the border of Brazil and Paraguay is the Itaipu Dam. Officially, Brazil and Paraguay split administration and control of the dam 50/50, but in reality Paraguay only receives about 20% of the electricity generated from the dam. However, the dam 20% provides more than 80% of Paraguay’s electricity. It’s the world’s second-biggest working hydroelectric power plant. On a related subject, before leaving Brazil I visited the “Three Points” border between Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. This is a spot where the three countries come together and are only divided by a river. From the Brazil side, you can see both the Paraguayan side and the Argentine side and each side has their own “Three Points” viewpoint. On the Brazilian side, there is a cool sign pointing to the countries, flags, and a small monument in Brazilian colors. It was cool to visit.
And lastly, Paraguay is home to over 1,000 different types of birds. It’s also home to America’s largest feline cat – the Jaguar. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any jaguars during my visit.
During my week in Paraguay, I based myself in Asunción, the capital. Asunción is a laid-back city - pretty quiet in fact. I arrived on a Sunday night and almost immediately walked 10 minutes to the center to find some food. Not only did I find food, but I also found a big public park and square filled with people and lights and an outdoor market. Apparently, that’s what people do on the weekends and it’s really nice! But the next day, a Monday, was a national holiday, officially the “Founding Day of Asunción,” so the festivities did not end. Paraguayans certainly know how to have a fun time!
While there I also visited a nearby town called Aregua, home to a nice church, lake, horses, and strawberries! They were very tasty!
Overall, I found people in Paraguay to be very welcoming and friendly. As I said before, Asunción was pretty quiet (especially when it wasn’t the weekend or a holiday). So what did I find? What is there to see in Paraguay and why did I only see a total of 3 foreign tourists while I was there? Well, I would say that Paraguay lacks the tourist infrastructure that lots of surrounding countries have. Outside of Asunción, it’s very rural. And there are not a ton of things to do and see. But I’m glad I visited. If I hadn’t, I would still be wondering about Paraguay.
After a nice week in Paraguay, I went to Colombia. Yes, a place that many seem to think is dangerous and filled with drug cartels. But that couldn’t be further from the reality. With Colombia being the last stop of my trip, I spent almost two weeks there and split the time between Medellin, Cartagena, and Santa Marta.
The most important thing to know about Colombia is it has the best coffee in the world. It’s also the third largest exporter. But it’s really the best, trust me.
Medellin is a great place. I think it’s now one of my top two favorite cities in South America - the other being Buenos Aires. Medellin used to be the most dangerous city in the world. During the days of Pablo Escobar, the notorious drug lord, the city was a hub for drug trafficking and violence. In 1991 there were more than 20 murders a day making it the murder capital of the world. Comuna 13, a district consisting of 13 neighborhoods, was the most dangerous spot and was completely controlled by the drug cartels, because of its favorable geographic location which made it an easy place to traffic drugs (cocaine) through the mountains and out of Colombia to other international destinations.
Today, Medellin is a different place. I visited Comuna 13, and it is a popular tourist spot with lots of art, performances, and cool views of the city. Medellin is quite a big city with some really urban areas, so you’ll find a lot going on. In between the people offering me some cocaine on the streets, I also saw lots of street performers. Specifically, there were these groups of guys who would jump out into intersections when there was a red light and perform some cool dances. Some guys weren’t dancing, and they would cheer the others on. It was kinda cool. Medellin as a whole is a digital nomad and tourist hub, and it is just a really cool place with nice weather. The city is in the mountains, and there is a lot of greenery, but due to the hilly parts there are also 6 cable car lines, which are part of the public transit network (Medellin has the only metro in Colombia as well). The cable cars help people who live in neighborhoods in steeper areas of the city have more access to the rest of the city, because before there were very windy and narrow roads and steep staircases. Medellin is also a big digital nomad hub, and as a digital nomad myself, I’d like to spend a few months there in the future, along with a lot of other expats who now call it home.
While in Medellin I also went to a football game. How could I visit South America and not go to a game? It was a big game — the semifinal vs Bogota. Unfortunately, Bogota prevailed, beating the home team 2-0, but the fans were dedicated until the very end. That was one of my favorite experiences in Colombia.
Next, I visited Cartagena, a port city in the north, on the Caribbean. There are a lot of cultural differences between Medellin and Cartagena, as the culture seems to be more influenced by neighboring Caribbean countries and islands through the food, music, and the vibes. There is good Cuban food especially. Cartagena is a very colorful city, as you can see in the attached photos. Lots of people like Cartagena for the food and the nightlife, as it seems to be an ideal place to relax. However, it wasn’t my favorite. I preferred Medellin.
And before leaving Colombia, I spent a couple of nights in Santa Marta. Santa Marta is also in the north - it’s east of Cartagena. Due to time, I, unfortunately, wasn’t able to go to Tyrona National Park further east, which is where most people go after visiting Santa Marta. I just went to visit a friend, who I met in Guatemala, at the start of my trip. Santa Marta is not that nice, to be honest, but the beaches are okay and there are some nice restaurants.
After an incredible couple of months in South America, I can’t wait to go back. It’s the 5th continent I’ve been to and I think it’s very unique. People often love to compare it to Southeast Asia as a tourist destination, and my take on that is that Southeast Asia is definitely cheaper, the food is better, and I think there are more distinctive cultural differences. But South America is much larger geographically, and there are beaches, cities, mountains, and pretty good food everywhere (though lots of rice and beans dishes, which are good, but I think get old after eating them a lot. Argentina is different though, as there’s more diversity in the food - it’s the best in SA).
If you’re practicing/learning Spanish, like me, it’s an excellent place to visit, and I’m happy to report some positive progress on that front — by the end of my trip, I was mainly using Spanish and was even translating for tourists who needed help. If you go to South America, expect to use Spanish, and be open to using Spanish. Don’t be the dumb American tourists I came across in Peru who were complaining about speaking Spanish - what did they expect? (Ignorant and dumb Americans are so annoying). I kinda like how in South America the English level isn’t as high, as it’s a very good environment to learn Spanish. When you compare that to Southeast Asia, where there are multiple different languages (such as Thai, Vietnamese, Khmer, etc), most people there have a pretty good English level from a young age (at least younger generations). It’s more hit-and-miss in South America.
Another observation I had is whenever someone in South America told me they had traveled to the US, they said they went to Miami. I’ve never had much of an interest in going there, especially because of crazy DeathSantis and Rubio and lots of other radicals in Florida. But it sounds to me like Miami is just an extension of South America, and Spanish is spoken widely there. So I’ll have to visit sometime soon!
I am now in Europe for the next few months and have some fun things lined up. Happy fall!
Zach