September 16, 2009
Seven gates east of caapucu we landed at the Estancia Santa Clara. In the morning, Tommy and I rode horses out to a distant pasture and back. I tipped the horse wrangler $20,000. Later, we caught the bus at Caapucu (pronounced Kah-Ah-pah-koo, emphasis on the last syllable) and paid $50,000 for three tickets to Asencion, the capital of Paraguay. After a $43,000 cab ride, we landed at the Las Margaritas Hotel and paid $495,000 for a night´s rest.

Welcome to the land of the $100,000 bill. The exchange rate is almost 4,000 to one against the dollar and it´s almost 7,000 to one for the Euro. Makes for some interesting money exchanges. Great food, beautiful women and soldiers on every corner. We love this country.

Leaving tonight for Bolivia, in the footsteps of Butch and Sundance, although I don`t think we´ll have time to make it to Tupiza and San Vicente (18 hour bus ride). Those boys got around. Amazing.