CARCARAÑA - Santa Fe (ASOMBRADO con tan LINDA y TRANQUILA Ciudad, aunque MUCHOS dicen lo contrario)

I packed my backpack and set off for a new destination... The small city of Carcarañá, in the province of Santa Fe, known as "Carancho Diablo" (Devil Carancho), as its Guaraní name translates to Spanish, awaited me with open arms and the warmth of its people... Carcarañá, then, would be my new adventure! Located 45 km west of the enormous city of Rosario and situated on the right bank of the Carcarañá River, I honestly liked Carcarañá more than I imagined. It was 5 a.m. and the city was asleep as the first light of day appeared. The bus dropped me off on Route 9, which skirts the southern edge of the town. After resting for a few hours, I set out to explore it on foot, slowly, as is my custom, since I believe it's the best way to get to know a town or city. I was pleasantly surprised to see its wide, clean, and fairly well-maintained streets. Its predominantly low-rise houses (many of them chalets) with gardens and flowers beautified the town. The PEACE and TRANQUILITY of a "small town" was completely palpable. In fact, many locals get around by moped, motorcycle, or bicycle. And those who drive, of course, DON'T have the "problem" of where to park, as we suffer from living in giant, overcrowded cities. Everyone knows each other and everyone greets each other. Carcaraña is one big family. And what can be said about its Plaza de la Independencia (formerly Plaza Colón), which is the central square? Very green, very wooded, with a great variety of trees, flowers, and even palm trees. And as if that weren't enough, a large flagpole with our Argentine flag waving in the wind. Around it, right in the heart of the city, and as in almost all the squares in the interior of the country, stand the typical historic buildings: its indispensable City Hall, its imposing Our Lady of Pilar Parish Church, the historic City Museum, and on one of its corners, the headquarters of the red and black Club Atlético Carcarañá. I continued my walk and a few blocks later, I came across the Carcarañá Railway Station (belonging to the Mitre railway line) and a huge green space surrounding it. Several freight trains pass through daily, and apparently, to my surprise and delight, a few passenger services, which connect Rosario and the neighboring city of Cañada de Gómez, using Carcarañá as an intermediate station. Later in the afternoon, under a sweltering sun, I headed west, reaching the outskirts of the city, to see a historic iron bridge that crosses the famous Carcarañá River. Inaugurated at the beginning of the last century, it's an engineering marvel, built with wrought iron, demonstrating how these types of structures were built with exceptional quality and robustness. It was an era when quality and detail were prioritized... and today it has become a symbol of durability and design. Although it shows some signs of wear from the passage of time, cars and trucks still pass over it. It's even used as a base for fishing from above. It was time to rest... I was exhausted. I took a cold shower and went out to get something to eat at one of the several small bars around the Plaza. The "Stones" Bar not only has very friendly service, but to my surprise, they play Rock and Hard Rock all night long, while dozens of locals enjoy good food, sitting at tables on the sidewalk. The very next day, after a peaceful night's sleep, I woke up at 7:30 a.m. for a 2km walk under the radiant sun to visit the iconic "Parque Sarmiento"... a beautiful 32-hectare park bordering the river, framed by willows, pines, eucalyptus, oaks, and ash trees... and the sounds of birds. Open year-round, it has a camping area where you can stay in tents, campervans, motorhomes, or trailers. There are also fully equipped wooden cabins in the Alpine and American styles. The park offers plenty of shade, a general store, a restaurant, electrical outlets, barbecue grills, and restrooms with hot and cold showers... and security. But if that weren't enough, there are also large swimming pools for adults and children, soccer fields, volleyball courts, an outdoor gym, and a playground. At the back of the park, you can reach the photogenic Carcarañá River, which originates in the province of Córdoba, then flows into the province of Santa Fe, finally emptying into the Coronda River. I saw many people fishing on its banks. In short, Sarmiento Park is a great natural gem, ideal for recreation for the local community and travelers. The trip ended with a long walk to the entrance of the city, on Route 9, to take the obligatory photo with the sign of the giant Carancho bird... In this way, I added a new page, a golden page, to my Travel Book! Thank you, Carcarañá!