Mid way point of my stay in Argentina is marked - as it is most of my winters in "the South" - with a short visit to Uruguay, namely Colonia del Sacramento, a little town founded by Portuguese during Colonial times.
It has retained much of its old world charm inside the Casco Historico, or the 'old part' of the town. Streets are still cobbled with the same irregular rocks, which used to be ballast in sailing ships plying the waters between Europe and South America taking trade goods from the New World back to the Old.
Streets are lined with old shade trees, buildings slowly peel their veneer of stucco, traditional street lamps now shine with electricity (if they have a functioning bulb) instead of gas, old mansions now house a multitude of various restaurants - all spilling over onto streets and plazas. Motor cars dating back to Ford's Model T decorate various street corners, ruins of town walls, convents and residential mansions are lovingly maintained, time goes slowly...
Slowly was the name of the game of getting to Colonia from Buenos Aires via slow Buquebus Ferry, which chugs along at a couple of knots cruising speed, and reaches the Uruguayan side of Rio de La Plata after a three hour crossing. Even casting off the docks in Buenos Aires was slow, as the ferry had to carefully navigate through a thick dense layer of rafts of water hyacinths, reinforced with tons of garbage and tree branches - the result of heavy flooding in the upper regions of Rio de La Plata and Parana. Waterfowl comfortably walked across these floating beds, and who knows how many water snakes, frogs, and 'nutria' are hiding underneath these travelling rafts.
The only thing fast on this journey is the reaction of Latin Americans, who - as soon as loudspeakers announce imminent arrival at Colonia, with a request to keep seated until docked - all immediately jump up and line up at the exit doors. Hand luggage et al is screened on arrival with the 'screener' on duty dreamily looking into the middle distance, not casting a single glance at his screening machine.
One checks in - Boutique Hotel de Vrero - a block from the harbour. Small, cosy, friendly, safe...and a ten minute walk to the centre of activity - Casco Historico. At midday the Casco enjoys a little siesta to better tolerate today's heat of 30 plus degrees.
Instead of describing more of this delightful little place in writing....here is the video.
Return to Buenos Aires the speedy way. Buquebus Atlantic III looks a little like a spaceship with a large open fish mouth. One flies across the water at nearly 10 knots, and arrives in Buenos Aires one hour later. Docking remains slow, it took a few attempts by the ferry to reach the docking ramps, as the 'camalotes' (vegetative rafts), are still covering the inner harbour.
Never mind a full 24 hours.....one finishes off the day with a little tango at Obelisco Tango. Buenos Aires is baking in 36 degrees (feels like 40)....
It has retained much of its old world charm inside the Casco Historico, or the 'old part' of the town. Streets are still cobbled with the same irregular rocks, which used to be ballast in sailing ships plying the waters between Europe and South America taking trade goods from the New World back to the Old.
Streets are lined with old shade trees, buildings slowly peel their veneer of stucco, traditional street lamps now shine with electricity (if they have a functioning bulb) instead of gas, old mansions now house a multitude of various restaurants - all spilling over onto streets and plazas. Motor cars dating back to Ford's Model T decorate various street corners, ruins of town walls, convents and residential mansions are lovingly maintained, time goes slowly...
Slowly was the name of the game of getting to Colonia from Buenos Aires via slow Buquebus Ferry, which chugs along at a couple of knots cruising speed, and reaches the Uruguayan side of Rio de La Plata after a three hour crossing. Even casting off the docks in Buenos Aires was slow, as the ferry had to carefully navigate through a thick dense layer of rafts of water hyacinths, reinforced with tons of garbage and tree branches - the result of heavy flooding in the upper regions of Rio de La Plata and Parana. Waterfowl comfortably walked across these floating beds, and who knows how many water snakes, frogs, and 'nutria' are hiding underneath these travelling rafts.
The only thing fast on this journey is the reaction of Latin Americans, who - as soon as loudspeakers announce imminent arrival at Colonia, with a request to keep seated until docked - all immediately jump up and line up at the exit doors. Hand luggage et al is screened on arrival with the 'screener' on duty dreamily looking into the middle distance, not casting a single glance at his screening machine.
One checks in - Boutique Hotel de Vrero - a block from the harbour. Small, cosy, friendly, safe...and a ten minute walk to the centre of activity - Casco Historico. At midday the Casco enjoys a little siesta to better tolerate today's heat of 30 plus degrees.
Instead of describing more of this delightful little place in writing....here is the video.
Return to Buenos Aires the speedy way. Buquebus Atlantic III looks a little like a spaceship with a large open fish mouth. One flies across the water at nearly 10 knots, and arrives in Buenos Aires one hour later. Docking remains slow, it took a few attempts by the ferry to reach the docking ramps, as the 'camalotes' (vegetative rafts), are still covering the inner harbour.
Never mind a full 24 hours.....one finishes off the day with a little tango at Obelisco Tango. Buenos Aires is baking in 36 degrees (feels like 40)....
