Over The Water
Trip Start
Aug 17, 2010
1
21
83
Trip End
Sep 16, 2011
Where I stayed
Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Customs is cleared at the Argentinean end, the ferry proves to be enormous with a full sized canteen counter which everyone seems to be over-excited about. Here we're introduced to a Uruguayan breakfast staple – the "medialuna" – yes, “half moon”, i.e. a croissant, but not the big butter “french style “ the Argentines eat, but small, lean breads. Good with the milky coffee the Uruguayan’s also have.
Colonia de Sacremento is an old, historically preserved Portuguese settlement – original buildings and roughly paved streets still intact – now full of museums, craft shops and cafes. A Portuguese settlement in Spanish Uruguay ? Yes, apparently the Portuguese snuck in on the end of the peninsula and established a contraband port right under the noses of the Spanish and used it for smuggling purposes for about 100 years until the Spanish annoyed at this took over the town and used it for Their smuggling purposes !!!
The “old” town is beautiful and has a fascinating degree of history locked up in it. The old city portal has been restored, and with the existing walls and moat allows one to see how the town was established.
Colonia has expanded with the “new” town resembling a typical weekend holiday destination – thanks to the expanse of beaches at the back of Colonia – a favourite beach escape for the people of Buenos Aires.
It was lovely to walk around it for the day and was a nice break after bustling BA.
Apparently Uruguay has become popular for its beaches – we will find out as we travel up the coast after our next stop – Montevideo !
