On the Lonely Planet´s recommendation we thought we would check out Colonia. So we got another stamp in our passport and boarded the ferry for Uruguay.
Colonia Del Sacramento was founded by the Portuguese in 1680 in order to smuggle goods across the Rio de la Plata into Buenos Aires. The Spanish also held this small town so the result is a charming port town with old, slightly crumbling Portuguese and Spanish style houses and winding cobbled streets. In short a photographer´s paradise.
I loved this place with all its colourful houses and vintage cars. We didn´t need two days here but it was really nice to wander around the historic part of town and along the coast, visiting the quaint but rather delapidated museums (not the same standard as ones in first world countries) and generally take it easy. The only drawback of this place is that because it is a major tourist attraction (not too busy at the moment as it is freezing) is that food prices are inflated. Cappucinos are $4.50. That´s UK prices which is crazy as we are in South America. The land here is comparatively cheap compared to back home so there is no excuse for outrageous coffee prices. However, Uruguay is doing well economically (beef and grain exports) and as a result is not dirt cheap like I imagined (actually I had it confused with Paraguay). The locals also do not look like the exotic Indians of my imagination. I was a bit disappointed to see that they are similar in appearance to Jon and myself.
Conversations overheard at the ferry terminal whilst waiting to go back to Argentina -
Dumb American woman - ¨Have we boarded the ferry yet?¨ (we were sitting in the terminal)
American husband - ¨Let´s find ourselves one of those rogue taxi drivers that accept US dollars¨ (everyone here accepts US dollars)
Dumb American Woman who is actually called Kathy - ¨I´m really nervous. I always get nervous before I go to poorer countries¨
Some people never cease to amaze me!
Colonia Del Sacramento was founded by the Portuguese in 1680 in order to smuggle goods across the Rio de la Plata into Buenos Aires. The Spanish also held this small town so the result is a charming port town with old, slightly crumbling Portuguese and Spanish style houses and winding cobbled streets. In short a photographer´s paradise.
I loved this place with all its colourful houses and vintage cars. We didn´t need two days here but it was really nice to wander around the historic part of town and along the coast, visiting the quaint but rather delapidated museums (not the same standard as ones in first world countries) and generally take it easy. The only drawback of this place is that because it is a major tourist attraction (not too busy at the moment as it is freezing) is that food prices are inflated. Cappucinos are $4.50. That´s UK prices which is crazy as we are in South America. The land here is comparatively cheap compared to back home so there is no excuse for outrageous coffee prices. However, Uruguay is doing well economically (beef and grain exports) and as a result is not dirt cheap like I imagined (actually I had it confused with Paraguay). The locals also do not look like the exotic Indians of my imagination. I was a bit disappointed to see that they are similar in appearance to Jon and myself.
Conversations overheard at the ferry terminal whilst waiting to go back to Argentina -
Dumb American woman - ¨Have we boarded the ferry yet?¨ (we were sitting in the terminal)
American husband - ¨Let´s find ourselves one of those rogue taxi drivers that accept US dollars¨ (everyone here accepts US dollars)
Dumb American Woman who is actually called Kathy - ¨I´m really nervous. I always get nervous before I go to poorer countries¨
Some people never cease to amaze me!
1 comment:
Thanks again Karyn & Jon, for your lively commentary - straight Karynesque with good humour. Keep up the great job - we look out for each episode.
Glad you could enjoy a bit of quiet time in CdS and we look fwd to some of the photos when you can find the facilities to upload them.
Yep, some Americans are a laugh to overhear (which is often not hard). There are other nationalities like that and I could mention some, but to us the those (few) Yanks outdo the others - makes us wonder when they're going to join the real world. Did we tell you about the US lady who asked our Israeli tour guide last year why she didn't say Israeli names in Israel "like we do back home"?
All's well here - Sarah & Ben got their mid-year reports (v good again) and are now on holidays for 2.5 wks. And it's finally got down to winter temps here too (except for the rain still being way below average).
Love & best wishes,
Helen & Fred - Adelaide
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