6/5/2014 Asunción to Remanso
D72, T6, Av15, Max35, 27,819/2277
Fine and clear
Camping near Puente Remanso
Well after four great days in Asunción and hoping to take a river boat to Concepción.
It was decided, to spend the morning looking for these elusive passenger, come cargo boats that take people up the river Paraguay to Concepción.
Leaving the motel, which is owned by a Taiwanese guy, The Hotel Seoul. I headed next door to a comedor and had chicken and salad for a second breakfast.
Then the hunt for these boats began.
On Saturday I had a look around, asking people, the search took me by bus to Puerto Botanico with no luck.
Today after asking a lot of people I rode back there and asked around again.
Everyone told me like they knew.
I was looking for three vessels, the Cacique, the Guaraní and the Aquidaban.
I spent over an hour near the river at Botanico at different ports. People said, no go back to centro at the Aduanas building .
I headed back there, about 9km back to town.
Captains on the small boats that take people across the river to Clorinda told me to go back to Botanico, this I did and to another port out there, Puerto Caacupemi, again none the wiser.
Truck drivers were asked and practically anybody else that looked like they knew their way around.
Everybody knew something about these boats!!! The people as always in all countries here love to help whether they are sure or not.
So, come 1300 after nearly 50km of searching .I decided to ride up to Hospital Obrero, to see if I could get my second Rabies shot a couple of days early.
The nurses were adamant that I could not. I had to wait 8 days.
Having given up on getting a boat to Concepción, I decided to have some lunch and head out of town and ride north.
Lunch was enjoyed at a little comedor I had eaten at before on Calle Brasil. A great home cooked stew and rice for a few dollars.
This was my 5th ride down Artigas on my way out of town, I was beginning to know where every pothole was.
Locals must have thought what a crazy way to keep fit, as they saw me again. Especially the road workers!
Finding the Trans Chaco highway, finally the traffic was thinning. It had been a morning of diesel fumes between meals.
Leaving town, it was a real gauntlet riding amongst all the buses and other vehicles. One had to be alert full time.
It was a challenge negotiating all the traffic. Again, the bike proved more efficient than the stop start movement of cars.
My mind is always aware that one accident could change everything in my world, though with adrenalin flowing, this is often not at the top of considerations as all focus is on the job at hand.
The Transchaco to Concepción, does not go direct north east, but more off to the north west then east to Concepción, adding a lot of extra kms, it is about 300km by river and about 400 by road.
It was one of those days where, with lots of time and no particular place to be it was a pleasure just to be riding around Asunción. I saw so many places that would not otherwise be seen.
All sorts of little sections on the river were visited, with encounters with people at each location.
Turning north off the main road, some 20km from downtown, the road took me to Puente Remanso. A huge concrete convex bridge with a climb to its apex.
Puente Remanso is next to Colonia Mariano Roque Alonso and is located in Central, Paraguay. Puente Remanso has a length of 1.46 kilometres. Competed 1979.
I stopped at the tollbooth and spoke to the controllers about the port here.
They said the pueblito of Remanso was down by the river.
I back tracked a couple of hundred metres and headed down a cobbled road. These roads are quite common here, they are awful to ride on, they are serious bone shacking affairs.
All through town and here, there have been areas with surface water on the road sometimes it looks clean other times my guess it has sewerage in it, most patches were totally unavoidable, slowing down was the best approach to keep the water off my feet.
When i got down to the river’s edge, what a lovely laid back little spot, the river was up and lapping around fixtures that are normally dry. The brown water was causing little problems however.
There were woman selling fresh fish, some of which were in excess of 15kg, all from the river. The number of species was amazing, i was assured all were good eating.
There was a barge type of vessel with a bunch of guys unloading bags of a white rock onto a convey that slowly transported the 30 kg bags to others stacking them on an old Merc flat bed truck.
My first thoughts were, maybe this boat is going to Concepción.
I yelled out to the guys asking if they were going up river. In luck, they were.
I asked to talk to the captain. It was a balancing act walking up planks just above the water and Water Hyacinth.
They were quite long and consequently had a fair bit of spring in them. Walking in sync with this motion was important. Ending up in the shallows would have been an undesirable position to be in with such an audience.
Once onboard, I enquired what they were unloading, it was Calviva, as dusty white rocky substance in clear bags similar in size to a cement bag, they were recycled bags. The white dust in the hold where the guys were working was thick. They had their faces covered with cloth to avoid breathing it.
