border between Paraguay and Bolivia

Hi! I'm planning to visit Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru with two (female) friends this summer. All of us are students so we plan a rather low bugdet-tour. We've heard that there is no road leading from Filadelfia in Paraguay across the Chaco to the Bolivian border and then to Sucre/Potosí. Is it right that one can only hitchhike but those roads on the Chaco are only used by military busses? If so, how dangerous is this really for three backpacking girls ? Thanks for your advice! So long,

I can't help you with the routing, but would not hitchhike ANYWHERE in Paraguay. Taxis, busses and other public transport (including ancient trains) are cheap as dirt. Conversely, there are few if any road rules and those are ignored with impunity; livestock in rural areas are common on the road.

I was robbed at gunpoint in broad daylight in downtown Asuncion, something I later found out was quite common. It's a shame because otherwise I very much enjoyed the quirky country and its generally accommodating people and fascinating (sometimes tragic) history. It's the stolen photos of the last few days of the trip that I miss the most.....

There's a fair-sized Peace Corps contingent in the country so keep an eye out for them; if you insist on hitching they might be able to hook you up with a trustworthy local; they are not a tourist agency, though, so bring along some M&Ms or something as a thankyou.

HTH

Thanks for advice! CU,