Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay - 7 January 2009

Above right: Crossing the Rio de la Plata from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay

Oh what a huge relief it was for me to arrive in Colonia del Sacramento (or 'Colonia' for short) in Uruguay the Wednesday morning of 7th Jan. It took the 9AM Colonia Express ferry about 1:30hrs to cross the Rio de la Plata from Buenos Aires to Colonia (one-way: 129 ARP or ~US$37).

Uruguayans were different in a good way from the people in Buenos Aires, Argentina - they were more relaxed and helpful. I was offered help and greetings by Uruguayans in Colonia right off the bat. It was easy to be enchanted by the charm and pace of this little historical town.

The Old Town of Colonia was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1995. There, you will find a number of buildings bearing testimony to their colonial past. The Portuguese founded Colonia in 1680 to smuggle goods across the Rio de la Plata into Buenos Aires but the Spanish captured it in 1762 and held it until 1777. The dispute for Colonia amongst the European powers (British including) continued for another hundred years.

All history aside, I was really glad for the time spent at Colonia. It was so relaxing there, I wished I had spent more time in Colonia than in BA. I had never been to Cuba but if I had, I would imagine it to be like this (a la the Buena Vista Social Club documentary that I saw many years ago).

Above: Mother Church - Uruguay's oldest church

Above: The Old City's Gate

Above right: In a museum of an old Portuguese home

Above: Ruins of San Francisco Convent and the Lighthouse

Above left: For those who don't know, I have acrophobia (it's ironic considering that I like to hike up the mountains)

Above: From old, vintage to the small, unassuming beetle, these cars reflect the laid-back atmosphere of Colonia


Above: Kicking it with a relaxing lunch at Colonia :)

Next post: Montevideo, Uruguay

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Buenos Aires, Argentina - 2-6 January 2009

I started Buenos Aires off on the wrong foot. First, on the Aerolineas Argentinas flight in from Ushuaia on 2 January 2009 - my flight was delayed a good FOUR hours and as if all delays were a norm with Aerolineas Argentinas, there was not a word of apology from their airport staff or flight crew. That said, what irritated me more was the lack of information and communication at the gate. All of us waiting at the gate were left to wonder about the next flight number and destination of an incoming plane. It was a huge mess - I couldn't even begin to imagine the situation there on a day before a holiday.

After so many weeks in the outdoors, I felt I was ready for a change of scene but when I arrived at BA airport and saw the metallic railings, the white walls and polished floors, the bright advertising, and merchandise for sale, I realized with sadness that I had left behind the great and peaceful outdoors. This down feeling was exacerbated by my encounter with the untrustworthy taxi drivers waiting in line outside the airport. A friend told me that it would cost no more than 25 ARP to drive from the domestic Aeroparque Jorge Newberry to the Microcentro where Hostel Suites Florida was located (on the lively pedestrian street of Av Florida 328). I argued with 3 of the taxi drivers when they claimed it would cost about 35 ARP. I wouldn't budge so they (I swear, they worked like a cartel!) finally relented and agreed that it would cost between 25-30 ARP. When I got in the cab, the driver tried once more to ask for a flat rate of 30 ARP and I adamantly said, NO. So he turned on his meter. I had a feeling he took a longer route when he suddenly made a quick turnabout at one point (on hindsight after getting accustomed to the area, I was right)...the cab fare came out to 28 ARP - I paid him and left. There was no point in arguing the 3 ARP.

The check-in at Hostel Suites Florida was another ordeal - they claimed they didn't have my reservation and when I showed them THEIR confirmation email, they were able to 'suddenly' find it. What a load of BS. Next when they showed me to the dorm, we found that it was FULL - all 6 beds were taken. The manager there thought one of the girls had overstayed and tried to kick her out but again, he was wrong. She had paid for the night. It was 3-4AM and I was weary and fed-up by these inefficiencies. Still, I kept my cool. He finally gave me a 4-bed dorm room to sleep for the night/morning and said he would waive my night's stay there. So it was a happy ending in a way.

This entry has turned into a ranting session. To be fair, there is beauty in the city. The cultural vibe is strong in BA - in the tango spirit, the arts (a la the Fine Arts museum, La Boca's colorful Caminito and the antiques and artisan fairs), and heck even the extraordinarily well-planned and ornamental Recoleta cemetery (where the rich pay tribute to their beloved dead). Still, a city is a city and it's hard not to be disturbed (in my case) by the superficiality of it all. On the good side, I caught up with a few friends (Charlene from Ushuaia, and Mirjam and Hendrik from the Inca Trail) who happened to be at Buenos Aires as well.

Above: The famous symbol of Buenos Aires, the Obelisco, in day and night

Above left: The 'Woman's Bridge' in modern and trendy Puerto Madero

Above right: Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de Pilar (1732) in Recoleta

Above: The Recoleta Cemetery

Above: Evita's (Eva Duarte-Peron's) grave is adorned with plaques that honor the legendary woman who died of cervical cancer at a young age of 33 in 1952

Above left: A house in the swanky district of Recoleta - love the details; Above right: With Charlene at a parilla place for lunch - check out that obscene pile of meat in front of us!

Above left: In San Telmo for the Sunday antiques fair; Above right: The modern day 'pipe' piper - kids beware!

Some photos (below) of a street tango performance at San Telmo:

Above: Buildings by Plaza de Mayo

Above: La Boca's famous Caminito - an open-air place for the expression of arts, a concept purported by its creator Oscar Juan de Dios Filiberto

Above right: La Boca is also home to the apparently famous (not to me as a non-fan) Boca Juniors soccer team

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