I introduced myself to Carlos, the captain, typically everyone onboard was jovial at my presence.
I asked Carlos if I could get a lift to Concepción with the bike. I was wrapped, when he said it was all good. They would be leaving on Friday with a load of fruit and veges for Concepción.
It will be a 24 hr tip leaving in the afternoon.
To say I was looking forward to a trip up the Paraguay on a work boat was rather understating my enthusiasm about the trip.
Being with people that work on and near aquatic environments is always interesting for me. They are generally always interesting and have knowledge that most people don’t possess.
I asked Carlos further about the cargo, he got a white rock from a damaged bag, about the size of a cigarette packet and gave it to me. With it in my hand, he poured some water on it. The rock reacted with the water and started hissing, without warning it became incredibly hot.
I freaked and tossed it like a hot coal, commenting loudly as it was tossed.
Everyone onboard cracked up laughing. I joined in too, giving them the “you buggers’!!! look.
It was infact quicklime.
Quicklime, more formally known as calcium oxide (CaO), is a caustic alkaline substance that is produced by heating limestone in specially designed kilns. There are a wide range of uses for this substance, ranging from mortar to flux, and it has been used by humans for centuries. Many companies produce and sell it, sometimes with specific chemical impurities that make it especially suitable to certain applications.
Quicklime requires careful handling. As it sits, it can acquire carbon dioxide from the air, reverting to its original form. This means that it needs to be used quickly, especially once it has been mixed with water in a process known as slaking. Lime is also extremely caustic; it can burn the skin and cause other damages. When used responsibly, it can be immensely useful for things like mixing strong mortar, acting as a flux in smelting, and treating wastewater
When quick lime is added to water formation of slaked lime takes place,Ca(OH)2.this is a highly exothermic reaction.
So all things being equal, come Friday, a leisurely trip will be enjoyed up the river Paraguay to Concepción.
Carlos said the quicklime comes from north of Concepción but he can drop me off there.
Having got all this sorted out, the need for accommodation for a few days around the river was investigated. Asking around, it became apparent there were no Alojamientos in the pueblito.
I ended up having a few beers with some guys in their house on the river and they rang the local camp ground and boat club. I could camp on the waterfront for a few days.
The view from this spot is something else. The huge Puente Remanso dominates the view. There were guys fishing at the waters edge. The river was a huge body of water. Large clumps of Water Hyacinth were silently flowing down stream, giving an indication of the flow and the volume of water.
A lovely sunset was a backdrop silhouetting the bridge, it was a huge structure, semis crossing it were dwarfed by its stature.
Spending three days here would be a pleasure. Victor, the groundsman came by for a lengthy chat. His dream is to ride a moto around South America when he is 50. He is now 32 with young children.
I love “dreamers”. People with dreams who talk about them, more often than not they fulfil their wishes.
Talking about your dreams, reinforces the possibilities of reality.
Later in the evening, there was a hugely powerful spotlight scanning the area, from downstream beyond the bridge, sending its beam searching up and to both shores of the glassy slither before me.
Next, could be heard, the medium pitched rhythmic sound of powerful diesel engines working as a team. I had heard this sound before.
Sure enough, under the main arch of the bridge was a large tow being pushed by a three exhausted towboat.
Time here is going to be dynamic with fishers, small boats, magic sunsets, the river and it workers, the Water Hyacinth, life in the park, and the tranquillity.
Why is a towboat called a towboat when it pushes the barges?
The word "tow" comes from the canal age when a draft animal walking along the bank of the canal pulled a barge. As rivermen gained experience with moving barges, they found that, by lashing barges together and pushing them, they could control the barges better and move more of them. The control was especially helpful when navigating the smaller rivers and tight bends in a river.
This reminded me so much of the days riding down the Mississippi. It is a special sight to see the huge area of the barges being manoeuvred up a river.
There are no locks on the Paraguay, just lots of water, there is no need.
By my camp, the river has an island . The search light was panning with more urgency now to make sure the passage was safe.
The owner of the park, Francisco, came over for a chat.
Soon after this, I was asleep.
It had been a day that no amount of predictions could have anticipated.
The kind of day that epitomises browsin’ about on a bike, a fantastic way to see, meet people and experience places.
Here is a brief history of Asunción from Brittanica for those that might be interested.
Asunción, city and capital of Paraguay, occupying a promontory and descending to the Paraguay River near its confluence with the Pilcomayo. The city lies 175 feet (53 metres) above sea level.
