Buenos Aires

After checking out off the Hotel Lancaster in Montevideo (See: http://www.aluruguay.com/Ehotellancastermontevideo.htm ) we hung around till about 2 and then took an overpriced taxi (who charged us ´extra´ for luggage!!!) to ´Tres Cruces´ bus station where we boarded a bus to Colonia and took an evening ferry (1 hour very bumpy Seacat service) over to BA. Would have much preferred arriving into BA during daylight. Arriving at the ferry terminal in darkness and not knowing where we were going and how far away our accomodation was, is not really a good idea. Taxi again overcharged us to get to our hostels/hotel, but it was either pay up or walk the streets of BA in the dark with a map!

Michelle and Lorraine were staying in a hotel in Recoleta which was close by whereas I was in a hostel in San Telmo.

http://www.hostel-inn.com/?idioma=2&seccion=hostels&id1=7&le2=0&id2=0&le3=0&id3=0&le4=0&id4=0

Arrived at the hostel about 20:00. First time staying in a shared dorm ... bit of a daunting experience to say the least.

Heres a pic of me and my bed:

Was sharing with a few guys from France who didnt really say much. Kind of stuck to themselves. Got myself settled to the hostel and had a look around. Its a 3 storey hostel but very cramped ... not as spacious as the hostel we stayed in at Iguazu falls although a hostel in the city is always going to be smaller. Hostel has lockers for your backpack which was great. I left the hostel about 21:30 and took a subway up town to meet Shell and Lorraine in Druids Inn Irish pub at 22:00. The girls showed up about 22:30 and we went for a bite to eat and then to the Kilkenny Irish pub for a few more pints. Most of the main clubs and disco bars were in Palermo district which was a taxi drive away so we decided to leave it until another night seen as we were all shattered after the travelling. Nevertheless it was about 01:30 before I finally got back to the hostel.

Day 2

Got up about 9am, showered and got ready to meet Shell. I took a subway downtown and waslked up to Recoleta District. Me and Shell went walking down Florida Street (not really my thing but its good if you like shopping). We then walked down towards San Telmo and onto Defensa Street which hosts a weekly Sunday market in San Telmo. Great day at the markets .. never saw so many stalls selling everything from hand made clothes and ornaments, knick knacks and antiques. Would definitely recommend it, but its only on Sundays.

Some random pics from Buenos Aires and the San Telmo markets:

 

 

 

We walked for miles ... and we got a subway back in the evening to meet Lorraine and we all headed out for dinner (back in San Telmo) .. we went to ´Don Ernestos´ restuarant ( http://www.lonelyplanet.com/argentina/buenos-aires/restaurants/steakhouse/don-ernesto ) which had absolutely monster steaks for less than Eur10. Great spot ... I was so stuffed after it. We took a short walk around San Telmo and saw some open air tango dancing and samba. Shell and Lorraine got a taxi back to Recoleta and I headed back to the hostel. Busy day tomorrow as we are heading off on a City tour followed by some tango dancing. (Some photos from city tour are posted above).

Uruguay II : Colonia to Montevideo

Its Friday night and its pouring rain here in the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo. We left Colonia del Sacramento in Eastern Uruguay on Thursday morning having spent 2 days in ´Casa de Teresa´ ... which was bascially a bed in an outhouse in some ladys (Teresa´s) back garden.

This is me and Teresa:

It definitely did not look like a hostel! Anyway, it was grand for just 2 nights. I wouldnt be staying any longer though. Water didnt work properly and it was a bit overpriced (appx 16 Euro each per night). Colonia itself was a real nice spot and would recommend it. Very easy going and laid back. Its the kind of place that you could stop off for a few days and just do nothing .. which is probably why its such a popular spot to get away from it all. 1 day sightseeing and you would probably have seen all there is to see here. The town has a lot of history dating back to the colonial era when the Portuguese settled here, and if you are sightseeing around the town most of the attractions relate to the towns colonial history.

Here are some pictures taken in Colonia Del Sacramento:

On Thursday lunchtime we got a 2.5 hour bus journey east to Montevideo (Urg $195 or Eur8), the capital of Uruguay. We checked into the Hotel Lancaster for the next 2 nights (Eur14 per person in a triple room). After unpacking we went out for a walk and headed down towards the ´old town´ for a Pizza. We then headed down to Calle Mitre (Mitre Street) to Shannon Irish Bar for a few drinks.

Next day (Friday) we walked for miles across the city looking for the port and a place to book tickets for the boat leaving for Buenos Aires tomorrow. Information offices gave us bad information and when we asked them what there was to see in Montevideo .. they just said go to the ´old town´! Anyway .. after alot of walking we decided to take a taxi to the ferry offices in the bus station ´Tres Cruces´ just outside town. Boat to Buenos Aires direct (4hrs) costs c.Urg$1,800 (Eur56). Cheaper option was a bus back to Colonia and get a 1 hour ferry across for Urg $740 (Eur 23). After booking the bus and ferry we took another taxi back to the old town for a walk around. The Main street leading down to the ´old town´ is lined with shops but when you get closer down to the port or if you venture off the main street the city appears run down particularly near the port. Some may feel a buit unsafe walking off the main shopping streets (indeed a local Uruguayian on the bus from Colonia to Montevideo on Thursday told me to hang on tight to my bag in the city and dont take out my camera!). Thankfully.. despite the above, we didnt encounter any problems.

