POST 10 – FINAL POST: DAYS 22-24 (12-14 March 2026): BEST & WORST.

Welcome to the traditional final post of the BEST AND WORST of AI CARAMBA PART 2 – 2026 !!!

It is here you will get answers to the BEST and WORST of every aspect of my trip and I will rank the 3 UN Countries and 1 Territory.

 

Here are the final stats on AI CARAMBA PART 2:

Total Days: 24

Total UN Countries: 5

Total new UN Countries: 2

Total Territories: 1

Total distance travelled (air & ground): 10,595km

 

I travelled AI CARABBINA and AI CARAMBA PART 2 in one continuous trip with these final stats:

Total Days: 87

Total UN Countries: 30

Total new UN Countries: 15

Total new Territories: 11

Total distance travelled (air & ground): 52,713km

Total length of the Equator: 40,075km

 

Below is a short account of my 45hr trip from my hotel in Asuncion PARAGUAY to my White House in Sydney AUSTRALIA:

3hr flight from Asuncion PARAGUAY to Santiago CHILE

Overnight in Santiago CHILE

14hr flight from Santiago CHILE to Sydney AUSTRALIA.

 

The clock for this long journey officially started at 8am when Dennis drove me the short 7km to Asuncion Airport. My 1120am flight to Santiago de Chile in CHILE was delayed to noon. But what a flight. Wait to you see the images below of super-fertile Argentina and the simply eye-popping Andes !!! How the heck did those Uruguayan Union Players make it across those monstrous mountains in nothing but total snow ? My 2.5hr flight landed at 230pm and I used my magical Greek Passport to enter Chile with no visa (the Ozzie Passport requires an online visa + USD50). This Greek Passport of mine is SAVING ME MONEY !!! My hostel owner, Fernando was there to pick me up and whisk me a huge 10min from the airport to what turned out to be very “homey” accommodations. The so-called “hostel” was actually an upper floor apartment with kitchen, bathroom and 3 bedrooms. I got the place to myself for AUD45. On my way here, Fernando pointed out the massive LIDEL supermarket just 700m from his hostel. I was there quicker than you can say wine, olives and cheese !!! As I walked there, I could not help but reminisce back to 2010 when I first landed in and stayed in Santiago on my to Ushuaia to visit the Antarctic that kicked of the original AI CARAMBA. I walked in a glorious summer arvo with clear skies, dry and a warm 27C. LIDEL blessed me with a hot BBQ chicken and zero sugar sorbet ice-cream – my last treat before the 14.5hr direct Qantas flight tomorrow to Sydney. Being so close to the airport there was not much going on where I was to sleep. Very industrial with gated communities that looked identical to the LA ones in California USA. I settled down at 530pm and celebrated my final night on South American soil with Chilean wine, Chilean Chicken and Chilean Ice-Cream !!!

 

Now back to business - Here are my Nation Rankings and why:

Here is the BEST and WORST of each main aspect of my trip:

Congratulations, once again, on surviving the gruelling heat and humidity of summertime northern and central South America. I am sure you will agree that it was well worth given the wonders you have seen. I was even more wonderful bringing it all into your living room !!!

This is Johnny “Cloudrunner” Golfin signing off Houston…

END OF FINAL POST

END OF BLOG

END OF AI CARAMBA PART 2 - 2026

POST 09 – MAJIC RIVER: DAYS 19-21 (9-11 March 2026): PARAGUAY: Estacion Puerto Olivares (Manduvira & Paraguay Rivers).

This last post of Paraguay covers the No 1 “Best Day Tour” and No 2 “Highlight” and “Best Pictures” of  AI CARAMBA PART 2 !!! 

Monday 9 March 2026 was a rest day in Asuncion for me. Ran in the morning, shopped for food and kicked off planning for my next trip. Stand by for the BEST & WORST and very last post of AI CARAMBA PART 2 to follow this post...