The city was so named when a stockade was completed there on the Feast of the Assumption (August 15) in 1537. When Buenos Aires was evacuated in 1541 after an attack by the Pampa Indians, the inhabitants fled to Asunción. It was the headquarters of Spanish colonial activities in eastern South America for nearly half a century before Buenos Aires was refounded. In 1588 Jesuits established mission settlements on the Paraná River to convert the Guaraní population. Intermarriage of Indians and Spaniards contributed to the largely mestizo character of the present Paraguayans. After official separation from Buenos Aires in 1617, Asunción declined in importance. Partly because of its remoteness from Spain, nationalist and separatist movements began early in Paraguay: the Jesuits were expelled in 1767, and independence from Spain was declared in Asunción at midnight on May 14/15, 1811. The city’s strategic position at the head of a great river system linking Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, its three enemies in the War of the Triple Alliance (1864/65–1870), led to Asunción’s capture in 1868, and Brazil occupied and administered it until 1876.
Asunción has many beautiful flowering trees and several large parks. Adjacent to the river, suburban buildings are still colonial in style—one story with a patio—but the centre of town consists of modern high-rise buildings. The cathedral, presidential palace, and Pantheon of Heroes (a smaller replica of the Invalides in Paris), all built in the 19th century, and the Hotel Guaraní, designed by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, are among the notable buildings. As the seat of the national government and of the archbishop of Paraguay, Asunción dominates social, cultural, and economic trends in Paraguay. Several institutions of higher education, including the Universidad Nacional de Asunción (1890), the Universidad Católica “Nuestra Señora de la Asunción” (1960), and numerous private universities, are located in Asunción.
Asunción is the principal distributing centre of the most densely populated region of Paraguay. Cotton, sugarcane, corn (maize), tobacco, fruit, and cattle products from the rich agricultural and pastoral hinterland are processed in and around the capital. Industrial plants produce textiles, vegetable oils, footwear, flour, small river craft, and tobacco products. A piped water system was inaugurated in 1955. River steamers, mostly of foreign ownership, are the principal means of transporting freight. The Remanso Bridge connects Asunción with Buenos Aires via trunk road. Asunción also has an international airport. Pop. (2002) urban area, 512,112; (2005 est.) urban agglom., 1,858,000.
D72, T6, Av15, Max35, 27,819/2277
Fine and clear
Camping near Puente Remanso
Well after four great days in Asunción and hoping to take a river boat to Concepción.
It was decided, to spend the morning looking for these elusive passenger, come cargo boats that take people up the river Paraguay to Concepción.
Leaving the motel, which is owned by a Taiwanese guy, The Hotel Seoul. I headed next door to a comedor and had chicken and salad for a second breakfast.
Then the hunt for these boats began.
On Saturday I had a look around, asking people, the search took me by bus to Puerto Botanico with no luck.
Today after asking a lot of people I rode back there and asked around again.
Everyone told me like they knew.
I was looking for three vessels, the Cacique, the Guaraní and the Aquidaban.
I spent over an hour near the river at Botanico at different ports. People said, no go back to centro at the Aduanas building .
I headed back there, about 9km back to town.
Captains on the small boats that take people across the river to Clorinda told me to go back to Botanico, this I did and to another port out there, Puerto Caacupemi, again none the wiser.
Truck drivers were asked and practically anybody else that looked like they knew their way around.
Everybody knew something about these boats!!! The people as always in all countries here love to help whether they are sure or not.
So, come 1300 after nearly 50km of searching .I decided to ride up to Hospital Obrero, to see if I could get my second Rabies shot a couple of days early.
The nurses were adamant that I could not. I had to wait 8 days.
Having given up on getting a boat to Concepción, I decided to have some lunch and head out of town and ride north.
Lunch was enjoyed at a little comedor I had eaten at before on Calle Brasil. A great home cooked stew and rice for a few dollars.
This was my 5th ride down Artigas on my way out of town, I was beginning to know where every pothole was.
Locals must have thought what a crazy way to keep fit, as they saw me again. Especially the road workers!
Finding the Trans Chaco highway, finally the traffic was thinning. It had been a morning of diesel fumes between meals.
Leaving town, it was a real gauntlet riding amongst all the buses and other vehicles. One had to be alert full time.
It was a challenge negotiating all the traffic. Again, the bike proved more efficient than the stop start movement of cars.
My mind is always aware that one accident could change everything in my world, though with adrenalin flowing, this is often not at the top of considerations as all focus is on the job at hand.
