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here and said: "It is hot." I thought of Carumbá and wondered how we worked at all in such heat. "It gets so hot you can't even think!" said one of the Manley girls. 

Inside we waited for our baggage -- the pink & green ones came immediately but, for my two plaid cases we waited and waited and waited -- until everyone else was gone. Now the officials got out their walkie-talkies & eventually Invited Tom to go with them to the plane to identify our bags. Just as he arrived, the two pieces were taken off the front baggage compartment where they were bound for Miami - That over, we went easily thru customs & out to lobby where we were met by Fernando -- a [[?]] w. Brazilian Vacations. Then changed money, paid 2 porters & we drove into town. Asuncion has a new & prosperous look -- for some reason. 

Fernando asked what took so long in Customs, & commented on the weather: "We say we have two Stations -- summer and the train station." He says winter lasts about 15 days. He told us about all the new, air conditioned hotels in town -- one a 5-star affair (the Excelsior) & we explained that wee wanted to revisit the Gran Hotel del Paraguay where we stayed 30 years ago -- as newlyweds, he assumed & he was essentially right. He offered us a chance to visit Tipico restaurant w guitar music ~ 10 PM & to give us a city tour in morning. Tom asked about a chaco trip to see birds: Fernando has taken birdwatchers before. He drives back

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roads to a lakeside hotel where clients have lunch ($75.0 His clients were a young man & an older professor who asked him to stop about every 400 yards. Sounds fine, but I don't think I'm up to it.  

The Gran Hotel is now in the midst of things -- not an oasis outside town. We checked in ~ 7:30 ^[[(1 hr change in time)]] and essentially washed out. Collapsed on bed and dozed until 7:30 when Fernando called to ask if we would be doing the chaco tomorrow. Tom said "No." We will see about city tour in morning (we have until about 2:30 tomorrow pm). 

Tom was in & out all P.M. I decided to get up & try to eat supper, lest I would never see the dining room & patio of the Gran Hotel after all. I made it (still passing water every time I sit). Sat on patio for quiet supper of salads & cold chicken. I tried chicken, potatoes, palm, beets, egg & fruit salad. Lets see. Afterward, Tom asked the waiter to put light on in dining room so I could see the paintings. There it was -- wood panels painted w leafy briars leading to mid [[strikethrough]] ceiling [[/strikethrough]] ceiling & panels of flowers all around: roses, iris etc. [[underlined]] Veritas [[/underlined]] appeared on the front wall. The effect, in the dining room & next room, both of which, are painted in same style, is to suggest the best that could be done in the last century to attain elegance in Paraguay.

We had only the salad bar for supper but could have had a hot entree as well, & salad & coffee -- all for $2.00. 

So, I remembered our first visit here. We dined on same patio, with ^[[live]] music playing, and an attractive couple who much intrigued me. A fiftyish man - gray & handsome & blue-eyed with a thirtyish dark lady. Were they up from Buenos Aires for a holiday in a hideout? When musicians