ASUNCION

Asuncion is the capital of the Paraguay. It has approximately  500 000 inhabitants. The Northern part of the city is terminated by Rio Paraguay river. Behind the river is Grand Chaco plateau, sparsely settled by small numbers of Indians. Asuncion is the seat of the national government and president. There are many stores in the city and the biggest university (Universidad Nacional de Asuncion) with 25 000 students. In the city there live poor people, rich people, solders and policemen. The middle rank completely disappeared. Asuncion is a in-land port connected with the ocean by the Rio Paraguay river.

	Hotel Armelle - we had been accommodated here first week of our stay. Very good hotel, but rather expensive (40 USD per double, normal visitor pays even more).		Entrance to the Armelle hotel.
	John on terrace in the eleventh floor of the hotel.		And Jacob in the same place. He invokes powerful ghosts of the prairie and does not sense  the future events yet.
	A look to the port from the hotel Armelle terrace. It is a small port on the Rio Paraguay river connecting in-land with the ocean.		A look to the port from the hotel Armelle terrace.
	Former battle-cruiser, nowadays a museum. It seems the fights had finished in Paraguay.		The sunset behind the port.
	The tomb of the Paraguayan presidents. Side by side here rest in peace both bloody dictators and liberal monarchs.		Inside the tomb of the presidents.
	Inside the tomb of the presidents.		Inside the tomb of the presidents. One of the busts.
	Cathedral.		New railway station building used as a market place.
	Parliament.		The president palace.
	The senate house. The USA donated 20 million dollars for the construction, 2 millions were stolen.		Another view on the senate house.
	Library.		A typical shopping street in Asuncion. You can buy things in shops, from costermongers and Indians.
	The police is present in almost every crossing. They try to regulate unmanageable transport. The policewomen are very rare.		A shopping passage with flowers on the ceiling.
	Poor cots nearby the port.		Poor cots nearby the port.
	The coke reseller.		Charles buys a sombrero.
	First steam locomotive in the South America. The times of fully developed train transport are beyond redemption.		A view on the former main railway station.
	The cash counters in the former railway station.		Interior of the president's train. Here traveled president, who left to die the most of male population in nonsensical war.
	Interior of the president's train.		Interior of the president's train.
	Interior of the president's train.		Interior of the president's train.
	Interior of the president's train. John, Peter, and Charles.		Nowadays transport, the city  bus.
	David shows a camera to the children.		It seems he will not lose it.
	A typical drink terrere contains a lot of caffeine. In Paraguay it drinks everybody including babies.		And one tot at the conclusion.