Paraguay

I’ll admit Paraguay wasn’t the South American country I was most excited to visit, but it ended up being one of my biggest surprises. Asunción may not have the world-famous landmarks of some of its neighbors, but I found it to be a welcoming city with a relaxed pace of life and a charming historic center that was enjoyable to explore.

While I was there, I connected with a local news reporter named Mou, who invited me to join him and a group of friends on a trip to Salto Cristal, a beautiful waterfall a few hours outside the capital. We spent the day hiking, swimming beneath the falls, sharing stories, and getting to know one another. By the end of the day, it felt less like I’d been shown around by strangers and more like I’d spent the afternoon with old friends. More than anything else, it was the people I met in Paraguay who made the country so memorable.