Familia pt III: Uruguay

The final mini-trip we did while the fam was here (told ya it was a jam-packed week!) was a boat trip over to Colonia, Uruguay.  As the name suggests it is a little colonial town founded by the Portuguese in 1680.  It sits on the Rio de la Plata, just a boat ride away from BA. 

   We went over on the Buquebus, a huge ferry that chuggs along the Rio at 40 knots!  Although the process of getting your ticket is quite cumbersome as you have to go to 4 different employees, the boat itself is gorgeous and modern, complete with a giant duty-free shop where I had the opportunity to drool over dark chocolate and Pepperidge Farm Goldfish- things unheard of in Argy!

Arriving in Colonia, it was just as quaint as I had heard!  It is a very cute little town with sleepy sidewalks, brightly colored houses, cobblestone streets and windy flower vines that crawl along its buildings.  It also provides a great view of the river, which is beautiful if you can get over its gross brown color.

 

 

We popped in and out of galleries, climbed the remains of the once-fortifying wall, and ate a nice leisurely lunch.  It all felt oddly like I was in a different decade!    

Note: The peso Uruguayo-USD ratio is approx 24:1!  It was weird to see lunch offered for $290! 

Colonia is the perfect little day trip to take, a nice quiet breather from the roar of BA.  However, After a few hours of oohing and aahing at the cuteness or every little house and street, I found myself itching to get back to the faster pace of BA. 

 

 

CColonia is also great because you can jot on over in just a few hours and when you return to Argentine soil, your tourist visa (good for 3 months) is renewed!  I know someone who has been here for an entire year using this method…tempting prospect once my student visa runs out, eh?