Some pics taken in Montevideo:

Tomorrow we start our journey to Buenos Aires (BA). I´m looking forward to it but having only spent 4 days in Uruguay, I would still  like to see more of the country before I can get a feel for it. Hopefully I will be able to travel back this way to see more of it particularly the Northern countryside and the Eastern coastal towns. We have been pretty much on the go for the past week so when we get to BA it will be good to spend a few days in just one location without having to move, pack and repack! My sister Michelle and her friend Lorraine have booked into a really nice hotel in Recoleta. Ive checked into a dorm in a hostel in San Telmo. Not sure what to expect but looking forward to it :-)

Uruguay

After a long 18 hour bus journey from Iguazu in Northern Argentina (departing Monday 16:00), we arrived back to Buenos Aires at 10:00 this morning. Coach cost about Arg $376. Not cheap and wouldnt fancy doing that trip every day. The bus though was fantastic ... big sleeper coach with tv, meals, movies, and seats that recline into beds with plenty of leg room. More comfortable and cheaper than air travel and definitely worth it if you have the time and are not in a mad rush.

I was wearing my hat yesterday in Iguazzu before we left and as the day was a scorcher, my face is all brown but my head is white. I look like a total tourist with a tan!

After getting into BA retiro Station we caught a taxi to the port (only becuase we were too lazy to walk the 1km up the road) and we caught a ferry across to Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay http://www.welcomeuruguay.com/colonia/index_i.html

Bit of a rip off on the ferry ... Arg$210 per person for a a 1 hr trip. Everyone on the boat was crammed into one room on the ship and you couldnt even go out on deck. Half the boat was reserved for first class but there were hardly any first class travellers on board. Anyway .. long story short, if I was doing it again and going from Igauzu to Uruguay, Id recommend a bus from Iguazzu to Concordia and cross the boarder into Salto and catch a coach on to Colonia or Montevideo, avoiding BA altogether and the ferry. (I´ve subsequently found out that ´Buquebus´company actually fly from Iguazu directly to Monetivideo which makes even more sense ... not sure on price of this but I saw it advertised in Montevideo at Buquebus office.)

We arrived into Colonia del Sacramento at about 13:30 (we left BA at 12:30) and we made our way into the town looking for a bank to get some Uruguayan peso´s and we then got a taxi to ´La Casa de Teresa´(Teresa´s house)

http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/La-Casa-de-Teresa/Colonia-del-Sacramento/15463#

Will update later on the accomodation, but at first glance it looks ok, but not half as nice as the hostel in Iguazzu (Its basically a room in a lady´s back garden).

After chilling out for a while, we made our way down the town ... really chilled laid back place .. nice walk down by the sea front. Went to a pizza restaurant for dinner. Bill came to c. URG $900 (33 Euro) for a full meal with a drink followed by coffee after (for 3 people).  Walked back to the hostel after and home about 21:00. Shattered after all the travelling since Monday afternoon. Looking forward to a good nights sleep! Whole day of sightseeing tomorrow¨:-)

Adios!

Iguazu Falls

We got up early on Saturday and took a trip over to the Brazilian side of Iguazu falls.

http://www.brazil-travel-guide.com/Iguassu-Falls.html

Return bus from our hostel (Arg$45) and entry to the park (Arg$95). You can get the Brazilian border by public bus but rumour is the bus wont wait for you while you pass immigration (twice coming and going ... Argentinian and Brazilian). Well worth the trip over to the Brazilian side despite the very cloudy day.

Superb views of the waterfalls from the Brazilian side but very little else to do over on the Brazilian side. Apparantly about 80% of the actual waterfalls are on the Argentinian side .. but the panaromic pictures from the Brazilian side is well worth the trip over. They really could market the whole thing a bit better ... especially when you see what the Argentinians have done on their side of the falls. Very organised with loads of walks and things to do. The Brazilian side had little or no information!

We took a public bus this morning out to the Argentinian side of the falls (Cost Arg$7.50).

http://www.welcomeargentina.com/puertoiguazu/iguazu-falls.html

Probably should have went a bit earlier as there is loads to do. Buses start running around 7am ... if I was doing it again, I would go early and spend the whole day there. We arrived there about 12 noon but the park closes at 6. (Entry fee Arg $85) Lots and lots of walking. Despite the Brazil side having the great panoramic views, the Argentinain side for me was the best. The Iguazu national park was really organised with planned trails and routes, including safaris, boat tours etc. (All these cost extra so if you are on a budget backpacking .. probably not an option).

Heres some pictures from the Argentinian side of the falls:

Was a scorcher today. Was good to see the sun after the previous 2 days rain and cloud.