Winter break (pt 1)

So here's a little more detail on my holiday.

I took an overnight coach to Posadas (look it up on google maps, you lazy buggers). I thought I'd booked the completely flat bed seats but unfortunately, I'd only booked 'cama' (meaning bed) which only go semi-flat, leaving you at a fifteen degree angle to the horizontal (approximately, don't quote me on that) so I had a night of broken sleep. However the food was good and I got there in one piece. I found a good hotel (third place I'd tried) and promptly showered and went to bed - you know what I'm like without sleep. Couple of hours later I was up and out. Now I had planned to explore Posadas on the Saturday and go out to some ruins on Sunday but truth is I was so tired (I'm talking deep down, bone tired) after a long term, doing the DELTA and having to move (into a flat I hate) that I couldn't find the impetus to do very much at all. I spent a lot of time just wandering around the 'city', sitting in cafes and reading my book - and that was both Saturday and Sunday. Once I had a good look at the map, I finally got my head around the geography and realised my original plans were daft.

A quick revision had me going across the river to Encarnacion in Paraguay. The guide books said I could catch the bus from the city but weren't that clear from where and everyone I asked (local tourist information and a copper) all said I would have to go back to the bus terminal and catch the bus from there. However, I kept wandering in the general area that I thought the bus should leave from until a saw a group of people waiting. Interestingly you can always tell when people are waiting for a bus (no matter what the country) and they all look in different directions and are disinterested in the people around them. Using my bestest bad Spanish I checked and this was the place. Hopped on the bus and away we went.

Because it's a border crossing, everyone has to get of the bus on the Argentine side of the bridge, go through emigration and show their documents, get back on the bus, be driven across the bridge to the Paraguayan side, get of the bus and go into Paraguay immigration. At this point the bus picks up any waiting passengers and pisses off! Luckily I knew this would happen and only needed to wait for the next bus (about ten minutes later).

The new driver was lovely and knew I wanted to get off at the bus terminal (I kind of thought that was where he was going but I wanted to be on the safe side so I told him). Unfortunately I was sitting right behind him, hidden by the plastic cubicle and he totally forgot about me. It was until we turned onto a dirt road that I became just a little concerned. I reminded him I was there and he was sooo embarrassed. At no time did I feel unsafe (and my danger radar is very good). Anyway he swept out the bus, turned around and dropped me off a block from the terminal - all the one way streets make it impossible for him to actually take me to the terminal. No problem - I found it, realised that there was no tourist information there and decided to find a hotel I'd seen on the way in. Of course, I went off in the wrong direction (if I say we HAVE to go left, believe me, we should go right). Eventually I found the hotel and booked in.

Again the plan was to stay a few nights and visit some ruins. Again the plan was changed. To find out what happened next, stay tuned for the next (not so) thrilling episode...