There are encounters that spontaneously change your itinerary – and that’s exactly what happened with Frank and Carlos. We met by chance at the Tyrolean festival in Treze Tílias (Thirteen Linden Trees, Brazil), surrounded by brass band music, lederhosen and apple strudel. The atmosphere was great, and over a cold beer, the two told me about their home in Paraguay: Independencia, a German-speaking colony with the largest beer festival in the country.
‘Just come and visit!’ they said.
And honestly, I didn’t have to think twice. That’s how my vlog 8 from Paraguay came about.
A few days later, I was on a plane to Asunción, the capital of Paraguay. As we approached the city, the red roofs glowed in the afternoon sun. From there, I took a bus out of the metropolis and into the green, hilly countryside. The landscape became increasingly rural, the roads narrower, and eventually the sign appeared:
Bienvenidos a Independencia.
A colony steeped in history
The Independencia colony was founded over a hundred years ago by German, Austrian and Swiss immigrants. At that time, the land was still wild and undeveloped, but the new arrivals were generously given several hectares of land per family.
Initially, wine was the main crop grown here, and indeed, many of the rolling hills and vineyards are still reminiscent of small corners of the Palatinate or Styria.
In recent decades, however, the picture has changed: in addition to agriculture and viticulture, tourism now also plays a role – especially when the beer festival takes place in Independencia.
As you can see in my vlog no. 8 (LLTV and DORFTV), you get a good impression of the scale of the beer festival! Over 15,000 people celebrated exuberantly – with several stages, great performances and an atmosphere that was simply incredible.
Finally, I would like to once again express my sincere thanks to Frank, Carlos and Georg (and their families) for their warm hospitality and the wonderful time I had. Special thanks go above all to Frank’s family, who run the Hotel Tilinski – I stayed there and felt completely at home.
Now it’s time to pack my bags and head to Buenos Aires, where the first Argentine curling club awaits me. Stay tuned – more on that in the next vlog! 🇦🇷❄️