Dave and his Bike

Days 199 to 202.

Day 199.

When I woke up this morning it rained again, prompting a last minute grab for my waterproof jacket. I was early enough getting up to be able to get some breakfast (the usual) before ordering a taxi to the port, where again I was early enough to be able sit around waiting for an hour before I could check in. I didn’t want to be late. Another new country beckons.

The boat left on time, and was smooth all the way across the Río de La Plata, despite there being quite a breeze. By the time I had disembarked and got through customs (they do stamp your passport here) it was about midday. I went straight next door to the bus terminus and booked a ticket to Montevideo for tomorrow lunchtime, giving me 24hrs to explore Colonia. It was only a few hundred metres walk to the Hotel Royal, which looked nice on Google maps, and just as good in real life. I therefore checked in.

I then went for a walk around the old town. It is the oldest city in Uruguay, and was first established in 1680 by the Portuguese, flip-flopping between Portuguese and Spanish rule until 1822, when Brazil decided to join in. That didn’t last long, and since 1828 it has been part of Uruguay.

The historic quarter has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and still has 17th century cobbled streets and dwellings. The aptly named Plaza Mayor is a tranquil square with mature trees and grass. The whole area was lovely to walk around, and promoted a lunch stop in one of the many cafés. Not great empanadas, but a nice sit down watching the world go by.

I strolled down to the river bank, which feels much more like a coastline other than the fact that the water is very brown due to the amount of silt in it, and followed it around to the bay then back into town. It’s not a huge area, and other than walking the cobbled streets I don’t think that there’s much else to do. I’m glad I’m only staying one night, although it is relaxing here. There is a bull ring at the other end of the bay, but it’s 5km away so I don’t think I’ll be bothering.

A late afternoon nap (I didn’t sleep very well last night) preceded a short walk to a little restaurant where the grilled chicken and salad was just that. No melted cheese in sight. Nice for a change. Definitely an early night on the cards. I’m shattered.

Day 200.

I can’t believe that I’ve been away from home for 200 days. In some ways it has flown by, but in others it seems longer. Eastern Europe and India in particular seem a long, long time ago, or even a different trip.

After a decent sleep and a reasonable lie-in (0709hrs), I had the included hotel breakfast, then had plenty of time for another walk around Colonia. I managed somehow to find a couple of bits I’d missed yesterday, so was pleased I wasn’t rushing off this morning.

In addition to the old gateway into the city, and the adjoining fortifications, I also re-visited the lighthouse (dating back to 1850), and the remains of the adjoining convent of St Francis. There is also an interesting theme (to me) of old abandoned cars in the streets, some of which have been turned into artworks – Citroën, Ford, Vauxhall and Opel all being represented.

Unable to find somewhere I fancied for a coffee, I had a steady stroll to the bus terminal, where, as planned, I caught the bus to Montevideo.

The three hour journey passed quite quickly, no doubt partly due to an accidental snooze I took somewhere along the way. The countryside seemed more green and lush than I have become used to in Argentina, and was definitely more undulating. But only a bit. It also appeared slightly more affluent, with the grass verges cut, no litter at all along the roadside, and neat little towns where we stopped to pick up and drop off passengers. That was until the outskirts of Montevideo, which as you would expect of any capital city started with the lower end of low-rise low income housing and gradually moved to the high rise, highly unaffordable, city centre.

From the bus station I took a taxi to a random hotel on the edge of the old town, then identified something which looked a bit nicer (and with better reviews) and booked in for a couple of nights. I was soon out for a walk, as I don’t have long here. Less than a kilometre away is a public building (not very pre-possessing from the outside) with a viewing platform on the roof. It is free to go up, so I made the most of the bargain price and took the external lift (the scary part) to the top.

The views were quite impressive. The sun wasn’t setting, but it looked great nonetheless. I think the city is almost out of the River Plate estuary, so therefore it was views over the South Atlantic in one direction at least.

Purely as a scientific experiment in order to compare the culinary skills of Uruguay with Argentina, I had a steak and a glass of Malbec for dinner. It stood up to the test. I may need to compare again when I’m back in Buenos Aires.

I’m looking forward to a full day of exploring more of the old city tomorrow. It should be interesting.

Day 201.

Breakfast at the hotel was good. By 0930hrs I was out walking, heading for the old town. The first point of interest was the Plaza Independencia, a very open and spacious area with a monument and mausoleum to Uruguayan revolutionary José Artigas. On the periphery of the plaza is the Palacio Salvo which is a sister building to the Palacio Barolo in Buenos Aires. The fact that they were designed by the same architect (Mario Palanti) is obvious as they look so similar. This one however, is used as accommodation as opposed to offices. It stands 105m tall (5m taller than the Barolo) and on completion in 1928 was the tallest building in South America, and the tallest reinforced concrete building in the world. I didn’t bother with a tour. There is also the Palacio Estevez, which houses the presidential museum. Again I didn’t go inside.

