Buying Tyres in Paraguay's Duty Free Cuidad del Este

Just across the Paraguayan-Brazilian border from Foz de Iguazu, on the Paraguayan side, is Ciudad del Este. You  simply cross a bridge to get there. Indeed, you can also get to Cuidad del Este by taking a ferry from the Argentine side, Puerto Iguazu, as the borders are made by the meeting of 2 big rivers, with each country having it's defined territory on each side. 

Being that we were in Brazil already, we entered by the bridge. 

Technically, as an Australian, I need a visa to entered Paraguay, but we'd been reliably informed that if we were entered for just a day, to Ciudad del Este only, we could skip immigration. Even if I didn't need a visa, why waste a page or more (of our passports) getting in and out?

So, at the border Brazilian immigration let us straight out, but the Paraguayans on the other side kept stopping us (we were in the campervan) and telling us we should do immigration. H just kept telling them that he didn't want to waste passport pages and refusing to go through immigration and they let us through. 

A note here: Paraguayan borders are known for corruption, so if you do get processed you have to be careful to get your paperwork correctly in order or they'll be trying to bribe you. 

The reason for going to Ciudade del Este is that it's a big duty free city. It's full of Argentines and Brazialians buying what they can get away with (without paying taxes on re-entry to their country). We were in need of new tyres and we had heard it was one of the best places to buy them in South America. 

I wasn't excited about tyre shopping, but Ciudad del Este isn't known as a safe place, so H needed me along to sit in the vehicle (guarding it) while he shopped for a good price.

It took H about 1.5 hours to find what he wanted at a good price: 4 new tyres that are Chinese but seemingly well made, fitted, for $US520. This is a great price for tyres for this vehicle, so H is very happy. 

While the tyres were being fitted H watched their work (we'd been told to keep an eye on everything) and I walked to the shops nearby. There's was everything you could imagine available. It was the sort of place where as soon as you paused to look at something you had a shop assistant right there offering assistance... I hate that!, so I'd always leave without anything. I bought AAA batteries and a camera memory card. 

On leaving Paraguay we drove straight through immigration, but were stopped by the Brazilian side who entered the camper and were clearly looking to see that we hadn't bought a truckload of stuff to sell in Brazil (if we had I guess we'd have to pay taxes).

And that was our Paraguay tire shopping experience. 

Paraguay shortcut

   Paraguay isn't on most peoples list of countries to visit. I would
say that it doesn't have much of an international reputation for
anything at all and Lonely Planet South America makes it sound pretty
dull. But I decided to go anyway.
   For one, I wanted to get from Puerto Iguazu to the other northern
part of Argentina and it looked like a handy shortcut. And secondly,
when I told the Uruguayan estancia owner (Panagea) that I one day want
to own a small farm he told me I should take a look at Paraguay as he
thought it had a lot of unacknowledged potential. (In reality, I would
be quite happy to have the farm in Australia as I still firmly believe
I come from a very fortunate part of our planet.)
   So I headed to the Paraguayan Consulate in Puertu Iguazu to get a
visa (Australians need a visa for Paraguay but aren't difficult about
it like Brazil). Unfortunately I was to discover that the consulate in
Puerto Iguazu doesn't issue visas and I would have to return to
Posadas to apply for the visa.
   This very much ruined my shortcut, but I decided to still get my
visa and go across Paraguay. So I headed to Posadas.
Posadas isn't a bad place to have to go to get a visa. It is a
pleasant city with a nice riverwalk.
   Crossing the bridge from Argentina to Paraguay the girl on the
Argentina side of immigration processes our passports but forgot to
stamp them. So on arrival at the Paraguay immigration, across the
bridge, we were told to go back. We eventually got it sorted and were
allowed into Paraguay.
   We spent one night in Encarnation and one night in Asuncion
(capital of Paraguay) and then left. We visited the Jesuit ruins and
walked the capital, but Paraguay didn't seem to have much reason to
stay longer. Although, had I crossed from Puerto Iguazu I would have
liked to seen the big dam (2nd in the world).
   Then, to further ruin my shortcut, we couldn't find any buses
across the top of Argentina to Salta and we had to go south to
Resistencia where we arrived to find the buses to Salta sold out for
the next day.
   I am actually not disappointed that I went through Paraguay, but I
am disappointed that I missed seeing any of the Pampas scenery of
Northern Argentina. The bus we ended up being able to get was a night
bus, I really hate night buses.
   All in all, Puerto Iguazu to Salta was a disappointment. But at
least I did get to admire the Paraguayan farming land... I thought
Uruguay was better.

 

If I understand correctly, the river is flooded due to the building of a dam.

I guess they left some buildings in the way. This is in Posadas (Argentina).

Argentinians and Uruguayan wander around with a thermos under the arm 

and a mate cup in the hand. Paraguayans have their own cold version

with a highly decorated cooler flask with the cup holder on its side.

The Jesuit ruins near Encarnation are pretty, but come with no information.

Farming country in Paraguay.

Beware of the streets in Asuncion. 

Locals laughed at me taking photos of their streets.

 Squatters live in a central Asuncion Plaza, whereas in most cities they remove them.

 Looking towards the river in Asuncion, 

you can see it suffers quite a bit from poverty.

Notes

Accomodation: Encarnation, Hotel Germano... opposite the bus terminal, really clean, freindly owner and convenient. If you want to see the Jesuit Ruins, stay here and head out... you only need the afternoon.

Asuncion: Hotel Maria. Good location, clean, I would stay there again.

Paraguay to Argentina border crossing- horrible!

   I wouldn't recommend crossing the border from Asuncion (Paraguay) to Colinda (Argentina) if you are considering another option. It is the 9th land border crossing I have made in South America this year, and it, by far, is the worse one.
   The Paraguay exit people are right beside the Argentine entry people, so this seems convenient, but while you are waiting for your stamps other people grab your luggage from the bus. They then direct you to come with them so your luggage can be put through an x-Ray machine, from which they grab your luggage and have you follow them past everyone else where they give you your lugguge and demand a tip. I looked confused, so advise was offered "One hundred dollars". I laughed. And handed over 2 pesos (about 50c), which I figure is plenty in this economy. The guy said it wasn't enough and gave it back, I told him that as it wasn't a service I had wanted he wasn't getting anything more. My travel companion opened her wallet and had 50 and 2 pesos and the guy said she should give him the 50, we both laughed. She gave him the 2, and he turned to me again and I pulled the 2 back out of my pocket and relunctantly gave it back to him.
   I hate tipping no matter where I am and I particularly hate it in these situations where the only guidance is from a person trying to take advantage of the situation. I also believe that tipping leads to corruption as there gets to be a fine line between tips and bribes. So I hate it.
   Given a choice I would have preferred to have gotten my own lugguge off the bus and carried it through every point myself. I have managed to get it this far, and I like to be in control of it.
   The other horrible part of that border is that you lose posession of your passport. The Argentine immigration doesn't give it back to you and you get to return to your bus without your passport and wait for the bus host(?) to give it back to you. Scary!