Colonia

In Argentina the equivalent of a Butlins vacation (England) or a day at the closest beach (America) is a day trip to the neighboring Uruguay. The town of Colonia lies on the coast of Uruguay and can be reached by a short boat ride. On Sunday we gave the local tourist destination a visit. The tour program that we took was called Buquebus and provided us with the boat ride there and back along with a tour of the town. The ferry left Buenos aires at 8:45 and arrived at Colonia 3 hours later but firstly a little about the ride. The boat was actually pretty nice, it was a weird hybrid between a cruise ship and a ferry, it had the feeling of a small ferry but the comfort of a big ship. After a much needed nap we arrived in Colonia to clouds and lax immigration. After walking their streets for a only 5 minutes, I could see why the town had recently been named a world heritage site. I think this picture can explain it better than I could.

After walking around and seeing sites but not really knowing what they were, we sat down to eat lunch at El Drugstore. After getting over the strange name I began to appreciate the eclectic atmosphere inside. Well decorated, the restaurant had its chefs cooking in the open creating an aroma that made me want to order everything on the menu. I ended up getting chicken and mash potatoes which as boring as it sounds was delicious, and the restaurants atmosphere only made it taste better. We were then on a short bus tour which took us to see things out of walking distance such as the no longer used bull fighting ring and the race track. After the bus tour we went on a walking tour through the historic parts of the town. Speaking rapid Spanish, I was unable to discern most of what the guide was saying, but i did pick some things up. The city is the oldest in Uruguay and was founded by the Portuguese in 1680. We were again given some free time and we ventured to the top of the cities historic lighthouse. It was diffcult to get up there as during the time period it was built by people that averaged a height of 4 feet 9 inches, forcing me to bend, crouch and manouvere my way to the top. Once there though the site was spectacular and if it wasn't for the wind, I may have got a better picture.

Content with the day so far we decided to sit down at a restaurant/bar and I tried the local cerveza Patricia. By this time I was tired but happy that I had visited. The town was tranquil and at ease, a sharp contrast to the bustle of Buenos Aires. The cobblestone roads and the picturesque trees made walking down them a joy, and the only thing that could have made the day better would have been less wind. The ride home was more eventful than the morning trip. A greasy 40 something who thought he was 25 supplied "entertainment", he did sing in the morning, but this time he was able to maintain a steady crowd that cheered and chanted for him. He sang with tremendous emotion but I could only laugh at how cheesy he was. Another interesting observation I made on the boat was that Argentine couples are all about public displays of affection. I noticed this after the two people in front of me leaned there chairs back close enough that i could smell their hair and decided to go at it. It didn't spoil the trip though, and I got home at 11:30 ready to sleep.