So the next day was the day to get admin stuff sorted, we decided. Well, by admin stuff we just meant planning the next few days. We went to tourist information and found out about the boat up to Concepcion. It left the next morning at 7am and would take 30 hours. We decided to see if we could get 'camerotes' (cabins) before deciding. We went to the ticket office (just a man at a desk near the port) and he said they didn't have any, but then someone else told us to come in the morning to find out if they did actually have any space. We spent the rest of the day trying to decide what to do (and trying to buy a rucksack for Gussy, which was surprisingly difficult), as I was keen to get to Bolivia but we wanted to get the boat and do some stuff in and around Concepcion. We decided to go for it.

The next morning we got up an hour early due to Jenny's phone being an hour wrong! Then went back to bed, got up at the right time and then went to the port, only with small rucksacks and food, having left our big bags at the hotel with the trustworthy old woman owner. We got to the boat and the captain said they might have camerotes when they leave but he didn't know yet. We eventually decided that if they didn't have camerotes we wouldn't do it because otherwise we'd be spending the whole time sitting on wooden chairs and possibly being able to get a hammock. At 1 minute to 7 the boat started to leave and we were standing there asking if they had space or not, not knowing whether or not to jump off the boat. After it was too late to get off we were told they did have space in the cabins so we settled into our rooms, very relieved. We all went back to sleep for a few hours after our early start, in our surprisingly comfy beds. We then sat on deck in the sun, rolling down the Rio Paraguay, surrounded by green, and passed the time with games, reading, talking to men in the Paraguyan marine. Although the time went quite slowly at times, we were never bored and it was just quite nice to sit and think and look at the scenery. We got a hot dinner on the boat of rice and a meat sauce, and then I taught the girls poker - which the now love - and we crashed out for the night. The boat was noisy all night, but it was a pretty comfortable sleep overall - we were definitely glad of our cabins.

The next day we woke up feeling quite like a nice hot shower and bathroom to use, but the toilet on the boat was disgusting to say the least so we avoided it. We sat in the boiliing sun for the last few hours before arriving, an hour late (that's a 31 hour trip) in Concepcion. We chose a hotel from Lonely Planet and got a taxi there, and settled in. We then had a worry that none of us would be able to withdraw money from either of the 2 cash machines in town and would have to return that day to Asuncion. Jenny and I could, but Gussy had to borrow the whole time we were there. We saw just about everything there is to see in Concepcion that evening and then had an early night, as we had another early start the next morning.

We got up early, had breakfast (I called Mum to wish her a happy birthday), and then set off for Parque Nacional Cerro Cora, a national park 4 hours north towards the jungle, full of wildlife and nature. We got there in incredible heat in the middle of the day and walked for 2km to the information center where a helpful man gave us a map and showed us a route to walk around the park. We walked down to the river, through the jungle, seeing all kinds of insects and animals along the way. I had said earlier I wanted to see a woodpecker, and we saw 2, with bright red feathers covering their head. I was very happy. We saw frogs, spiders, LOADS of bugs and birds, and a fox-like creature from far away, but were disappointed not to have seen more. We carried on our walk and decided to take the long route back to the main road because we had plenty of time left. The path quickly became overgrown and we had a few moments of wondering whether we'd taken the wrong path. Gussy and Jenny meanwhile moaned about the heat and pleaded for it to rain. Not long later it started raining. And when it rains in the jungle, it pours. We walked in torrential rain for about half an hour, and as it got darker we started to wonder again whether we were on the right track. We heard a lot of rustles in the bushes but didn't see much more wildlife until we finally reached the road and saw a - well, half a - huge dead snake on the side of the road. A bus came straight away which we squeezed onto, completely soaked and eventually got seats for the quite uncomfortable, and very cold 4 hour journey back. We had a nice relaxing evening.

The next day we got up late, aching all over because our beds in Concepcion were basically just planks of wood, and left for Asuncion. We eventually got a bus which took what now seemed to us like a mere 6 and a half hours and got back to our hotel in Asuncion. We planned on seeing the nightlife but the first night in a week that we planned to go out happened to be the eve of the general election in Paraguay - which has taken over the country with banners everywhere - and so everything closed at 12 and now it is Sunday which is normally quiet anyway, but because of the election, the only thing open is the internet cafe so that's how we've spent most of today! The woman at the hotel is letting us use the kitchen tonight because no restaurants are open, but apparently the bars re open later so we're going try again tonight! Then tomorrow evening we are going to get a bus right across Paraguay into Bolivia. This will take a very long time!