Another Stamp!

Hello Folks
Now calling from the Hostel Austria in Puerto del Este, Paraguay and therefore, have another stamp in my passport. Only 9 pages left!
First thing this morning I thought that Joy was coming down with a problem because of the salad she had yesterday at the Parque de Iguazu, but the Dukerol kicked in and she was fine. Dukerol is an oral vaccine against Cholera with side protection against the usual Travellers D-------). So far we have not been too careful, other than using bottled water, and have not had any problems. Anyway while she rested a little after breakfast, I got our photo cards in for printing to a cd, picked up the laundry and got so Reales (pronounced hay-ice for reasons known only to the Brazilians). Then we were off to the Itaipu dam.
We managed to find the right municipal bus for the 45 minute ride to the dam. It was another clear blue sky (remember this is the rainy season) and scorching temperatures. I saw one temperature at 34C but I am certain that it hit at least 2 more degrees before the day was over. There are thunder storms forecast for Sunday so that may moderate the temperatures slightly.
The dam is no longer free as the guidebook said, but also not very expensive. You are treated to a propaganda film at the start saying how ethically responsible they were in building the dam and some of the activities they are doing now. They do not answer questions about the financing of the dam which must have been in the hundreds of billions of $s, not do they indicate the percentage of the income from the generation of 20% of Brazils power and 90% of Paraguays, that is used to carry out the good works. The dam is an impressive sight and generates more power than any other dam on earth. Even more than the Three Gorges dam in China. You drive across the bottom, under the massive spillways and back across the top. You are bombarded with engineering statistics which I am sure Joy will provide in her blog. It was worth the visit and it hurt a little when they indicated that they were acting in support of the Kyoto Accord and encouraged all the tourists to get their countries to do so as well. According to them over 32, 000 Canadians have been there in the ten years of operation.
After we gathered up our bags, we got a taxi for Paraguay. It seemed like too great a hassle to get on the municipal bus to Brazilian Immigration, then another to go to Paraguayan Immigration, and still another to the hostel . Using the same cab we made the two stops and got help with money changing (which was a hoot!) and ended at the Hostel Austria. There was no space at our first choice, Hostel Munich, which was next door and almost no space here. We had no third choice, but would have found one, I am sure. Anyway this place is so nice and air-conditioned that we decided to stay for 2 nights before heading on further into Paraguay. Another reason for the cab was the warning in the guide about the robberies on the very long bridge over the Parana River between Brazil and Paraguay. There was an obvious change in the standard of living and cleanliness as we arrived in Cuidad del Este. Anyway the hostel is great and has a number of roof top patios on which my artist wife can get away from me, the TV, and me again.
After a stroll (during which we discovered that the time had changed an hour), shopping at the Mona Lisa (an up-scale mall), a good meal at a Chinese restaurent,and a nap, we went grocery shopping. A bottle of Rum, wine, coke, water, cookies, crackers, and yogurt we paid the bill 61,000 Guaranies (about $15), but it was not Bacardis. I told you that the Guarani was a hoot. I was in the middle of this very dangerous street (according to the guide-book) exchanging $300 U.S. for 1,440,000 Guarani. Try counting that quickly! We will go to a bank next time and get a better rate, but given the circumstances at the time it was pretty bizarre.
Anyway we are safe in Paraguay for the next 2 nights.
Hast Luego
Jim