Ciudad del Este, Paraguay Backpacker Experiences & Stories

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I arrived in Ciudad del Este from Puerto Iguazu in Argentina, I had to pay $50USD for a visa and was given 5 days to be there. Not a long a time, but long enough to have a look around some of the country. The aim of my travel in Paraguay was to head west across to Asuncion via a detour south to see the national park in Ybycui. After going through the Paraguayan immigration control you are hit by a busy shopping mall scene with lots of billboards advertising products and a very busy road with cars, taxis and many motorbikes, its not easy to cross. I arrived at the end of the day and took a taxi to find a hotel near the center, I found a very European place to stay. I had some nice views of Ciudad del Este from the 3rd floor from the

The streets of Ciudad del Este, a shoppers haven.

balcony in the morning, the main feature being that there were a lot of trees for as far as the eye could see. I wanted to go for a walk and have a look around the city center, the hotel manager told me to keep my eyes open and valuables hidden. It was a short 5 minute walk down the road, a turn right and then I came to the markets and a busy pedestrian and shopping area, it was Saturday morning. There were taxis and motorbikes everywhere, billboards and street action. People were carrying bags and boxes of all shapes and sizes, it was a very colorful

Sports shops in Ciudad del Este.

scene. It's a real shoppers paradise, electronic goods, toys, soccer balls and t-shirts, clothing, perfume, watches, suitcases and packs, hardware, sports equipment and guns. There are quite a few police and security guards in the area. 3 men came up to me at separate times and gave me a card for a stereo or camera shop then offered me something white, for which I said 'no gracias'. After getting back to the hotel, I got a taxi to the bus terminal and bought a ticket west to La Colmena, which as far as I could tell was somewhere on the way to Ybycui.

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Videos from Ciudad del Este, Paraguay:

The Busy Streets of Ciudad del Este Video

My Hostel & Hotel Reviews for Ciudad del Este, Paraguay:
	Hotel Austria, Ciudad del Este, Paraguay (May 2009 - 1 night) - Good room and nice bathroom on the 3rd floor, restaurant downstairs, fantastic complimentary breakfast, nice views over the city. It has an extremely European feel to it for obvious reasons. The reception told us to keep our eyes open when walking in the area outside, so we did.