The Transchaco to Concepción, does not go direct north east, but more off to the north west then east to Concepción, adding a lot of extra kms, it is about 300km by river and about 400 by road.
It was one of those days where, with lots of time and no particular place to be it was a pleasure just to be riding around Asunción. I saw so many places that would not otherwise be seen.
All sorts of little sections on the river were visited, with encounters with people at each location.
Turning north off the main road, some 20km from downtown, the road took me to Puente Remanso. A huge concrete convex bridge with a climb to its apex.
Puente Remanso is next to Colonia Mariano Roque Alonso and is located in Central, Paraguay. Puente Remanso has a length of 1.46 kilometres. Competed 1979.
I stopped at the tollbooth and spoke to the controllers about the port here.
They said the pueblito of Remanso was down by the river.
I back tracked a couple of hundred metres and headed down a cobbled road. These roads are quite common here, they are awful to ride on, they are serious bone shacking affairs.
All through town and here, there have been areas with surface water on the road sometimes it looks clean other times my guess it has sewerage in it, most patches were totally unavoidable, slowing down was the best approach to keep the water off my feet.
When i got down to the river’s edge, what a lovely laid back little spot, the river was up and lapping around fixtures that are normally dry. The brown water was causing little problems however.
There were woman selling fresh fish, some of which were in excess of 15kg, all from the river. The number of species was amazing, i was assured all were good eating.
There was a barge type of vessel with a bunch of guys unloading bags of a white rock onto a convey that slowly transported the 30 kg bags to others stacking them on an old Merc flat bed truck.
My first thoughts were, maybe this boat is going to Concepción.
I yelled out to the guys asking if they were going up river. In luck, they were.
I asked to talk to the captain. It was a balancing act walking up planks just above the water and Water Hyacinth.
They were quite long and consequently had a fair bit of spring in them. Walking in sync with this motion was important. Ending up in the shallows would have been an undesirable position to be in with such an audience.
Once onboard, I enquired what they were unloading, it was Calviva, as dusty white rocky substance in clear bags similar in size to a cement bag, they were recycled bags. The white dust in the hold where the guys were working was thick. They had their faces covered with cloth to avoid breathing it.
I introduced myself to Carlos, the captain, typically everyone onboard was jovial at my presence.
I asked Carlos if I could get a lift to Concepción with the bike. I was wrapped, when he said it was all good. They would be leaving on Friday with a load of fruit and veges for Concepción.
It will be a 24 hr tip leaving in the afternoon.
To say I was looking forward to a trip up the Paraguay on a work boat was rather understating my enthusiasm about the trip.
Being with people that work on and near aquatic environments is always interesting for me. They are generally always interesting and have knowledge that most people don’t possess.
I asked Carlos further about the cargo, he got a white rock from a damaged bag, about the size of a cigarette packet and gave it to me. With it in my hand, he poured some water on it. The rock reacted with the water and started hissing, without warning it became incredibly hot.
I freaked and tossed it like a hot coal, commenting loudly as it was tossed.
Everyone onboard cracked up laughing. I joined in too, giving them the “you buggers’!!! look.
It was infact quicklime.
Quicklime, more formally known as calcium oxide (CaO), is a caustic alkaline substance that is produced by heating limestone in specially designed kilns. There are a wide range of uses for this substance, ranging from mortar to flux, and it has been used by humans for centuries. Many companies produce and sell it, sometimes with specific chemical impurities that make it especially suitable to certain applications.
Quicklime requires careful handling. As it sits, it can acquire carbon dioxide from the air, reverting to its original form. This means that it needs to be used quickly, especially once it has been mixed with water in a process known as slaking. Lime is also extremely caustic; it can burn the skin and cause other damages. When used responsibly, it can be immensely useful for things like mixing strong mortar, acting as a flux in smelting, and treating wastewater
When quick lime is added to water formation of slaked lime takes place,Ca(OH)2.this is a highly exothermic reaction.
So all things being equal, come Friday, a leisurely trip will be enjoyed up the river Paraguay to Concepción.
Carlos said the quicklime comes from north of Concepción but he can drop me off there.
Having got all this sorted out, the need for accommodation for a few days around the river was investigated. Asking around, it became apparent there were no Alojamientos in the pueblito.
I ended up having a few beers with some guys in their house on the river and they rang the local camp ground and boat club. I could camp on the waterfront for a few days.
