Adventures with Adam and Emily: Shopping in Asuncion (no Target or Trader Joe's here!)

Shopping in Asuncion has been very easy and convenient- the biggest challenge is discovering and exploring all the options. There is everything from small neighborhood bodegas and shops to large supermarkets and stores, as well as several large shopping malls.

Olivia liked the Ace Hardware for their fancy rolling baskets

One of the things that I have liked so far about the supermarkets is the bakery. In every grocery store we’ve been to, there are fresh breads in big giant bins that you can select from and then they charge you based on the weight. It’s also incredibly inexpensive! We’ve gotten baguettes, rolls, and rustic breads. Most recently, I bought a loaf of crusty rosemary bread for 20 cents and it was delicious!! They also have large meat and produce sections, endless aisles of pasta (but no boxed mac n cheese like in the US), and a very large tea/mate section.

Similar to Kingston, you can't bring the shopping carts out of the grocery stores we've been to, so there are employees that push your groceries to your car and then we give them a tip

The deli line at one of the local supermarkets

We found one supermarket that has the car shopping carts! Now if only we can find one that has those "shopper in training" carts like some Trader Joe's in the US

Olivia wants to buy a package of chipa paraguaya mix

We also checked out a gourmet meat shop called Punto Carne, as well as several Asian grocery stores, including Hannil (Korean market), Sakura (Japanese market), and Casa China (Chinese market). The Asian grocery stores are very, very, very tiny but I’m grateful they even exist- they are definitely not 99 Ranch or HMart.

We have also had the chance to visit a few markets. There’s a weekly market that is held on one of the levels of a shopping mall parking garage. It’s called Agroshopping and though the prices seem higher than the supermarket, I have been told that the produce lasts longer. I’ll be curious to see what they have once we are out of winter.

I love those little bananas- they call them bananas de oro here but they are pricier than the normal bananas. The produce above was about $12...and the corn was disappointing. :(

We also went to Mercado de Abasto where everything comes in gigantic sacks and huge crates. My guess is many people shopping there are buying for small bodegas or to take to smaller towns. One of my friends bought onions, bananas, and potatoes there, but it was so much that she gave me several pounds of what she bought. If I were feeding a huge family, perhaps I would shop there but I don’t anticipate needing 50 lbs of potatoes anytime soon!

We walked around Mercado 4, a very busy and lively market where you can find all sorts of things, including food, live animals, clothing, fabric, and spices. When we went, we were in the tea and herbs section of the market before we ran out of time and had to head out. We plan to check it out more another time. I didn't take any pictures because I didn't feel comfortable whipping out my phone, but maybe another time. Apparently there is a movie called 7 Cajas that is based in Mercado 4 that I’ll have to track down and watch.

There are also several malls in town, including one that is expanding and a new one that just opened up. They are super fancy and have huge food courts, movie theaters, ice cream shops, and expensive stores. Olivia’s favorite part- riding up and down and up and down and up and down the escalators!