Ciao!

My Tarija trip

I had a great time in Tarija, even if I didn't get to see any of the museums or vineyards — which were closed for the long Carnaval holiday. I even managed to do a brief, private Ash Wednesday at the Basilica San Francisco before catching my bus back to La Paz. The people in Tarija are splendid, and Hostal Bolivar had great service.

The bus trip was long, of course, but Expresso Tarija was much nicer than Expresso del Sur. We even stopped twice for meals (dinner in Villa Abecia & lunch in Oruro) and the driver didn't hassle us or make us get out and walk across the bridge south of Camargo. There were even two movies (Eraser and some Jackie Chan flick). And, like most long bus trips, you get to know the person sitting next to you and have long, friendly conversations.

The slight adjustment of coming from a small city back to a major metropolis still hasn't sunk in yet, but there were all the little differences in Tarija that I do remember. Cars stopping at red lights. Lots of bicycles & motorbikes. People not just giving you good directions, but accompanying you to be sure you don't get lost. They'd even say things like: "When you're in La Paz, if you see so-and-so, please say hello for me."

Total cost of the weeklong trip: $125.86 (which is about my weekly budget). Of that, I spent $28.66 for five nights at Hostal Bolivar, $30.57 for roundtrip busfare, $16.56 for a poncho, and about $25 for food (I ate mostly in the public market, which has great food). It was Carnaval, so I spent a bit more on water balloons, silly foam, and beer than I normally would. But, it's only once a year, right?

Posted by Miguel at 02:04 PM