The view from this spot is something else. The huge Puente Remanso dominates the view. There were guys fishing at the waters edge. The river was a huge body of water. Large clumps of Water Hyacinth were silently flowing down stream, giving an indication of the flow and the volume of water.
A lovely sunset was a backdrop silhouetting the bridge, it was a huge structure, semis crossing it were dwarfed by its stature.
Spending three days here would be a pleasure. Victor, the groundsman came by for a lengthy chat. His dream is to ride a moto around South America when he is 50. He is now 32 with young children.
I love “dreamers”. People with dreams who talk about them, more often than not they fulfil their wishes.
Talking about your dreams, reinforces the possibilities of reality.
Later in the evening, there was a hugely powerful spotlight scanning the area, from downstream beyond the bridge, sending its beam searching up and to both shores of the glassy slither before me.
Next, could be heard, the medium pitched rhythmic sound of powerful diesel engines working as a team. I had heard this sound before.
Sure enough, under the main arch of the bridge was a large tow being pushed by a three exhausted towboat.
Time here is going to be dynamic with fishers, small boats, magic sunsets, the river and it workers, the Water Hyacinth, life in the park, and the tranquillity.
Why is a towboat called a towboat when it pushes the barges?
The word "tow" comes from the canal age when a draft animal walking along the bank of the canal pulled a barge. As rivermen gained experience with moving barges, they found that, by lashing barges together and pushing them, they could control the barges better and move more of them. The control was especially helpful when navigating the smaller rivers and tight bends in a river.
This reminded me so much of the days riding down the Mississippi. It is a special sight to see the huge area of the barges being manoeuvred up a river.
There are no locks on the Paraguay, just lots of water, there is no need.
By my camp, the river has an island . The search light was panning with more urgency now to make sure the passage was safe.
The owner of the park, Francisco, came over for a chat.
Soon after this, I was asleep.
It had been a day that no amount of predictions could have anticipated.
The kind of day that epitomises browsin’ about on a bike, a fantastic way to see, meet people and experience places.
Here is a brief history of Asunción from Brittanica for those that might be interested.
Asunción, city and capital of Paraguay, occupying a promontory and descending to the Paraguay River near its confluence with the Pilcomayo. The city lies 175 feet (53 metres) above sea level.
The city was so named when a stockade was completed there on the Feast of the Assumption (August 15) in 1537. When Buenos Aires was evacuated in 1541 after an attack by the Pampa Indians, the inhabitants fled to Asunción. It was the headquarters of Spanish colonial activities in eastern South America for nearly half a century before Buenos Aires was refounded. In 1588 Jesuits established mission settlements on the Paraná River to convert the Guaraní population. Intermarriage of Indians and Spaniards contributed to the largely mestizo character of the present Paraguayans. After official separation from Buenos Aires in 1617, Asunción declined in importance. Partly because of its remoteness from Spain, nationalist and separatist movements began early in Paraguay: the Jesuits were expelled in 1767, and independence from Spain was declared in Asunción at midnight on May 14/15, 1811. The city’s strategic position at the head of a great river system linking Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, its three enemies in the War of the Triple Alliance (1864/65–1870), led to Asunción’s capture in 1868, and Brazil occupied and administered it until 1876.
Asunción has many beautiful flowering trees and several large parks. Adjacent to the river, suburban buildings are still colonial in style—one story with a patio—but the centre of town consists of modern high-rise buildings. The cathedral, presidential palace, and Pantheon of Heroes (a smaller replica of the Invalides in Paris), all built in the 19th century, and the Hotel Guaraní, designed by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, are among the notable buildings. As the seat of the national government and of the archbishop of Paraguay, Asunción dominates social, cultural, and economic trends in Paraguay. Several institutions of higher education, including the Universidad Nacional de Asunción (1890), the Universidad Católica “Nuestra Señora de la Asunción” (1960), and numerous private universities, are located in Asunción.
Asunción is the principal distributing centre of the most densely populated region of Paraguay. Cotton, sugarcane, corn (maize), tobacco, fruit, and cattle products from the rich agricultural and pastoral hinterland are processed in and around the capital. Industrial plants produce textiles, vegetable oils, footwear, flour, small river craft, and tobacco products. A piped water system was inaugurated in 1955. River steamers, mostly of foreign ownership, are the principal means of transporting freight. The Remanso Bridge connects Asunción with Buenos Aires via trunk road. Asunción also has an international airport. Pop. (2002) urban area, 512,112; (2005 est.) urban agglom., 1,858,000.
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