Spring Break…but make it international

Missed one of my planned posts last week because it was Semana Santa/Semana Tourismo/Spring Break. We traveled a couple of different places and saw a bunch of new things. Here is a quick review for you!

Saturday (09/04/2022)

We started our break off with a calm day wandering around Colonia del Sacramento. I had already been here once, but it was nice to have an idea of where to go and what to see. Though a bit touristy, I still find Colonia to be the most charming place I have been in Uruguay. We stayed at a hostel that made us feel like we were living on the set of Mamma Mia. For the rest of the afternoon we wandered the historical side of the city. We even made a new friend who joined us for the rest of the day. She was originally from Brasília but living in Buenos Aires for while until she starts grad school. She gave us some tips for places to visit while in Buenos Aires and taught us a bit of Portuguese. At the end of the day we all found a place on the beach to watch the ferries and sunset. Dinner was at a fun restaurant on the water. Went to bed early to preapre for the next day of travel.

Sunday (10/04/2022)

FIRST DAY IN BUENOS AIRES!

Very early start to this day to catch our ferry to Buenos Aires. We packed up and made our way to the port by 06:30. I couldn't remember the last time I had been on a ferry so this was really fun for me! I can't say I've ever traveled to another country by boat, so add that to my bucket list and check it off. We arrived to our Airbnb to meet our host and drop off our stuff. It was a perfect little place for what we needed during our trip. Balconies are always a plus!

We got started on our tour of BA with lunch at a Mexican restaurant with actual "salsa picante." It is hard to find anything spicy in Montevideo so we were very excited about this. After lunch we walked over to San Telmo Market and because it was Sunday, the San Telmo Feria was happening as well. People are SO talented! One of the vendors was selling toys that reminded me of Uncle Bud. Found a church along the way. I always enjoy the art that makes up churches and cathedrals. Ended our day at Puerto Madero and Puente de la Mujer. Since we had an Airbnb and a kitchen to ourselves, we got to cook dinner! I will be excited to spend more time cooking when I get home.

Monday (11/04/2022)

Woke up to pastries and coffee from the bakery down the street (thx Reina and Annie). It was so nice to enjoy a calm morning listening to the sounds of the city, planning our day, and sitting in each other's company. Activities of the day consisted of visiting MALBA (Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires) and seeing Casa Rosada and guards taking down the flag for the night. Ended the evening by visiting the BA letters and the Obelisco, then desserts at a cafe before heading home to share a bottle of Malbec.

Tuesday (12/04/2022)

FELIZ CUMPLE RIAN! April 12 is always a good day because it is Rian's birthday. Seeing a “CALL ME NOW MY BIRTHDAY” message never fails to make me smile.

We started the day visiting the iconic "Cafe Tortoni" which is known for being landing spot for many famous authors in Argentina. It also has tango shows in the evenings but we were not able to make it to any. After breakfast, we made our way towards Teatro Colón and also happened to find the Corte Suprema de Justicia de La Nacion (Supreme Court of Argentina). The architecture in Buenos Aires is so beautiful and most of the buildings feel enormous compared to those in Montevideo.

Maybe my favorite stop during our days in BA was el Cementerio de la Recoleta. I had never seen anything like it. The layout was almost like a small town, but in place of houses and buildings, the “streets” were lined with mausoleums. Most of them had windows or doors you could look through and see the coffins and items that families and friends had placed inside as memories. It was definitely a little spooky at first but it was a neat way to see how customs differ between cultures/countries/religions. To end the day we spent some time at Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes and Jardin Japones. This was defintely the longest day and we ended up being so tired that we just decided to order some dinner "para llevar" (to go) and eat it back at the apartment. Arepas, tequeños, and pabellón criollo for the win.

Got to call Rian on his 21st and wish him a Happy Birthday. I was bummed not to be there, but am forever grateful for all our friends and family who know how to celebrate him!

Wednesday (13/04/2022)

Last morning in BA was spent at a cafe and waiting anxiously for an Uber to get us to the port on time. It ended up taking us about an hour longer than expected because of traffic. Also, we had a bunch of suitcases and only certain drivers would take us. Pro-tip: if you are taking Ubers in BA, they much prefer 3 people to a car instead of 4. Dunno why.

Made it on time to the ferry, arrived back in Colonia for a quick lunch and then hopped on a bus back to Montevideo. Had about 12 hours to grocery shop, repack, sleep, and get to the bus station for the second part of our trip.

Thursday (14/04/2022)

Punta del Diablo is another beach town in Uruguay. It look about 5 hours to travel there by bus and I slept nearly the whole way. It was a distinctly different pace than Buenos Aires (obvio!). Instead of constant movement and tall buildings, people took their time walking between the beach, restaurants, and their houses. Almost everything was within walking or biking distance. We took some time to rest and settle in, then went to find groceries for dinner. When we returned to the house we played a round of Scrabble in spanglish and attempted to make banana pancakes. Please do not ask us how they turned out.

Friday (15/04/2022)

This was the day we were supposed to have a guided hike through Santa Teresa National Park, but our guide had to cancel. We spent the morning browsing the rest of our options for visiting the park and eventually found the local taxi service which also had a man who drove people through the park. We called them up and they got us there to see the sights. Cheers to persistent travel partners! The beaches of the park were really stunning and there were lots of campgrounds within the park. Our guide dropped us off at la Fortaleza Santa Teresa (military fort) to explore the area and museum inside. Later we met up with him to take us back to the park entrance and call a taxi back to the AirBnb. We got back and went for a short walk on the beach. Had dinner and listened to live music at a small restaurant not far from our Airbnb. All the food was delicious! On our walk home the moon and stars were so bright we could see clearly where we were going. Ended the peaceful evening with a round of pick up sticks and stargazing.

Saturday (15/04/2022)

Last day started with a beautiful walk along the beach, then back to the Airbnb where our hosts served us breakfast. Our taxi friend picked us up and got us to the bus terminal for our trek home. A very relaxing morning to end our busy spring break.

Shout out to my travel buddies Victoria, Rebecca, Annie, and Reina for making it such a fun week (and for taking lots of pictures and sharing them with me)! We are happy to be back in Montevideo, but have made some once in a lifetime memories!