Arrival in Asuncion
My first glance at Asuncion, Paraguay. The city lies next to the Paraguay River, which is the largest river I have ever seen. There are lots of red-tiled roofs which look beautiful from up in the air. One of the most prominent buildings is a soccer stadium.
There are not a lot of high rise buildings in the city. I did notice that there were many abandoned buildings. They don't tear them down! The colonial architecture is beautiful, especially the downtown district. There is an abandoned train station downtown that was once a bustling center. Now, most transportation is by car and bus.
Other buildings include the President's Palace, a Catholic Church, The National Police, and the Ministry of Justice. Notice also the cobblestone streets, and beautiful tropical trees and flowers. This was in March, which is the summer season for South America. The nights were beautiful and the days were hot.
Below is an example of a building that is abandoned. This used to be a large supermarket, but a few years ago there was a fire. 400 people were killed because they could not get out - the doors were locked! The storeowner was afraid they would loot his store, so he locked the doors. He, of course, got out. The building remains as a memorial to those who died.