Friday was a fun day and the last day of the Ties trip. I am very happy the group let me tag along for a few days, and thank them for letting me share in their very special experience.
There were quite a few futbol (soccer) fans in the group, so our visit to the South American Football Museum was a huge hit. This museum was incredibly well done and I think it tops some of the halls-of-fame we have in the U.S. But then I shouldn’t be surprised…it is soccer after all. The museum is connected to CONMEBOL, The South American Football Confederation headquarters.
Hard core fans 
Paraguay forever!! 
Tracy and Will 
Uruguay – small country, soccer powerhouse 
The Ties group
The soccer museum, as well as the international airport in Paraguay, reside in the town of Luque, which is basically a suburb of Asuncion. But, don’t ever say that to anyone from Luque. From what our guide told us, the residents of Luque are fiercely independent and would like to secede from Paraguay to become their own state. It’s easy to tell when you’ve crossed from Asuncion into Luque because everything turns to blue and gold. Light poles, barriers, store signs, buildings, clothing, etc. They love their soccer team and it shows.
Our next stop was also in Luque. We visited a local artisan who specializes in jewelry made with silver filigree. They demonstrated how to make the silver strands by hand and then how they create pieces of fine jewelry. This is very detailed work and everything is done by hand in this shop.
Heating up the silver 
Pressing silver into strands 
Making jewelry 
Reception hosted by Luque Office of Tourism 
The end result
The afternoon was spent visiting the city of San Bernardino where we had gourmet pizza and pasta from a nationally recognized chef who has a high-end restaurant in Asuncion. Then the group split up for boat tours, mountain biking, canoeing, and a tree-top adventure course. San Bernardino (Sanber to locals) is a resort town that is crowded in the summer vacation months. It sits on the very beautiful Lake Ypacari, which has a very sad history. In the past there was manufacturing plant that dumped toxic waste into a waterway feeding the lake. The chemicals coated the bottom of the lake so nothing can live there. There have been multiple attempts to clean the lake, but none have been successful. The lake is used for boating, but swimming is not recommended. It’s an absolute shame.
There is a rumor that Hilter is buried under one of the hotels in San Bernardino. You never know…there are also theories that Hitler died in Paraguay.
The water levels on Lake Ypacari are so low the boat operators must get creative with temporary docks.
Makeshift dock 
Getting creative with a boat bench 
Bike riders 
Lake Ypacari 
Enjoying the boat ride
Friday night wrapped up with dinner at a harp school. The couple that owns the school does evening events to fund the music side of the business. They treated the group to traditional harp and guitar music while we ate, and we even got to see Tracy, along with one of her tour guides, perform a traditional dance.
This brings the Ties tour to an end, but we’re not quite done yet. Stay tuned…
Will