You can't get there from here

Our plan was to leave Montevideo and head to Canelones, a small town just to the north. A couch surfer warned that there was nothing to do there. But, we figured if we want to see the real Uruguay, we should give it a look/see.

We made our way through the rain to the bus station but found out that we couldn't get there from that bus station which was only for long-distance travel. We were directed to take a series of local buses but were questioned on why we would want to go there. We were again told there was nothing to do/see there.

So, we thought about our Plans B and C and decided to stay another night in Montevideo. We found a bigger Artisan Market and Alisa experience Uruguyan chivitos for lunch and dinner!

In Uruguay, the 29th of the month is a traditional day to eat gnocchis. It's the end of the month and the paycheck has stretched about as far as it can and all that's left to eat is a bit of flour and potatoes. Time for noquis! Many of the restaurants offered bargains for gnocchis. Who could resist?!! I couldn't.

We stay the night at Hotel Palacio, well situated in the heart of Ciudad Vieja.

Off to Carmelo!

Wet and soggy in Montevideo

Who could possibly eat breakfast after the very filling dinner we had?!! We could and did.

We were prepared for chilly weather and we were somewhat prepared for wet weather. We were not adequately prepared for chilly, wet weather. We ended up being soggy most of the day but were quite productive.

My little umbrella could not keep both of us dry and with the frequent gusts of wind, it spent a lot of time safely tucked away in my bag. My denim jeans and fleece jacket were an efficient wick soaking up all that the Uruguayan clouds threw at us. I was damp and chilled to the bone.

But, we made our way to the Mercado del Puerto with beautiful colors (purple artichokes) and took in the smells of the wood-burning grills of the food vendors. It was too early for lunch but we scouted it out.

After buying some souvenirs and drying out at the hostel, we returned to the most untouristy food stall hidden in the back behind the fancy restaurants. Muy deliciosas! The seafood selections were wonderful although I would (and did) eat anything smeared with their parsley and garlic garnish. Yummy!One of the owners poses with Alisa for a photo.

Drats! The rain returned so contented bellies had to fortify us against the inclement weather. Alisa did some more exploring town after improvising rain boots with some plastic bags. and we had a great time at the Artisans Marketplace. All in all, a successful day.

Montevideo

The bus ride to Montevideo took us through the green, idyllic farm lands with cows, sheep, chickens and ubiquitous cell towers sprouting straight up to the sun from the fertile ground.

We're staying at the Green Hostel, a brand-new place in La Ciudad Vieja (the Old City). The WiFi connection is slow so I'll post photos later.

The Old City with all of its scenic attractions has fallen into abandonment, disrepair and long-time neglect. But, there seems to be some revival including Green. It feels like Old Cartagena must have looked like before it's rebirth.

We'll spend two days here to get our souvenirs. Alisa has been looking for a skirt. I'm surprised to see that prices are much higher and the quality is lower than in NYC.

Alisa generally passes for a local no matter what country she is in, although it's a little harder when she has her gringa mom along (of course, pausing to take the silly photo at a phone booth doesn't help).

But, Montevideo is a small "big city" and people are friendly and it doesn't take long for some of the vendors to recognize us. After walking around the deserted Old Town looking for a dinner spot, we end up at a place near our hostel. My veggie calzone is huge. The cafe is crowded and the staff is short-handed. Thank goodness, they forget about Alisa's order. We both are stuffed after finishing my dinner. We're such cheap dates.

On Tuesday we'll hit the local markets.

Beautiful Colonia

After a packed but uneventful flight, an easy, though costly breeze through immigration (I think other countries are retaliating against US policies) and customs, I navigated my way over to the ferry terminal. Pure joy! Alisa was there waiting for me after her long, overland journey from northern Patagonia.

We take the short ferry trip over to Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay. What a cute town, confident enough preserve its character in the shadows of the excessive, mega Buenos Aires. But, it's still slightly disconcertingly touristy and yet not. We haven't seen any opulent cathedrals. Were the Uruguayans able to stem that tide centuries ago as they seem to have in more modern times?

What are the things that make Uruguay unique? Their mate (herbal tea) tradition is seemingly much more entrenched than, say even Argentina. We see people walking around clutching their mate (gourds) and Thermos containers of hot water. Still, they don't impose that culture on visitors. There are no mate cafes screaming out to lure in others.

The weather is a perfect antidote for both of us. The warmth of early Spring embraces Alisa who left the snowy climes of Bariloche. The mild, crisp sunny days are are a wonderful transition after a long, hot, humid NY summer.

We stayed at La Perla del Plata (Silver River Pearl).

We're taking off up the coast but will circle back to lovely Colonia.


More to come...

Go figure

It's time to dust off the dormant blog and repurpose it back to its original travelogue. I have a lot of half-finished summer musings and composting updates but will wait to post them. Also, coming soon, by popular demand, I have some favorite recipes queued up to unveil.

As I prepare to hit the road again, it's sobering to know that Alisa has already been making her way to our rendevous. She has long since embarked on her 21-hour, 830-mile bus trek from Bariloche to Buenos Aires. For me it's an easy jump across 5,250 miles in 11 hours and most of that time will be spent sleeping overnight so that I can awake in Bs As. Yes, of course, Alisa could have flown too (a two-hour trip) but when has she ever taken the easy way there when she can have an adventure?!!

I'm so excited to have another opportunity to travel with her. I'm relatively unemcumbered, deciding to go with just a carry-on knapsack. Sorry, sweetie, no stash of peanut butter or the usual treats this trip although I will lug around the requested books and sneak in a few goodies. I'm squeezing in my yoga blanket in case we find a place to practice. But, I won't be stopping by Bariloche to check out Alisa's new place. Instead we'll make our way over to Uruguay so that Alisa can renew her visa and try to get a sampling of what makes Uruguay unique.


PRW