Friday, May 13, 2011

Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay

Argentina gives all U.S. tourists a 90-day visa. Some visitors (like me) simply do not want to leave Buenos Aires and for those of us who aren't quite ready to commit to permanent residence, there is a very simple way to renew your visa: Go to Uruguay. It's easy. You hop on a ferry and in about an hour you arrive in the cutesy tourist town of Colonia del Sacramento. And that's exactly what I did. Since I'm on a tight budget, I had to take cheapest ferry I could find departing Buenos Aires at the ungodly hour of 7am. Ugh. On the plus side, I start my day by watching an amazing sun rise.

When I arrive in Colonia, it is a breezy walk off the ferry. All of the other passengers have realized that it is fall except for me. I clutch my thin hoodie and curse myself for not bring a hat. I think of all the times my mom yelled at me to wear warmer clothing. "I'm cold just looking at you Meg!" I honestly don't think I'll ever learn. But it is beautifully sunny and I take the opportunity to roam the quiet streets and take photos.

Colonia was an old Portuguese port and in the historical district there are still blue and white tile signs and cobblestone streets.

An UNESCO Heritage site, some of the original colonial buildings still remain on la Calle de los Suspiros (Street of Sighs). Ahhhhh. Over hundreds of years old, they are still charming.

And there are lots of these pretty flowers, Bougainvillea (that's right, I googled it.)

I would be able to tell you more about the history of Colonia had I bothered to go to any of the museums (sorry Mom). But by mid-day, the sun was heating up and I opt to head for the beach to eat my veggie sandwich and take a siesta.

After my nap, I check out the artesian market (meh) and then decide it is tea and writing postcards time. At around 2pm, a huge ferry arrives with all of the tourists who had the common sense not to catch to the 7am ferry. The sleepy historical town is transformed into a tourist trap, complete with street performers, hippie jewelry vendors and men with giant "I'm overcompensating for something" cameras. I hate it when other people remind me that I'm a tourist. I feel the need to flee to higher ground and elect to head to the nearest lighthouse. I climb up a winding, bright green staircase to get a view of the town and the sea from above. It is very peaceful.

By the end of the day, I am ready to go. Exhausted and wind-blown, I head to the ferry terminal to return to Buenos Aires and I did get my visa stamp for another 90-days. And who knows, I may have to make this trip again...

Practical Travel Tip: $1 USD = $4 ARG = $16 URG. It is very easy to exchange money and I would highly recommend trading in some Argentine pesos for the local currency. While most cafes and stores will take ARG pesos, it's the polite thing to do. Also, the ferries do board early, so do get there a full 45 - 30 mins before departure time.


1 comment:

  1. Sounds like the most peaceful and beautiful visa run I've ever heard of!

    ReplyDelete