My first experience of Paraguay began after Oscar, Karen, and Ellen picked me up from the airport. Oscar calmly drove me and all my luggage back to the Caballero homestead while I, with frozen, ghost-white knuckles and clenched jaw, clung to the armrest of the car. You see, driving in Paraguay is much different than driving in the States. There are few traffic signals and no speed limits that count for anything. When you add to this general lack of law a grand array (or disarray, as it were) of transportation ranging from new, high-speed BMWs to ancient horse-drawn carriages and nimble, European scooters to giant clumsy buses, the newcomer’s experience of Paraguayan traffic can be awfully overwhelming. Cars and buses and carts and motorcycles dart in and out of non-existing lanes, often passing one another with greatly different velocities but always doing so with the smallest hair’s width of room. Friendly horns seem to take the place of turning signals, and a real organic, flowing humanity the place of ordered, sterile law.
After a while in the car, my sensory perception of the new country mixed into a grand whirling haze of bright colors and sudden movements, probably most like the boat ride scene in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Just like Willy Wonka, though, Oscar guided the car through the mayhem to safety. After the trip I wondered if the crazy driving wasn’t some secret test of new missionaries to see if they really are Christians and pray to God. If that were the case, I think I passed with flying colors. I also think it was quite an easy test to pass, since even an atheist would probably pray during such a harrowing trip.
***I’ve come to find out (unless there have been many prayer tests since that first day) that Oscar’s driving was and is pretty typical of Paraguay. Although the traffic patterns go against logic and order, I haven’t seen any road rage here and everyone, no matter how fast or slow they like to travel, seems to be pretty laid back and easy-going. Somehow it all seems to work out.
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4 comments:
I know exactly how you felt in that car. Driving in PY is awful. Keep praying!
The description of Paraguayan traffic lawlessness as "a real organic, flowing humanity" is compelling.
Jason said it best after two days here when he commented that "things just go." Very true. Welcome, Mr. Steidl.
Hey jason. It seems like your a little scared of their crazy driving. Now you now how your little siblings feel when were in the car with you.
Amy said to tell you that soon you will consider it all very normal and you will realize that Oscar is a very good driver. I guess I wasn't there long enough to believe either of those things.
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