6th Stop: Uruguay

So we hopped on our bus from Mendoza, heading towards Buenos Aires! The bus was great, seats that pulled out into FULL beds, dinner and wine! Other than the fact that it was 100 degrees on the bus, it was good! We just can't win, the busses are either freezing or like a sauna.

We had intended on staying in Buenas Aires the next few days but after talking with friends in BA we decided we were going to head to Uruguay for a couple days first and then head to BA to be there on the weekend, meaning they would have more time to hangout with us! So, we arrived in Buenos Aires but immediately took a taxi to the Buquebus terminal, which is a ferry that will take us to Colonia de Sacremento in Uruguay! We got on a 12:30 ferry. The boat was awesome.... when we boarded I felt as if I was on a crusieship, it was so pretty! We had some snacks and talked with some Canadians we met, before arriving in Uruguay a couple hours later!

We get off the Buquebus and arrive to the cute little town of Colonia, filled with winding, cobblestone streets and a historic feel, overlooking the Rio de la Plata. We get our bags from customs and walk to Hostel Espana to get a room. After getting settled and dropping off our laundry, which was in major need of washing, we go out to explore the town! We walk up and down the cobblestone streets, visit a couple parks and plazas and end at the old seaport overlooking the bay. This is a beautiful spot where we find ourselves sitting at for a quite awhile, taking pictures and watching the boats. We then head to a nice restaurant for dinner overlooking the water. We have a typical soup of Uruguay, as well as Chivito, which is one of their specialities consisting of steak, fried egg, tomato, lettuce and cheese served with potato salad, yum! We stay at the restaurant until sunset, and then return to the shore to take in the gorgeous colors of the sky! After sunset we do a little window shopping, buy some food for breakfast and head back to the hostel. It is sooooo cold here and with no heat in the hostel we cannot warm up. We finally decide late at night to walk around town and find an internet cafe and hot chocolate. We found the hot chocolate, but never found an internet cafe. We somehow got lost in the little town and being it was dark out and not a lot of people around we decided to take the safe route and return home. I didn't sleep at all that night as I was literally shivering the whole night in my bed.

The next morning we get on a bus to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay! Montevideo is only a couple hours away so we decide we can just make a day trip out of it. We visit an Artisan market where I buy some handmade Uruguayan sandals, which I love, and spend some time at el mercado central before stopping at a famous empananda and dessert spot mentioned in all our guidebooks. We tried a couple different empanadas and of course had to get dessert, as Uruguay is known for their desserts! Some restaurants have a larger dessert menu than food menu, it's crazy.... and not good for my health, as I am a sucker for sweets! We decide to go with sweet rice with milk and dulce de leche, how amazing! After lunch we walk to the main Plaza in town where we people watch for a bit, watching the shoe shiners hard at work and old men playing cards and chess on the park benches. We then visit el pueblo viejo, or the old town of Montevideo before it gets dark. It's now time to head back to Colonia, where we buy a return ticket for the Buquebus, pack our bags and get back on the boat to head to Buenos Aires for real this time! We feast on the boat as we had a shmorgishborg of snacks, and a couple beers. Two hours later we are back in Buenos Aires, where we take a taxi to my friend Bethany's apartment. Bethany and I worked together at the bar back home and she is currently working and going to school in Buenos Aires, so her and her roommates were allowing us to stay with them. Their apartment is in a very nice part of town called Palermo. When we arrived I knew we were not going to want to leave there!