Tag Archives: Colonia del Sacramento

Travel

Overview of Buenos Aires, Argentina

httpv://youtu.be/YovnHi7Jeeg

We’re back in Buenos Aires.  We took a ferry directly from Montevideo, Uruguay to Buenos Aires. It was supposed to arrive by 11 pm, but because of the delay in boarding and other factors it was an hour and half late. The biggest delay in boarding is that you have to go through immigration and you baggage has to be screened. There must of been over a hundred people boarding.

I get a lot of static from custom officials when I show them my Argentine citizenship ID but can’t speak Spanish.   Well, what do you expect? I left Buenos Aires when I was six and no one spoke Spanish then. (I have dual citizenships, both American and Argentinean).

We’ve gotten our bus tickets to head north towards Iguazú. In case you think Greyhound in the United States, forget it. The buses for long distance travel here are luxurious. We booked first class which includes seats that recline enough to sleep well, blankets, food, wine and other amenities. The buses are double decks and we’re right on top first row seats.

Yesterday we took a tour bus and saw some of the City that we had not seen in our previous visits here. The YouTube video shows some of our sights. The pictures are not great, but it’s hard to take good pictures on a moving bus.  Today we have lunch with friends and tonight we leave at seven to head north to our first stop  Esteros del Ibera a wetland preserve. It has an abundance of bird and wildlife, so it should be really interesting.

We’ll be out of internet connection for about three days so will post when we can.

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Travel

Two Days in Montevideo, Urguay

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httpv://youtu.be/q5eiSlfwBBc

Montevideo, Uruguay

We spent three days in Montevideo.  Arriving by bus from Colonia, we took a taxi to what we thought was our hotel… NOT, then another taxi to a better location, thank goodness!!

Unfortunately for us, the next two days were Saturday and Sunday, which in an Catholic town means pretty much everything is shut down. We walked the pedestrian walk through the old town, as you can see from the pictures.

We were told that the best place to eat is the Mercato del Puerto, a huge metal structure with many eating establishments and craft shops. Although we didn’t get there in time the first day as they close at 5 PM, we were back on the second and it was a wonderful Parilla (grill) experience. One street was filled with fresh fruit and vegetable markets, and the fruit is excellent, just picked. John too a picture of his favorite ghoul made out of gourds and various other things. John found a local sketch artist who drew a picture of me (when I was 30 years younger) but you know John likes younger women so it pleased him to no end.

After walking to the old town we discovered a Tourist Bus, exploring the whole city, and how huge it is:1.3 million people, when the whole country is only 4 million. We took many pictures of sights along the way, although we didn’t get off as it was the last bus of the day. We saw the famous white sands beaches and thousands of beach worshipers. However the beach near us was rocky (see video). But then the wind picked up and that night we had a storm, luckily we made it to the Hostel before that.

The next day we found an Artesian market and made a few purchases, then a stroll through a Pre-Colombian art exhibit that covered African, and South American art. It also contained the relics of a huge turtle like thing with a huge spiked tail that was quite noteworthy.

On our way out the last evening, John took a picture of a naval ship with an interesting backdrop of storm clouds.


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DRE# 00669941

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Travel

Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay

a-very-fine-salad

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.ight as well start lunch with a great salad

By Judy J. Pinegar

February 16, 2013

John and I needed to see the rest of the town, so we walked around until we found a court of local artisans, and bought some very inexpensive souvenirs. Then we went to the main drag, Avenue General Flores, and deciding we were hungry, we had a fantastic “Ensalada Completa”, see picture. Then off to a Thrifty car rental place, but in this town it was to rent small motorcycles, golf carts and bicycles!! You see them everywhere along with a few cars, but really not much motorized traffic at all, most people walking (by the way we are getting very fit from the stairs and the walking!).

Getting an electric golf cart, we were off to explore the town and surrounding area! The golf cart can go anywhere on the streets for three hours, but then you run out of juice, so they really emphasized getting back in time. First through old town (cobblestone streets, and the golf cart does not have very good springs!) We viewed a museum (pictures not allowed), and took pictures of the lighthouse built in 1845, and ruins of a convent built in 1694 and destroyed by fire in 1704.

Then a picture of the “Calle de los Suspiros” which means the ‘Street of Sighs,”  the place where ladies of the night carried on their trade. What a life and the look of the street was not good, imagine it 200 years ago! I think there were a quite a few sighs.  Next stop was the bus station as tomorrow we are going to Montevideo, Uruguay, the capital of the country.

Then we took off along the beach road. Colonia del Sacramento is on a river, but near the sea. The water is extremely muddy, from the runoff from miles of farmland, didn’t look good to me for a swim, but lots of people were swimming. At the end of a long ride was an old bull fighting ring, in much disrepair. On the way back we visited a museum of sunken ships pirates and recovered treasure (however there were only pictures of the bullion, not a sighting of real gold). But the museum was fun, although hot and stuffy, you got to walk through an old galleon model with all the noises and models of the seamen and pirates at work. Kids would love it.

In the afternoon, as my neck had been hurting since the airplane trip, we hired a great masseuse (Susana Stevens, in case you are ever in Colonia), an hour for 500 Uruguayan pesos, or about $25 US. I feel ever so much better, and we had her come back to do John the next morning before we caught the bus to Montevideo.

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John J. O’Dell Realtor® GRI
Civil Engineer
General Contractor
(530) 263-1091
Email jodell@nevadacounty.com

DRE# 00669941

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Travel

Buenos Aires to Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay

barca-to-uruguay

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Boarding barca (boat) from Buenos Aires to Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay.

By Judy Pinegar

Feb 13 &14, 2013

After a frustrating morning trying to make reservations in the north eastern part of Argentina, we decided to go to Uruguay.  So a Subte ride downtown and a visit to the Barcobus (Ferry) Terminal and we had two tickets to travel on the ferry to Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay.

On the way back we visited the park of San Martin, a beautiful park with wild trees and an equestrian monument in bronze on a base of polished granite that does honor to General Jose de San Martin and four major milestones related to South American independence.

The next day, Feb 14 we boarded the barca (ferry) named the Eladia Isabel to Uruguay and three very smooth hours later we were there. There was entertainment, food and beverages and views of islands and container ships. We found a much improved terminal on the Uruguayan side from our last visit, and a short taxi ride got us to the nice hotel.

It was located in a area we remembered from our last visit, and we were hoping the same restaurant down the calle (street) was open… it was and we had a wonderful meal of rack of lamb and a wonderful salad with fresh fruit (see pictures).

Colonia del Sacramento was founded in 1680 by the Portuguese. What still remains, stone houses, streets of cobblestones (sometimes slanted toward the middle so the rain can drain down), old walls that were formerly a fortress in the old part of town are enchanting. And the whole town is filled with trees, just like our Sacramento, California.

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For all your real estate neeeds
Call or email:

John J. O’Dell Realtor® GRI
Civil Engineer
General Contractor
(530) 263-1091
Email jodell@nevadacounty.com

DRE# 00669941

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