Asuncion

Out taking pictures of what we didnt yesterday.
Walk through the historic city center.
There was a horse parked and grass-feeding in Plaza Independencia with the recently completed, modern Congressional building in background (supposedly designed to look like ship), and the river separating Paraguay and Argentina not much further back. Across from the street two large retired cannons point into the city. Military men carry evident guns, sometimes large machine guns on city patrol.
Yesterday there were people on the streets with banners calling for the freedom of Lino Oviedo, a former head of the military jailed after returning from exile after his alleged participation in the murder of the vice president and the failed coup of 2000.
The view from the second floor of one of the museums looks down on slums then high grass leading to the sparkling river (finally some sun today after high 40´s and low fifties mostly). One small boat was going out (with contraband?) and three were coming in (with contraband?)
In Museo Bellas Artes there was marijuana waft and average works from transplanted Italians and Germans (all-stars in unjaded inter. s. america?).
Paraguayans are quiet and easily the nicest people we´ve met so far.