This past Monday we made a trip across the mighty Rio de la Plata to Uruguay and the historic town of Colonia del Sacramento. This is something we have been wanting to do for quite some time but had never gotten around to it for one reason or another. If it weren’t for the visit of one of Sarah’s college friends Joel, then we probably wouldn’t have made the trip.
We had a lazy day ambling along the cobble-stoned streets soaking in the history of the houses and ruins. We bought a museum pass that allowed us access to the 7 restored homes, each offering a different glimpse of how the residents lived, what types of clothes they wore, the size of their cannon balls and how they built their houses. The town dates back to the 1600s and was originally Portuguese only to be taken over by the Spanish in the 1700s. Today it has been given a complete make over and has been transformed into touristville. (Well, not really. There was one large grade school field trip and the town has a wonderful old Spanish colonial air to it.)
We had a refreshing lunch of pasta and wine at an outdoor cafe on the edge of the Plaza Mayor and occupied our afternoon with aimless visits to the many artisan shops on Calles Real, Portugal, de la Playa and del Comercio. As it is the beginning of winter here, there were not too many tourists. The streets were not bustling but instead seemed to hold an emotion of emptiness. Monk Parakeets were busy collecting tree twigs for their winter nests and from time to time a tour group would make its way through the town.
Our boat departed around 5:30 and as the sun set we were on our way back to Buenos Aires. By the time we approached Puerto Madero the city lights of downtown were shimmering on the evening water. It would have been a magical moment had we been able to see it from the boat’s deck. Instead we had to watch it from inside the cabin on a wide television screen with a live video feed. Hace es la vida!
No comments:
Post a Comment