Uruguay (18 - 22 January 2009)

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January 23rd 2009

Published: February 4th 2009

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Kuttel

URUGUAY TRIP

Uruguay (18-22 January 2009)

On Sunday evening, after yet another weekend in Buenos Aires, I got my light baggage ready for my departure the next day to Colonia, Uruguay. Having spent some time of the weekend with 3 Australians (John and his two adult daugthers Joanne and Caroline), we decided to take the ferry from Buenos Aires over to Uruguay to visit this lovely little medival village at the Rio de la Plata.

The trip took barely 3 hours, and it's most amazing to float on the huge brown coloured river without seeing the other side. Since we had booked a first class ticket, we got full service in our lounge, including coffee and empanadas.

Once in Colonia, I was attending their guided tour (they only went for an all-inclusive one day trip), which was really nice. However, there is not so much to see to spend more than an afternoon, and so whilst they had another couple of hours left till the return by ferry, I headed to the nearby bus station to catch a ride to Montevideo and immediately further on to Punta del Este, a vibrant beach resort town at the east coast.

I

Buenos Aires

Harbour

only arrived there shortly before midnight, and the city looked like what I had already heard about it: a modern, skyscraper invaded town with nice beaches. So I was quite happy to grab a cab and head further north to the little village of Mantantiales where I had booked a room at the Viajero hostel. After a quick good night beer I soon went to bed and was caught in dreams.

The other morning I found out (after a rough pillow hit in my face - apparently I was snorring...) that I shared my room with Anselm from Norway and a Swiss couple (Nadine & Roger from Zurich). Lovely people, and so after a short dip in the hostel's swimming pool we headed down to the nearby Bikini beach (the name is programme!) where we spend the whole afternoon and early evening chilling-out and swimming in the wavy ocean. Great! On the way back to the hostel we stopped at the supermarket, and soon after the BBQ was lit, the pasta ready and the beer cans open... We've had a great evening!

On Wednesday, after some hours at the pool, we went down to the beach again before

Buenos Aires

I unfortunately had to catch the late afternoon bus back to Montevideo where I would stay for one night. Montevideo is a lovely town, quite similar to Buenos Aires, but smaller and with less modern buildings. Only shortly before midnight I took the public bus to the old town where I had a look around and found myself in an Irish pub, drinking some decent beers...

And on Thursday I took the noon ferry back to Buenos Aires where I spent the rest of the weekend at the Palermohouse Hostel, where I had a drink with some people that I had already met the weekend before...

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