A Week in Uruguay

Fed up with long bus rides, we decided to visit Uruguay-- a much smaller country-- for a few days. We figured that we could see a few towns and cities without having to travel such a long distances.

We hopped on a ferry from Buenos Aires, and then took a short bus ride to Montevideo, Uruguay.

As soon as we got off the bus, we were made aware of some of the differences between Buenos Aires and Montevideo. The bus terminal was shiny and new and not covered in graffiti. The drivers didn't seem to want to whack us with their car. Money in Uruguay is logical and straightforward-- much unlike Argentina. People give you change without complaining. [Side story-- One day, I ordered some fries from McDonald's in Bariloche so I could use their Wi-Fi. I gave them a few bills and the poor cashier whined and pleaded with me to scrounge up some change instead so that she didn't have to give me four 1-peso coins. Coins are precious here.] All in all, Montevideo seemed to be much more mellow, and slow-paced than Buenos Aires, which is just a few hours away.

We spent most of our time in Montevideo just wandering around the streets, looking at the beautiful architecture and admiring the neat parks. We took a long run along the beach and spent many afternoons getting lost in the pedestrian-only area. 

Delicious ice cream soda

After we got our fill of (smaller) city life, we took a short bus ride to Colonia de Sacramento, an old colonial town on a river. Colonia is a wonderful little town filled with cobblestone streets lined with big shade trees. We biked around the entire town, and spent a morning reading near the beach. One night, we went to dinner at a restaurant hidden away in an old building from 1790. The stone walls made us feel like we were living in a different time, and we feasted on cheese and smoked meats and bread. On our last day in town, we climbed the steps of a tall lighthouse and watched a storm slowly make it's way into town. 

Just hanging out in some barrels

Dogs admiring the views

Windy...

If we'd had a bit more time before our flight out of South America-- or if the weather was better-- we would've spent a few more days exploring some of the beach towns on the east coast of Uruguay, or traveling inland to gaucho country. Perhaps next trip.

So, farewell for now, Uruguay! We'll be back!

-R