Page Turned,

A new chapter has opened. Our travels of Sucre have ended, but our travels of Tarija have just begun.

This post won’t dissect this trip day by day, rather it will be displayed in more of a story fashion. Enjoy!

We touched down in Tarija, Bolivia, on April 18, 2018 at 1:00 P.M. This marked the start of the second half of our trip. We were now in a completely different environment. We were just in a lively, touristy city that was vibrant and bursting at the seams, and now we were in a much more tranquil city. It’s not exactly known for its tourist attractions, its main pull is the wine country, which is about 30 minuets away from where I was staying. 

My first moments in Tarija left me shook. My world was totally flipped on its head. It’s kind of ironic, my goal was to find the beauty in the ordinary, yet I was overwhelmed by it. The streets and plazas were much cleaner than Sucre’s, yet it left me feeling a void. The beautiful streets were occupied by empty space. There was no purpose to my steps, I was walking aimlessly, not caring where we were or what we did. 

It was as if a dark cloud was above me, dampening my entire experience. I told myself to give it a day and see how it goes. I regret to tell you, that it got about a whole 10 percent better. The lack of energy in the city was hard to adjust to. 

I don’t want to give you the wrong impression of Tarija, it’s truly beautiful. They have great lookouts which displayed its gorgeous scenery. It's incredibly green as well, with many well kept plaza squares. They have restaurants that would challenge those in America. It’s a very nice place to visit, if you like a slow pace.

A few days in, it became much more doable. After I started to adjust to the pace of the days and the type of people who occupy this city, I began to find pieces of joy lying around for me to pick up. I realized that my joy here wasn’t going to be created by the things I seen and did, it was going to be found in the memories made and the time spent with my family.

I also meditated on my reasons for being here. I was caught in the trap, that I was on vacation, when in reality I wasn’t. I came here to see if Bolivia would be a possibility in my future, to see what it’s like to be a Need Greater. The other motivation was to spend time with my sister who isn’t coming State side till the end of the year. Once my mindset changed, my experience greatly improved. From when I got here, until this post, my mood has lifted up to 50 percent. Yes! Now I’m indifferent about Tarija. 

I would recommend that a Need Greater start their journey here, in order to slowly become integrated with the culture found in Bolivia. From a tourist perspective, I think mostly those who are okay with a slow pace and those who have many years behind them should visit. This is a very slow and relaxing city, geared for those types of people.

After I completed writing what preceded this sentence, we traveled outside of Tarija, to El Valle, or "The Valley". This is where a traveler will find the wine country that Tarija is well known for. In El Valle, you’re surrounded by mountains and beautiful greenery. The one highlight of this part of my trip, was being able to try Chancho a la Cruz, which is pig that has been smoked on a cross. I have literally been wanting to try this meal since my last visit to Bolivia. The results weren't surprising, much like my experience in Tarija, it met all my expectations. However, it meeting my expectations was a good thing, because of how high I set them. The meat was incredibly tender and moist. The skin was crispy and sweet, a combination that made my heart rejoice. The meal + the scenery, made for a delightful dining experience. 

Our later travels led us to a look out, which is a huge wine glass...fitting, right? From here you can see Tarija in its entirety. The sights were just breathtaking. It reminded me of the true beauty that can be found there. Though it may not have the same amount of travelers Sucre draws, or the same energy associated with them, Tarija can rival its beauty.

I think you will enjoy a short visit here.


Regards,


Nikos Garloff

P.S. Enclosed are photos + videos from my trip to Tarija, I hope you enjoy.