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 :-)