Lomitos

Speaking of food, one of the most memorable meals was at a lomito shop. Usually made with beef or pork, it is a popular sandwich in South America. Argentina and Chile have their own version as well. Raising cattle is a huge part of the economy, and my taste buds certainly appreciate it.

At this particular shop, we ordered lomitos with a Middle Eastern twist. Maybe it became my favorite because it reminded me of street food in downtown LA, maybe it was because of the superb garlic sauce, or maybe it was because it was the perfect hand-held meal. In any case, I'll definitely be searching for more on my next trip to Paraguay!

Lomito Árabe, the Middle-Eastern inspired version of this popular sandwich

Frying it up!

My favorite coffee shop

My favorite coffee shop was one we found in Curuguaty, which didn't have any signage beyond a friendly 'Bienvenidos'. It wasn't until we were inside admiring the lampshades made of old copper tea kettles and ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the delicious pastries that we realized what we had stumbled upon. 

Beautiful cappucino, empañada, and guava tart

Pizza-inspired empañada

The owner, Graciela, was incredibly friendly. She was asking about where we were from and wanted us to tell everyone what a great place Paraguay is. She let me keep one of the books lining her shelves, which was about Paraguayan folklore. I was delighted, and even more so when I realized that it had sheet music in the back! We stopped in three days in a row, and enjoyed having her breakfast much more than the offerings back at the hotel.

Our group getting caffeinated

Ñanduti

Ñanduti, meaning spiderweb in the Guarani language, is the name of Paraguay's famous lace-craft. It first made an appearance in the late 16th century after the Spaniards introduced it, and made an appearance at just about every little market we stumbled upon.

Working on a new project

Various designs...too bad my suitcase wasn't larger

This shop specialized in ñanduti designs...from tiny earrings, to embroidered shirts, to hats, decorative wall hangings, and more. I love how colorful and intricate each one was! For as many products as were in that shop, there were unique variations in each item and it was so difficult to choose which ones I wanted to buy (or rather, which ones to leave behind)!!

Should I buy it off the mannequin??

Befriending the Potter

During one of our excursion days we wandered in to the shop of a ceramic artist named Gregoria. Her shop is an extension of her family's home, and she invited us behind the scenes to see her workspace.

Gregoria posing with our girls

It was really special to be able to not only see projects still in progress, but to be told about how they made their own brick kiln and their own red glaze from the earth in their own backyard. What a special touch! Even the smoke from the kiln can end up staining the pottery and adding another artistic layer.

Demonstrating how to add color with a glaze made from the dirt in their own backyard

The handmade kiln in the workshop

Chickens were a recurring motif. There were many tiny little chicken figurines in black or white, one for good luck and one for love. Many of her ceramics involved animals...one of my favorites was the large vase in the center with a snake winding around the spout and frogs clinging to the sides. I settled for bringing home an armadillo-shaped bowl.

Some of the items in the ceramics shop