Paraguay Blog #9: Cosas ‘n’ Such

Welcome to a post about, you know, just some stuff that’s popped up the past week or so.

1) Blemish: (tr. v) to mar or impair by a flaw; (n) an imperfection that mars or impairs; a flaw or defect.

I... Ah... So this floor cleaner does what exactly then?

2) And then there are the napkins. Lawd ha’mercy we can’t forget about the napkins:

I wonder if the 'tude is balanced out since they were free with purchase?

3) Caroline has been picking these off one of the trees in the front yard and sharing them with me. They call them “manzanitas” (little apples) in these parts, though you may’ve heard of them referred to as “acerola” or somesuch.

They're about as big around as a quarter, and easily four times as delicious.

4) One of the dessert treats I couldn’t wait to get my hands on when I got here was a Paraguayan style alfajor. It’s basically a cookie sandwich with dulce de leche in the center and all around the sides, rolled in coconut flakes. I got this one at Tia Pachi’s in Itauguá. (They also serve up some mad delicious empanadas. This place merits a stop if you ever find yourself in Itauguá!)

Tia Pachi's Alfajores: Worth the travel costs.

For a much brighter picture of a Paraguayan alfajor, read someone else’s blog.

5) If you’re going to drink tereré here- and you’re going to drink tereré here- make sure to hit up your local remedio shop, remedio roadside stand, or patch of weeds in the back yard first to collect just the right mixture of herbs to add to your water.

One of many such shelves in a Caacupé remedio shop.

No matter what’s wrong with you- hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, eczema, fondness for telenovelas- there’s a remedio that will cure it.

6) And wouldn’t you know there’s a hammock out front that’s almost always calling my name?

Alternately maxin', and relaxin' all cool.

Sitting in a hammock drinking ice water by the bucketful and reading one book after another while birds sing, lizards flick through fallen leaves, and breezes rustle your pages is no way to live an entire life. But let me tell ya’: It’s not a bad way to live part of one. ;)

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