From there I passed through the Puerta de La Ciudadela (Gateway to the Citadel) and on to the pedestrianised streets of the Old Town. I was a bit early for most of the retail premises to be open, but it was quiet and the streets and buildings were interesting enough in their own right.

At the end of the pedestrianised street I turned left and dropped down to the Rambla Francia and walked along the sea front until it became the Rambla Gran Britaña. It’s recommended in the tourist guides, but I found it a bit uninteresting, other than the view out to sea. It didn’t help that a couple of homeless guys were camping in the historic ramparts (Cubo del Sur), and for some reason burning plastic bottles. The wrong kind of ‘atmospheric’. Whilst on the subject… I don’t want to be too negative, but as much as I like Montevideo (and I do), they do have a bit of an issue with dog poo and cannabis – you can smell one or the other (or both) in a lot of places around the old city, which doesn’t really enhance the experience. Not for me anyway.

Moving swiftly on… I headed back into town, again via the Plaza Independencia, where smartly dressed soldiers were rehearsing for a change of the guard. They looked impressive until they marched, which all came across as a bit casual. One of them was out of step. Great to watch though.

Back to the hotel for a bit of a rest. Back out again a bit later to do it all again and see if I had missed anything. I had. On the opposite side of the Plaza Independencia is the Teatro Solis, and in the Plaza Constitución is the Metropolitan Cathedral (actually the Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción y San Felipe). It’s probably the least ostentatious Roman Catholic cathedral that I’ve visited – certainly from the outside. Even the interior was understated from an RC perspective. I did like the floor. The pedestrianised area was much more alive second time round, with market stalls in addition to the shops, but still not too busy.

I stopped in the plaza for a sit down and cold drink – it was a lovely warm, sunny day. Whilst doing so I checked my e-mail, and was glad I did. My ferry back to Buenos Aires tomorrow has been cancelled, and replaced by a bus service back to Colonia then the ferry from there. Meaning I have to be at the bus station before 0600hrs. Marvellous.

In order to check that I had understood it correctly, I walked to the ferry terminal, to be informed that the email was correct and the ferry was in dock (broken). Whilst I was there (and my ulterior motive for going) I went in search of the bits of the WWII German ship, the Graf Spee (of Battle of the River Plate fame) which they have on display having salvaged them from the wreck after she was scuttled just outside the harbour – the anchor and a gun turret. I got within a few metres of them, only to be challenged by a security guard and thrown out as I hadn’t got a permit to be there. Needless to say I didn’t get a photograph.

Back to the hotel again. A bit of admin before a cheap, lazy, fast-food meal to compensate for last night’s extravagance. I then checked with the hotel reception that there will actually be taxis available when I need on in the morning. They assured me that there will.

Alarm set for 0500hrs.

Day 202.

I didn’t need the alarm. I was awake at 0430hrs, thinking that maybe trying to reschedule the ferry for later in the day would have been a good idea.

Chucked my stuff in my rucksack and ordered a taxi, and due to the time of day (night?) it came very quickly, meaning I was at the bus station in plenty of time. Having checked in, it gave me the opportunity to grab a coffee, since I’d clearly been too early for breakfast at the hotel. A succession of buses was leaving whenever they were full, so I got on one, put my earphones in, and watched the sun come up and the countryside pass by from a comfortable reclining bus seat whilst listening to Pink Floyd.

Colonia del Sacramento came sooner than I expected (direct bus this time), and then the border and customs process started, followed by a healthy amount of queuing for a ferry that was late. It did occur to me that I could have had an extra hour in bed.

Once it actually departed, the ferry was quick and smooth. Having done the immigration stuff in Uruguay, when we got to Buenos Aires the disembarkation process was simple, and I walked in the sun through the now familiar city centre, stopping for a coffee in Plaza de Mayo, and checked back into my hotel. My bike and panniers were thankfully still there, untouched.

A short walk to the bike shop, and as promised a box was waiting for me, along with some extra cardboard and some padding for packing. Brilliant news. That’s tomorrow’s job lined up. I then had to change rooms in the hotel, as the electronic door lock decided not to function any more, and wouldn’t lock. Not an ideal situation, but the second room is nicer anyway.

A few bits from the supermarket (including more parcel tape), a lie down in an attempt to compensate for the early start, then out for dinner.

So there endeth the side quest of a few days in Uruguay. I’ve loved it. Another few days in Buenos Aires and I’ll soon be back in Europe.

It wasn’t until writing this that I realised I haven’t taken a single picture today. I’ll put it down to tiredness.