March 14, 2017 - Silver

Silver

Looking out the window of Flight 522 to Tarija on Friday, October 21^st, I saw silver.  It had been drizzly and overcast and hot when we left Santa Cruz.  Yet in moments, after takeoff, we broke through the clouds.  Our cabin was flooded with silver light. Outside the clouds sparkled silver in the late afternoon sun in the sky over Bolivia.

Just before we landed, the clouds broke up over some mountains.  Below me I saw lumps of freshly baked chocolate brownies, smothered in marshmallow paste.  The clouds were caught in pockets in the Andean Mountains.  At the western edge of the world, a golden necklace graced the darkening sky, as the sun set over Bolivia.  I was overwhelmed by the richness of the afternoon sky.

Over the next few hours, I would experience that beauty of the people of Tarija.  One sign welcomed me to Tarija, the city of the smile. 

The man who sat next to me on the plane, though from Santa Cruz, walked me to the taxi line.  He was from Santa Cruz, but wanted to make sure that me, the foreigner, was not cheated, but got the Bolivian rate.  I had nothing to fear; my taxista was a man who wanted me to enjoy my stay in Tarija.  He directed me to take the wine tour the next day, which I did.  Several of my Bolivian friends had said the same thing.  Since I was in wine country, I would most definitely do that.

At the hotel, I was again bombarded with the friendliness that Tarija is known for.  The young man at the front desk, did everything he could to make sure everything was perfect for me.  He is one of those that the phrase, head-over-heals, works well.  I don’t know his name and regret that; he didn’t work Sunday when I left, so I never learned it.  This young man made sure my TV worked well, even though I said I didn’t plan on watching TV.  He made sure my room was just right and that I had enough towels. He gave me directions to a good restaurant, in which I ended up eating three of my six meals in Tarija.  When I came back from eating, he made reservations for me to be a part of the wine tour the next morning.

The restaurant he sent me to was beautiful.  It was like something from a forgotten past.  Dignified.  Like an old-world club of gentlemen.  And they were playing Christian music.  What could be better?

The burst of silver was just the beginning.  The next two days would teach me a lot about this place.  Tarija is a shining smile of silver in people whose hearts are pure gold.

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