Buena Onda

In Spanish they have a saying “Buena Onda”, which literally means “good wave”, but it’s used to portray a good feeling, the atmosphere, the vibe etc. For example when I did my boat trip up the river last week, the crew and passengers were so friendly, I would say “it was a Buena Onda”.

OK, enough of Spanish 101, I just wanted to write a quick blog about the buena onda I was surfing yesterday, I had one of those days where things just started happening, I couldn’t stop smiling. All too often we are surrounded by negative news, all you need to do is turn on the TV at 6 o’clock. Anyway…………..

Yesterday I opened my email account and read that one of my travel stories (titled ‘kissing Paraguayan men’) was getting published on a well known travel website, Boots n all , go check it out, its on the home page under traveller articles. Although it’s not the New York Times, you have to start somewhere.

Also waiting for me was a couple of emails from friends back home about the Antarctic Volunteer jobs going at Scott Base. Cheers to you guys, “buena onda”, looking into it now.

The most exciting news. At yoga Mandy met Silvana, a young Colombian lady that lives here with her Cuban husband Ricardo and their two children here in Asuncion. She went back and was hanging at their house and got talking with them. Ends up they make documentaries, not your mainstream type, but the grass roots, artistic, for the love of it documentaries, documentaries with a purpose. Turns out they have an Italian client with a teenage market that maybe interested on a web TV series about travel in Paraguay. Mandy said, I think I might know just the person for this role.

We met up last night at their pizzeria, and it’s all go. We are going to make a pilot on Friday, I’m just going to walk around downtown Asuncion, talk with the people, see the sights, the poverty, the flash government buildings, the smiles, the hammock sellers, the shoe shiners in the plaza, the 10 year old kids driving the horse and carts down the main streets. I can’t wait, I’m so passionate about Paraguay, I would love to share it, as you will see in my coming blog posts. Silvana said that I just have to be myself, I do what I want and she follows with the camera, it’s about my travels, my experiences etc.

But it is only a pilot, maybe the clients don’t like it, who knows, all I know is that I’m excited. At the least it will be a great experience and a day that I won’t forget.

Oh and another thing, good mates Hazel and Ami from Perth arrive in a couple of days to come and hang in Asuncion, can’t wait, super pumped. Haze if you read this, just hooked up your bed, all good, can’t wait to see ya’s.

OK, back to the “5 people you meet on a Paraguayan cargo boat” posts. I just had to share the Buena onda with you.

Nuthin but love Hap