 

Tuesday 10 March 2026 was my favourite day in Paraguay because it covered the awards I mentioned above. My wilderness adventure started with my 1030am pickup by Esteban, my driver and guide for today. It ended at 930pm. Wow – read on to find out why. This was a private expedition which took me 61km north-east of Asuncion to a private nature reserve called “Estancia Puerto Olivares” (Port Olive Ranch) on the famous Manduvira River. This place is completely isolated and rich in birdlife, insects and small mammals. We drove 45km out of the capital along a reasonably good road and it was not long until the wetlands that are typical of this region appeared. Landscape is flat but a tapestry of long grass, wild-growing palms and thick forest. About 45km from the start we turned off into a dirt track and unlocked the first of 12 farm gates that kept the fatted beef of this private farm off the road. This particular landowner is also a nature buff and decided to allow my ecotour operator to bring tourists to his huge farm (ranch) to enjoy the wildlife mostly centred around a 3hr boat ride along the Manduvira and Paraguay rivers. The terrain here is lush and tropical. Heat and humidity challenge its charm but the birdlife more than makes up for it. That final 13km of dirt track to the ranch house takes ages and we stopped and walked at various points to observe 13 different kinds of birds. Pity I did not have my zoom SLR to capture them so bear with the fuzziness of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra when you see the wildlife images below. The sunset on the other hand will blow your mind !!! The eco-river tours are now so popular that the ranch owner appointed a full-time tour manager and put him and his family into his ranch house about 3km from the Manduvira River. His name is Alturo and I met him around 130pm when we arrived at his ranch house. His job is to take tourists like me on a 3hr boat ride and steer us close to each bird that he spots. His wife Di had prepared a typical Paraguayan dish called MILANESA which is a super crispy beef schnitzel shallow-fried in very hot soybean oil and accompanied by plain risotto rice. Esteban then drove me down to the Manduvira River for a swim before Alturo swopped down with his aluminium boat (Tinny) on a trailer to take me on his famous birding boat ride. The water of the Manduvira is clean but golden brown due to fine sand and silt from upstream terrain broken up by heavy rain. The temperature must have been close to 30C and all I needed was soap in my hand to justify this super-warm bath water !!! After the swim, Estaban took me on a one-hour nature walk through thick undercover forest where we spotted more bird species. This walk also revealed a variety of colourful butterflies unlike anything I had seen since the Amazon back in the original AI CARAMBA of 2011. We then returned to the river for the boat ride.

 

I was lucky that day on the river. Fluffy broken clouds hid the sun for half the time reducing the oppressive heat and humidity. Add to that a 20-30km/h boat ride and swimming and the 3hr return boat ride was quite enjoyable. Much to my surprise there were no mozzies – just flies. I shall let the images below describe the river and surrounding landscape to you. After 8km on the Manduvira River we entered the much larger and faster flowing Paraguay River. The Manduvira River is 212km long and very snaky and narrow. The Paraguay River is the country’s main and longest river at 1,254km but only traverses 542km within Paraguay territory since it starts in Brazil and ends in Argentina. At 9.5km from our start, Alturo and I landed the boat on a huge sandbank on the Paraguay River. Part of Alturo’s job is to keep the private ranch free of garbage left over by local fishermen. He refused my help to collect leftover garbage on the sand bank and pushed me into the water for a swim. This place reminded so much of the Zambezi River in Zambia. The boat ride back for 9.5km was magic as it was played out under a sun setting behind one huge storm cloud that looked like a giant space ship out of the movie Close Encounters with sunlight pouring out from all sides. Add to that cold local beer that Alturo had stashed away and this was a totally spiritual moment – see for yourself soon, below.

 

We arrived back at the jetty around 7pm and Esteban scooped me up in our mini-van to take me to a church built in 1676 on the river overlooking a now disappearing sun. Behind the church was one huge menacing storm cloud with lightning and thunder and you could see it was raining. That combination was a magical moment in time and it reminded me of similar moments on my travels most notably on a boat ride through the Pantanal Wetland of Brazil in 2011. We reached Alturo’s house around 730pm and Di had prepared some toasted sandwiches with drinks. Alturo recommended an immediate departure given that distant storm clod was moving towards us judging from the shortening time between lightning and thunder. As we got to the 2^nd of 12 dirt track gates, the rain came down. I could see that Esteban was nervous because it would not take much rain or time to turn this marshy soil into mud. We had plenty of slippery moments and poor Esteban got soaking wet due to the opening and closing of the remaining 10 gates. Lucky for him the rain stopped at gate 6 and we were able to make it to the main bitumen road. That 13km of wet dirt track seemed like 133km !!! I spent the next 2hrs preparing my photos for this post and was so focused on the job that Estaban had to tap me twice on the shoulder to announce the arrival at my hotel. What a day. What an experience. What a feeling. Easily the best tour of AI CARAMBA PART 2 and the 2^nd best highlight after the flight to Kaieteur Waterfall in Guyana.

