Weekend in Tarija

On Friday, 16 April, I visited the office of Cetha Emborozu and Aproca in Tarija, to make acquaintance with some of my new colleagues. After that, we went to the production plant just outside of Tarija. The plant is under construction, and is to be finished within a few weeks. After viewing the plant (see photos) and giving some points for constructional improvement, we headed back to town.

 

Since the plant is not finished yet, I have some time to get to know the city, look for an apartment, get my Bolivian driver’s license, get a car, etc.


With the weather being sunny, 30C, blue sky, low humidity, I headed off to the plazas, the main spots of the city’s center. At plaza Sucre, a lovely Latin plaza with palm trees, a lively atmosphere, I found my first favorite spot; Thai Kaffee, a lunchroom. And guess what, they have chocolate cake on the menu… so in the hope to continue my tradition of coffee and chocolate cake, like at Napoleon in Venlo and Coffee Lovers in Maastricht, I ordered a double espresso and a big piece of chocolate cake…… and to my great surprise and happiness, the chocolate cake and coffee were great! Extra kudos for Tarija!!

Later, I found a gym close to my hostel, and I went in to check it out. There I met the 2 owners, Christian and Monica Beccar. They both speak English (most people in Tarija do not or hardly), so we talked for a while, as they gave me some input and information about Tarija. Chrsttian studied Food Science at the University of California in Fresno, so basically, we have the same degree/profession. Wanting to continue working out in a gym, as I did in Holland, I joined the gym (Nivel Fitness on Calle R. Rojas, Tarija) During the rest of the weekend, Christian and Monica helped me look for an apartment, a car, get information for getting my Bolivian driver’s license, etc.

On Saturday night, the three of us had dinner at restaurant Buffalo at Plaza Luis de Fuentes (or also called Plaza Principal). There we had the best paella of Tarija, and it truly does deserve it’s name and fame.

On Sunday I was invited for lunch at a colleagues house. In between everything, I had lunches and dinners at Thai Kaffee and Gattopadro restaurant. At Gattopadro, a very nice restaurant with a great interior and atmosphere and a European style terrace outside, they serve delicious argentine steaks and already one of my favorites, Mexican tacos.
All weekend, needless to say, the weather was just perfect, sunny, around 30C and humidity around 40%, with temperatures at night cooling off to around 15C.