Re rata Paraguay !!!

Rohayhú Paraguay!!!

'atras' on a truck, we pass the border between Bolivia/Paraguay. By fate, this is where our travel plan unfolds. Two young boys hop on and tell us about a Rainbow gathering happening in Paraguay at that time. Of course, we decide to go there. Our journey flows from one car to another until we reach Melgarejo. From there, it is a 7 km walk to the land of 'Don Juan' where the 'encuentro arco iris' is being celebrated. Along the way, just because we asked for directions, we are invited to BBQ and wine - the Paraguayans are so hospitable.

We arrive exactly during the full moon, the peak of the gathering. We are warmly welcomed and get to enjoy a variety show. We are exhausted from the journey and fall into our hammocks. We spend a good two weeks here. Everyday, we cook together and eat in a huge circle. There are about 70 of us. The Rainbow is something very special, like its own culture. The people who cook are called 'cocinamores,' those who serve the food are 'sirviamores,' and the toilets, which are self-dug trenches covered with earth and ash, are called 'cagamores' haha, it's quite amusing if you embrace it. We play, celebrate, sing, paint, sleep in pairs in a hammock, bathe in the river everyday, hug each other a lot, dance, and celebrate life and nature. It is a very interesting and beautiful experience for us.

'Don Juan,' the owner of the land who provides it to us for free, is delighted with us. He has gotten used to seeing naked people walking around, singing before meals - yes, he has taken us into his heart and wants us to stay here.

However, when the ice age arrived, it became too cold for us in our wet hammocks. While taking a walk, we passed by Maria's 'despenser.' We took the opportunity to ask if she had a warm place for us! The family immediately adopted us and so we stayed with them for another three days. The hospitality of this family was breathtaking. We cooked together, shared stories, and learned from each other. But even the most beautiful moments come to an end, so we said goodbye to Maria and her family with mixed emotions.

Our journey continued north. Our new destination is Altos, where the Wellllo family lives, whom we will help in the next few weeks.

(through a website called 'workaway,' you can find great places where you can help and get free accommodation and food).

Hitchhiking works exceptionally well in Paraguay, so we arrived in Altos at dusk. Walter, Eva, and little Leo - wrapped in a baby carrier - pick us up at an intersection with their 'tucktuck'.

After being thoroughly shaken by the bumpy road, we were greeted by Sissi and Lilli, the two dogs, as well as Lukas, Laura, and Luna, the children of the family. (Here with the Wellllo's, everything and everyone has their own name, which is quite funny).

Thus, we have the pleasure of getting to know this exceptionally lovely family. They emigrated from Austria (Salzburg) about 6 years ago and have built a new life here in Paraguay. Now they live in a small fine house with many animals and bread baking. Every Friday is a big bread baking day, and the grain is ground on Thursdays. Every Saturday, they visit a nearby market with the whole family and a lot of delicious whole grain bread.

Since Paraguay was ruled by a German dictator about 30 years ago, there are still quite a few German, Swiss, and Austrian immigrants living here today.

It was really strange to suddenly hear so many German-speaking people. But for me, being with this family feels like a vacation for the mind... finally, I can let the words flow easily, which is something special, especially to hear Austrian dialect again ;-) (honestly, I do miss home a bit)

After a good two weeks, we decide to celebrate Maria's birthday with her and combine it with a little trip. Well, the birthday was nice, but they don't seem to be big celebrators.

Our journey takes us to the gigantic waterfall called 'salto cristal,' and its cold, clear water refreshes us. Since it is really far away from everything, we are currently in the middle of nowhere, watching the sunset and waiting for a guy with a moped we met on the way here. He said he would come by with his brother around 6 pm and could give us a ride for about 15 km to the road (oh man, hopefully he comes).

Yes! Julio arrives and the three of us ride on his moped down the bumpy road to the main road. Julio wants to help us because he also realizes that hitchhiking is quite difficult in the dark. So he asks a friend who lives right by the road if we can spend the night at her place. Little did we know that this would be one of the most restless and eerie nights. The lady, whose name is Maria, lives in the house by the road with her 9-year-old son. We greet each other, but the situation is tense. After a 'request,' I play a few songs on my enchanting gitalele, but I constantly get interrupted. We quickly realize that the woman is peculiar and probably has a mental illness. Ruben decides to go to the 'despensa' with the young Alberto to get us some food. I feel somewhat uncomfortable being alone with this woman. She wants a gift and preferably everything I'm wearing. I'm desperate because I don't know what to give her. So I unpack almost everything from my backpack and try to find something for the crazy lady. Phew, in the end, I give her one of our recycling fabric bags, which somewhat satisfies her. It is really uncomfortable being alone with her, and eerie situations run through my mind. She asks me many questions repeatedly even though I told her what we more or less do, and her eyes wander in all directions... Luckily, the two boys come back.

We eat the worst empanadas, and Alberto shows us where we can sleep. Another house, phew, luckily. We make ourselves comfortable and go to bed with an uncomfortable feeling. Cold shivers, unusual heart palpitations, an extremely strong wind that almost blows off the roof, cold drafts - oh man, hopefully the night will pass quickly. We wake up from our dreams repeatedly, in which a horror movie plays out. When we wake up, the doors creak, the roof shakes, and unusual shivers come from the direction of the house. We survived the night and decline an invitation for breakfast. We must get out of here!

Yes, a car immediately stops and gives us a lift 'thanks to the universe'!!!

After a few hours, we arrive in Asuncion, spend a cozy day in the huge city, visit the botanical garden (a large park without any explanations, but very beautiful), and the next day, we return to the cozy home of the Wellllo's!