 

Woke at 730am on Wed 11 March to prepare for my cultural trip to several indigenous sites in Aregua near Asuncion for 5hrs. Got to breakfast, sipped my coffee, flipped open my laptop and shock horror – my tour was cancelled !!! Why ? Because there was a political protest in Aregua and all roads to it blocked by police and my cultural museums and monuments closed. Bugger. So, I used the rest of the day to complete this post and carried on with the planning of my next adventure. Now I present an adventure for you which not only took me to a magical place called the Manduvira River but to a magical place in my past travels – so great when you can relive those special moments – now I hope you can too…

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END OF PARAGUAY

POST 08 – JESUIT SOUTH: DAYS 17-18 (7-8 March 2026): PARAGUAY: Encarnacion, Jesuit Missions.

This post is dedicated to the relaxed lakeside city of Encarnacion and the Jesuit Missions that established it. Read all about the Jesuits in the special post at the end of this post.

I was excited. Even at 5am. I like South American coach trips. Big buses, big seats, big recline and big air-con – so cold I can keep my Rose cool !!! Souni picked me up on-time at 6am. I was set. The hotel locked up my big bag and was travelling only with my backpack and kitchen (sturdy thick heshan shopping bag). Strange not to see any traffic in Asuncion. Like most South American bus stations, this one is 7km from the CBD. Souni was kind enough to park and take me to my coach gate. By 7am I was on my way to Encarnacion. The coach had all the “bigs” but was old – a double-decker “big”. The toilet was smelly – no flush. No change there – I remember this in 2011. I slept the first 2 of our 6.5 total hours. Easy to sleep. Very comfy seats with steep recline. I sat next to a very nice Argentinian, Hernan, a graphic designer, who had emigrated to Asuncion 9 years ago. He was on his was to Encarnacion for work. We spoke at length and he asked me many questions about my travels. I spent the rest of the trip preparing the post before this one and watching some Curb. The roads were OK and the landscape started like yesterday – flat with varying greenery but eventually opened up to rolling grassland with lots of cattle farms – no wander this country is known for its beef. Then I was met by vast fields of wheat and corn. Everywhere you look it is green except where harvest has taken place to reveal orange-clay soil.

 

The coach arrived one hour late into the centre of Encarnacion at 230pm. I was met by my driver Matheas and guide Ash. We spent the next 2hrs touring the city. The centre is very compact and very walkable, set out in a grid so you cannot get lost. We then drove around the centre and lakeside which requires a car. It was very cloudy with some wind making it bearable since when the sun is out, Ash insists you will cook in a steam oven !!! We saw the following sites: Encarnacion Central Cathedral, Central Park (Japanese Garden, Italian Monument, Ukrainian Monument, Lebanese Monument), Sambodromo (Carnivale Grandstand), Old Italian Factory Chimney, Santa Rosa Shopping Centre (Opened 2022), San Jose Beach & Jetty, Old Encarnacion Railway Station Museum, Silo Murals, Boulevarde of Markets. Encarnacion lacks the glamour and modern touch of Asuncion but it has an easy-going appeal given the lake – more like a country town. There is actually a beach here with imported beige sand and unlike San Bernadino, you can swim in the lake. Lucky for me, Ash decided to come with me to the hotel reception (in my voucher) after our tour because it was the wrong hotel – no booking here for Mr John !!! Lucky again for me that the guy behind reception knew the lady who had organised my stay in Encarnacion and he called her. She was very embarrassed. Ash then whisked me away to correct hotel, only minutes away. I was glad to be showered and sipping Rose. It was now only 530pm but I had been up since 530am and was due for another 530am rise the next day !!!

