Excursion to Paraguay: Cuidad del Este

Drive through the chaotic Cuidad del Este
Visit of the largest dam in the world - the Itaipu Dam
Stop at the water-rich Mondai Falls
Visit to the shopping center

At Niki's request we go to one today Day tour to neighboring Paraguay. A little after 9 a.m. we are picked up at the hostel and together with the Italian Chamir we go to the bank and then to the Brazilian customs. It takes longer than expected, after all, it is duty free Paraguay for Brazilians that Shopping paradise. And on this pre-Christmas Saturday, whole busloads of Brazilians who are eager to buy want to come Ciudad del Este. Even for Niki, these shopping excesses reach shocking proportions. The buyers drag the goods across the border to their parked bus in bags. But somehow also understandable, after all, they should Goods prices only a third be so high. Probably also by the Brazilian taxes on imported goods to give preference to domestic products.

Suddenly the guide finds that we don't need the entry stamp and that he only has to get one for the car, which speeds up the border crossing considerably. To what extent the action is legal, we'd better not question too much.

The streets of the seedy frontier town don't seem inviting to us at all: dirty and hectic. We make our first stop at Itaipu Zoológico regional one that can only be visited in guided groups. For now we have to wait 40 minutes for the tour to begin and the enclosures turn out - as feared - as poor and neglected. In particular, the big cats Puma and Jaguar move up and down in their much too small cages and leave a disturbed impression.

Then the Itaipu dam on the program. After an introductory video with all sorts of impressive facts this one technical marvel with extremely dubious ecological consequences. When the Parana River was dammed, the waterfalls, which are among the richest and most impressive in the world, were Sete Quedas Falls devoured by the masses of water and later blown up. Had to the huge flooded area People, animals and the rainforest give way. Then a tour to several viewpoints and on the dam is on the program.

We now drive more to the imposing and roaring ones Mondai waterfalls. The lift system and other infrastructure are said to be still under construction, but are more reminiscent of a ruined building. After that we're going back to Brazil, where we'll finish with the superfluous Dreiländereck monument visit. At one of the stands we at least buy fake sunglasses.

Then we let ourselves be dropped off in the city where, after a stopover in the shopping center, we go to eat in the local food court. And then take a taxi back to the hostel.