A handshake comes first, a kiss on the cheek between friends, then a gentle question about whether everything is all right. Talk slides between Guaraní and Spanish, and soon a shared cup circles a group who treat you like an old acquaintance. Long afternoons in good company count as time well spent.

Subtropical in the green east and semi-arid in the western plains, the climate brings hot summers and mild, sunny winters. A Local Friend walks beside you instead of ahead, so you join the circle as a guest and leave as someone expected back.