My bladder woke me 10min before my mobile alarm. Impressive. Dragged myself to the toilet and by 545am I was checked put and sitting in the lobby waiting for Ash. She arrived spot-on 6am with another driver – Miguel – the father of yesterday’s driver, Mateos. The sun rose through spotted pink clouds and mist – a fabulous site as we drove the 43km and 30min to the first of two Jesuit Missions called “The Jesuit Mission of Jesús de Tavarangue”. The Jesuits set up a total of 30 Missions in southern Paraguay in the 1700s and 1800s so we were just scratching the surface but viewing the best two preserved so both UNESCO protected from 1993.

 

The Jesuit Mission of Jesús de Tavarangue was founded in 1685 and moved to its current site in 1760. The mission was still under construction when the Jesuits were expelled from South America in 1767. The central church (70m by 24m) was designed by a Spaniard as a replica of the Sanctuary of Loyola in Spain and built by the local indigenous Guaraní, who were already skilled masons and carvers. It is unique among Jesuit missions for its Mudéjar (Moorish-Christian) architectural style. Surviving structures include the massive church walls, a school (college), a cloister, and residential areas for orphans and widows.

 

The Jesuit Mission of La Santísima Trinidad de Paraná, commonly known as the Ruins of Trinidad, is only 12km from the Jesuit Mission of Jesús de Tavarangue, back towards Encarnacion. It was established in 1706 as a self-sufficient community for the indigenous Guaraní people but was deserted in 1768 after Spain expelled the Jesuits. This Mission has a distinct Baroque architecture because it was designed by an Italian but still built and carved by the local indigenous Guaraní. It has two churches, the first small to use while the bigger one was being built. The bigger church has intricate well-preserved carvings on its interior friezes featuring angels playing musical instruments. This Mission also has a massive central square that served as the heart of the community for celebrations and gatherings. The site includes remains of a school (college), cloisters, workshops, cemeteries, and typical Guaraní housing.

 

It was a short 12km drive back to Encarnacion. After a visit to the local supermarket for tonight’s dinner, I was happily off on a brand-new coach at 1130am for my 6.5hr drive back to Asuncion. This time I was sitting upstairs with commanding views of the countryside under sun and scattered cloud. Lots of aircon and a clean toilet this time. More comfortable than economy class on a commercial aircraft. This new coach even had free WiFi – go Paraguay !!! After producing this post, it was time for a movie with some Rose and olives, thanks to the supermarket in Encarnacion. I was glad to see the bus station, 30min earlier at 530pm and glad to see my driver Zuni who placed me outside my hotel at 630pm.

 

What a whirlwind trip this was !!! The two Missions were easily the highlight of my 13hr return journey to Encarnacion and well-worth the time and effort to visit. Let me say this. You have not seen Encarnacion, then you have not seen Paraguay !!! Now it’s your turn…

SPECIAL POST:

 

THE JESUITS OF SOUTHERN PARAGUAY – IN A NUTSHELL

 

“Jesuit” is short for “Society of Jesus” and is NOT a separate Christian religion but a Roman Catholic “Order” or “monastic following” (like the “Franciscans”) founded by St Ignatius of Loyola in 1540.

 

On 25 March 1615, a Jesuit Priest called Roque González de Santa Cruz, born 1576 in Asuncion of Spanish parents, founded the old town of Encarnacion as a “Mission” or autonomous community for the indigenous Guaraní to protect them from slavery by the Spanish.

 

Fr Gonzalez brought in more Jesuits (monks) to organise the semi-nomadic Guaraní into reducciones (often called “reductions” in English but meaning “communities” or “missions”).

 

These missions integrated religious life with education, agriculture, and protection from slave raiders.

 

A total of 30 missions were set up in a 30-100km radius around Encarnacion covering southern Paraguay and Brazil and Argentina (as a result of  the Triple Alliance War).

 

For clarity, the Jesuits here are not German – most were from Spain and Italy. The “Germans” in Paraguay were the result of a separate wave of immigration after WWII, including the “Mennonites” of the Chaco region in the far north of Paraguay.

 

What makes this place unique is that the Jesuits in and around Encarnacion learned the Guaraní language and incorporated indigenous craftsmanship into their Baroque architecture.

 

All Jesuits were expelled by the Spanish King in 1767 because he feared that the indigenous Guaraní may revolt against the colony given the autonomy of the Missions they lived in.

 

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