Strike at Friendship Bridge

Photo above downloaded from Google Image. The view is exectly the same angle view from my office at Panonama apartment building.  This photo dated August 2008 most probable taken from the same building.


A beautiful view of the Friendship Bridge (Puente de la Amistadthat) from Paraguay crosses into Brazil.

I used to walk across this bridge alone. But crossing this bridge for cars is a challenge during weekdays.

Its a two lane bridge  and the traffic moves slow.  On a Sunday day (when all shops closed) a car can get across in half an hour.  But weekdays may take as long as couple of hours to cross.


November 24, 1995 (Friday)
I came back from Brazil but Fernando stayed there because the car cannot pass on the Friendship bridge. The Paraguay people had strike because of the new law of Brazil.


http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/iez/50026.pdf

Ciudad del Este is an Informal international trade center which depends heavily on shopping "tourism."

Brazilians and Argentinians travel to Ciudad del Este just to take advantage of the low import duties to purchase consumer electronics, office equipment, perfumes, whiskey, cigarettes, and other consumer items.

This trade, along with illicit trade through the area, has earned Ciudad del Este notoriety as a smuggler's paradise.

Shopping tourism declined in 1997, the year we left Ciudad del Este for Malaysia.

This is because of weakening economic growth in Brazil and Argentina and stricter controls by Brazilian authorities.

Holiday in Paraguay

Date	Holiday
January 1	New Year's Day
March 1	Heroes' Day	End of the Triple Alliance War
March/ April	Maundy/Holy Thursday	Movable, Lunar Calendar
March/ April	Good Friday	Movable, Lunar Calendar
May 1	Labor Day
May 15	Independence Day	May 14 and 15 for schools
June 12	Chaco Armistice	End of the Chaco War
August 15	Founding of Asunción	Arrival of the Spaniards
September 29	Boqueron Battle Victory	Chaco War version of D-day
December 8	Virgin of Caacupe	Immaculate Conception
December 25	Christmas Day	Jesus's Birthday

November 1995

November 21, 1995 (Tuesday) Went to accompany Vilda and the sister in CDE at the same time took photograph at them.

November 22, 1995 (Wednesday) Josefina and Shirley played volley ball, after playing they played on the sand together with Celia(maid of Elvira), Diego and Marcelo. They covered the body of Josefina using sand and put flag on her top using guava leaves.

November 26, 1995 (Sunday) Shirley went with Vilda and sister (Sussana) to Km 16 Don Bosco to attend the graduation day of Nilsa. Xing Xing stayed with me at home.

After graduation they had bocadito and brought cake.

November 27, 1995 (Monday) Shirley brought Xing Xing together with Josefina and Nilsa and the mama (Juliana) for swimming in Km 21. We rode on a cargo truck. It is quite a nice place. Xing Xing likes to stay very much in the water. He doesn't want other baby to use his salbavida.

Returning home by taxi at 2:30 P.M the rest at about 5:00 P.M.

At night we all went to CDE office for the night.

Josefina came the next day. Not many people in CDE because of strike. The puente close so the people from Brazil can't pass at the same time from Paraguay also.

November 30, 1995 (Thursday) Shirley made a decorative candle to decorate in front of door while Xing Xing was playing.

Shirley cut a feliz Navidad Ano Nuevo decoration with color printer in the CDE office.

I went to Brazil with Fernando and come back at night.