Ahh, beautiful Uruguay
Folks, Uruguay is one of the loveliest places I've seen. The countryside is absolutely beautiful, and Colonia (de Sacramento) is absolutely charming and divine. It is a tiny little city, colonized by the Portuguese back in the day. It is pure tranquility and lovely without being quaint. There are dogs that roam the streets, but they are more friendly than feral, and there is a distinct lack of dogshit on the streets. How nice to be able to walk without constantly looking down and watching for messes to avoid!
The group of us also went to Montevideo on Sunday. I think Montevideo could be nice, but it's hard to have a solid opinion when 99% of everything was closed up and there were few people on the streets. Catholic countries really shut down on Sundays, and Montevideo was the most shut down Catholic city I've seen in a very long time. My friends wanted to 'do' (one of them actually used this word...) Montevideo in about five hours. Fine, I thought. Though, I don't quite understand the desire to walk the entire city, when there isn't anything to see on the streets (aside from the child beggars running after you shouting 'moneda! moneda!' (moneda=coin). Especially in 90+ degree heat. After getting exceptionally bored, and tired of walking very quickly in jeans (remember, the heat factor), I ditched my friends and went off on my own. I found an open-air street market and browsed the stalls for a bit. There were some interesting items, but not interesting enough for me to buy. I stopped by a bookshop, as I need a new book to read (I can't live without reading and I haven't had anything compelling to read in a couple weeks). They didn't carry English-language books, so I walked for a few blocks, bought a Coke and sat in a park. Considering the possibilities (nada), I opted to go back to the air-conditioned bus station and write in my journal for a while. The others walked for the 2.5-3 hours that we were apart. They'd gone to a beach, but it doesn't sound like they even stopped to sit at the beach for a while. So, I ask you, what is the point of visiting a city that is closed on Sundays and spending the entire time walking through it? Answer: none. Unless, of course, you are going to visit someone you know, and hence, are not sightseeing. The architecture wasn't anything special, so there wasn't even that to look at while walking around. For me, the walking was largely pointless. I mean, really, why not take a taxi, considering how cheap the taxis are?? Especially when that means you could spend more time somewhere interesting (e.g. the market or the beach)? If I'm going to walk for exercise -- which is something I actually do quite frequently -- I would never choose to do so in that level of heat. Especially as I was already sporting a mild sunburn from lounging at the hotel pool the day before.
So, that is my rant of the week.
Though, Montevideo seems like a nice place and I've recently heard someone rave about it, so I might go back for another visit. I would like to go back to Colonia, at the very least. It was that nice and it was incredibly enjoyable to be somewhere quiet (NO car horns, shouting, buses at 3am, barking dogs at 6am) and peaceful. I felt my stress factor plummet as soon as we started walking around (after dropping our bags at the hotel). I actually quite enjoy being someplace very small, were you can see everything in a few hours, and then spend the rest of the time ambling around or just sit by the pool or the beach or in a cafe, and not feel guilty that you're not out Seeing the Sights. I am a big fan of the beach destination holiday.
Though, I do have to admit that the part I liked best about the Montevideo side trip was getting to see the countryside from the bus. I've seen some of the Argentinian countryside, and it has a rundown, tired look. The countryside in Uruguay reminded me most of the Irish countryside (though, Uruguay is less green). It was clean, with hills, farms and horses and cows in abundance. Uruguay is not a rich country, yet the countryside is not a testament to its relative poorness when compared with a rich country, unlike what I've seen so far of Argentina. However, when I really hit the Argentinian road in January, maybe my perspective will change.
If you, dear reader, ever happen to visit Buenos Aires, I definitely recommend heading to Colonia. It's only one hour by the rapid boat (there is a three-hour 'slow' boat). And when you need a new visa stamp for your passport, it doesn't get easier than a quick trip to Uruguay.
The group of us also went to Montevideo on Sunday. I think Montevideo could be nice, but it's hard to have a solid opinion when 99% of everything was closed up and there were few people on the streets. Catholic countries really shut down on Sundays, and Montevideo was the most shut down Catholic city I've seen in a very long time. My friends wanted to 'do' (one of them actually used this word...) Montevideo in about five hours. Fine, I thought. Though, I don't quite understand the desire to walk the entire city, when there isn't anything to see on the streets (aside from the child beggars running after you shouting 'moneda! moneda!' (moneda=coin). Especially in 90+ degree heat. After getting exceptionally bored, and tired of walking very quickly in jeans (remember, the heat factor), I ditched my friends and went off on my own. I found an open-air street market and browsed the stalls for a bit. There were some interesting items, but not interesting enough for me to buy. I stopped by a bookshop, as I need a new book to read (I can't live without reading and I haven't had anything compelling to read in a couple weeks). They didn't carry English-language books, so I walked for a few blocks, bought a Coke and sat in a park. Considering the possibilities (nada), I opted to go back to the air-conditioned bus station and write in my journal for a while. The others walked for the 2.5-3 hours that we were apart. They'd gone to a beach, but it doesn't sound like they even stopped to sit at the beach for a while. So, I ask you, what is the point of visiting a city that is closed on Sundays and spending the entire time walking through it? Answer: none. Unless, of course, you are going to visit someone you know, and hence, are not sightseeing. The architecture wasn't anything special, so there wasn't even that to look at while walking around. For me, the walking was largely pointless. I mean, really, why not take a taxi, considering how cheap the taxis are?? Especially when that means you could spend more time somewhere interesting (e.g. the market or the beach)? If I'm going to walk for exercise -- which is something I actually do quite frequently -- I would never choose to do so in that level of heat. Especially as I was already sporting a mild sunburn from lounging at the hotel pool the day before.
So, that is my rant of the week.
Though, Montevideo seems like a nice place and I've recently heard someone rave about it, so I might go back for another visit. I would like to go back to Colonia, at the very least. It was that nice and it was incredibly enjoyable to be somewhere quiet (NO car horns, shouting, buses at 3am, barking dogs at 6am) and peaceful. I felt my stress factor plummet as soon as we started walking around (after dropping our bags at the hotel). I actually quite enjoy being someplace very small, were you can see everything in a few hours, and then spend the rest of the time ambling around or just sit by the pool or the beach or in a cafe, and not feel guilty that you're not out Seeing the Sights. I am a big fan of the beach destination holiday.
Though, I do have to admit that the part I liked best about the Montevideo side trip was getting to see the countryside from the bus. I've seen some of the Argentinian countryside, and it has a rundown, tired look. The countryside in Uruguay reminded me most of the Irish countryside (though, Uruguay is less green). It was clean, with hills, farms and horses and cows in abundance. Uruguay is not a rich country, yet the countryside is not a testament to its relative poorness when compared with a rich country, unlike what I've seen so far of Argentina. However, when I really hit the Argentinian road in January, maybe my perspective will change.
If you, dear reader, ever happen to visit Buenos Aires, I definitely recommend heading to Colonia. It's only one hour by the rapid boat (there is a three-hour 'slow' boat). And when you need a new visa stamp for your passport, it doesn't get easier than a quick trip to Uruguay.
posted by Shana @ 8:40 AM
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