Beattys Overseas

Cute, Quanit ColoniaLast weekend we took a very easy jaunt to another South American country - Uruguay!  Although we only explored one small city in this mid-sized country, we sighed that it would be the last foreign stamp in our passports for this trip.*  We had always planned on a quick trip to Uruguay, as you can reach it's tourist-friendly city of Colonia by a 1-hour ferry from Buenos Aires. But, when Whitney's yoga teacher Thuy told us that she was celebrating her birthday in Colonia with boyfriend Ben and a few ex-pat friends, we kinda tagged along on their plans. 

Thuy is awesome.  She and and Ben have been living in Bs As for nearly a year, both Americans who came here to enhance their experience of their primary hobby: The Tango.  Ben's a musician, perfecting the art of the bandoneón (an accordion-like instrument used in tango music) while he's here, and Thuy is teaching yoga to us and dozens of other ex-pats who want to perfect their Tree Pose.  They're both tango teachers, but don't teach here.  Instead, they dance tango a few times a month at all-night dance parties called milongas to get their "dance on."  It was great to meet Ben and spend time with Thuy here in Colonia -- without drops of sweat running down my temples while trying to do Warrior Three. 

Our ferry boat, at the Uruguay terminal, in the brown river!So, we left Buenos Aires on the 1-hour ferry boat that crosses Rio del Plata, a huge estuary that separates the countries.  The Rio del Plata is the widest in the world, a huge finger off the Atlantic Ocean.  This time of year it's pretty brown due to - I can only hope - a churning up of silt and dirt.  But, it's often called the "Silver River Plate," perhaps because during other times of the year it's not so brown and mucky.  Anyway, it was an easy ferry ride, and upon our arrival to Colonia, we immediately understood the charm of this old city...  

Colonia del Sacramento was founded in 1680 by Portuguese explorers who wanted to set up a port city in South America to rival Spain's Buenos Aires territory. A handful of battles and wars were fought over Colonia's key property on the river, and for years it operated as a contraband port, evading the strictures imposed on trade by the Spanish crown.  Eventually, after withstanding the rule of several different nations, it was declared fully a part of the small independent nation of Uruguay (a Spanish-speaking nation), which was kept the historic quarter of the town in such impeccable condition that it now stands as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It's truly a beautiful little place, with charm pouring out of every crack of the cobblestone streets. 

Vroom!We rented a Vespa-type motoscooter, and putted around town eating at a semi-English speaking paradillada (a South American BBQ-meat restaurant), and sipping of cafe watching the city wind down at the end of the week.  We found a  non-descript archway on the main street that led to the public swimming pool, where the town's kids were jumping off the roof of a neighboring building into the water.  We worried about safety for a moment, until we saw a few adults in site, seemingly keeping control over the access to the roof jumping.  (See Uruguay videos for footage)

Our room at the cozy Posada del Bosque B&B provided a peaceful sanctuary [compared to the city noise of our Buenos Aires apartment], and we spent the next morning having a big breakfast with Thuy and Ben and cruising the city's picturesque pier. 
This shot would be prettier if the water was blue, no?We left the historical barrio for a while and went up the river's edge towards Plaza de Torros - a 10,000 seat outdoor auditorium for bullfights built around the turn of the 20th century. It was closed about 20 years after it was built, and is now in a state of limbo: between tourist attraction and crumbling disrepair.

Saturday night was Thuy's big birthday dinner, and we ate at a great place right on the water's edge with 4 of their friends who are also visiting Buenos Aires for a while.  They're all in town for Tango, though, while we're just visitors.  They came across the river for the night to celebrate Thuy's 32nd.  It was an enjoyable night, complete with a birthday candle for Thuy and a music by a tango trio at a local hotspot at the end of the night. 

When we checked out on Sunday morning, we were a little bummed out that our peaceful weekend in this sleepy riverside town had come to an end.  Back to Buenos Aires we went, where the noise and bustle welcomed us in the same way that New York City welcomes us back from our weekend jaunts in The States.   

*We confirmed a major change to our trip itinerary by cancelling Ecuador and Venezuela.  It was a tough decision, as seeing the Galapagos Islands would have been a thrill. But,  considering the price and risk involved in visiting both these nations right now, we think we're better off in Argentina, where there are still so many things we want to do!