The Villa Morra neighborhood in Asunción, Paraguay is known as the best neighborhood for expats and digital nomads. While it is generally very safe, there are four dangers.
- Cars
- Tripping Hazards
- Flash Floods
- Falling Mangoes
Dangerous Cars
Crossing the street in Villa Morra, Asunción can be a rather athletic activity. Cars here often don't appear like they are going to stop for pedestrians, and sometimes they don't. But when they do, they sometimes don't stop until the last second.
On some small intersections, pedestrians must be assertive, and step out in front of cars that seem to want to run them over. In these intersections, the cars stop, but only after being pressured by the presence of a pedestrian.
Crossing larger roads requires a different approach. Cars can be speeding and therefore will not and could not even stop for a pedestrian. Great caution must be taken.
Red lights are not always respected, however once a light turns red on a busy road, the cars do a good job of stopping; maybe they know they will be hit by the other traffic immediately accelerating. Riding buses in Asunción requires some knowledge, including the purchasing and charging of bus cards.
Many streets in Villa Morra don't have posted street signs and lack stop signs.
Tripping Hazards
The sidewalks in Villa Morra are unpredictable. On the major road of Avenida Mariscal López, they are fine. But elsewhere, there can be random holes, steps, drops, and even small cliffs. Expats walking to daily activities, such as spanish school or gyms should be cautious.
Flash Floods
In Paraguay, the weather can change rapidly. The streets flood, likely due to a lack of drainage infrastructure. This poses a serious problem for vehicles. In fact, many Paraguayans won't travel if it's raining, because of how dangerous it can be. Meetings, work, or school can even get cancelled.
Some SUV and truck owners install "snorkles" on their vehicles. These are air-intake extendars that allow the engine to intake air much higher. This way, water is less likely to flood the engine.
Falling Mangoes
Mango trees are all over Villa Morra. Isaac Newton may have made an important discovery about apples, and is surely seems to apply to Mangoes as well. Every now and then, there will be a loud "thud" of a mango hitting the roof of a car.
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