Zach's Adventures in Bolivar

Recently, I posted a blog entry about Bolivar, a small town just outside of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Here's an update. My spouse and one of our acquaintances went on a week-long vacation to Bolivar: Our acquaintance was there to visit his mom, and Zach went to explore the area.

After the 13-hour bus ride from Cordoba, they were dropped off at the terminal in Bolivar. While it's not as large as the Retiro terminal in Buenos Aires, it's more than sufficient. Upon arrival, you're greeted by a welcome silence—perfect if you ever want to escape the noise of city life.

This is a typical Monday morning in Bolivar. Timestamp: 8:41 a.m. As you can see, you don’t have to worry about getting hit by a car while crossing the street.

Most mornings, Zach was graciously treated to these delicious pastries. What made it even better for him was that his acquaintance went out to get them while Zach stayed home, like a queen on her throne, waiting for her meal.

The town may be small, but you can still get lost. Fortunately, there are signs like this one to guide you to where you need to go. They’re mainly found in the center of town, near the plaza. Zach made his way on foot towards the town center, and here are some of the photos he took along the way.

And just like Dorothy, he found himself his own Tin Man

One of Zach's favorite Argentine dishes happens to be chicken empanadas. Fortunately, a restaurant called Antonia served the best chicken empanadas he had ever tried in Argentina.

Central Park is one of Zach's favorite places in New York. When our acquaintance’s mother introduced him to one of the main parks in Bolivar, Zach was thrilled—it felt like a mini version of Central Park. The park is called Las Acollaradas.

The park is about half the size of Bolivar. Families gather there in the evenings to drink mate, have barbecues, and play games. You’ll find tennis courts, soccer fields, many playgrounds, plenty of greenery, and a local indoor swimming pool.

There's a big lake, a bit like a swamp, with a small island that’s home to birds known as Tordo Ojos Rojos (Red-eyed Thrushes). Their tweeting sounds a bit demonic, and Zach quickly ran across a wooden bridge to escape before it turned into a "Supernatural" situation.

Swamp Thing, you there?

There are plenty of other park areas, so if you’re a tree hugger, this is definitely the place to be. Zach mentioned he had never inhaled air as fresh as in Bolivar. The weather was amazing, and for the first time in five years since he’s been in Argentina, he didn’t sweat.

After all that walking, which was a new experience for Zach, something unfortunate happened: he couldn’t find a McDonald's or a Burger King anywhere in Bolivar.

Luckily, our acquaintance came to the rescue and treated Zach to a nice meal at one of Bolivar's well-known restaurants, Firpo.

The following day, our acquaintance's mother took Zach to an abandoned train station. To his surprise, she didn't just leave him there! He snapped some photos, and honestly, tell me it doesn't look a bit like the backdrop of Smallville.

Zach also learned the hard way not to call someone the "B" word in Bolivar after running into this place.

You see, this is where our acquaintance learned how to speak English. So, even though the people of Bolivar aren't 100% fluent in English, it doesn't mean you can get away with saying whatever you want. Some of them might understand you!

All in all, Bolivar is a small, quiet town. But with great company, energetic feet, and wandering eyes, you can have an adventurous experience. So, if you plan on visiting, bring comfortable shoes, extra batteries for your camera, and plenty of water bottles!

Until next time, Bolivar!