As we were driving along it struck me that there were no stray dogs running round Montevideo like there have been every where else I have been. In some places there are dozens of them everywhere, all looking as though they are being fed but some are pretty scruffy and not well cared for. In the pretty upmarket suburb with rude people where I stayed they all had designer pooches on fancy leads, but even in other areas of Montevideo there were no dogs roaming free.
Dropped off at the bus station I bought my ticket then grabbed my window seat on the near empty bus, stripped off the woolies and sat enjoying the sun streaming through the window as we took off.
The scenery was so relaxing, just like being at home; silage pits, hay bales, sheep, cows, green grass, windmills even scrub like NZ’s. The soil is obviously very fertile and a very dark brown, almost volcanic looking.
56k (I saw the sign) from our destination a young lady boards and sits in front of me, (the bus was 3/4 empty so she could have sat anywhere) closes her window curtain, dons her neck cushion, looks behind and then reclines seat right back (they go almost 180 degrees and rest on the seat behind) so it whacked my knees. Oy lady click your seat up. Knock knock on the back of her headrest. She did slightly but just enough for me to be able to move and make me not feel upset if I hit the back of her seat while I was moving. Then she got cranky cos I wouldn’t close my curtain. Hello love the whole bus is not yours. Go sit in the empty seats on the other side of the bus where there is no sun. My curtain remained untouched till I alighted at Colonia.
Now Montevideo was love at first sight so I’m not sure what the words should be to describe first impressions of Colonia. I hopped off the bus on a gloriously sunny day and walked into the Isite at the bus station where the loveliest lady, who could barely speak English, loaded me with maps and instructions and sent me to the next Isite where they were just as lovely. On the way walking to my hotel I passed a few of the local landmarks but kept going till I got to the hotel, where I was greeted by another lovely lady and shown to my upgraded and gorgeous hotel room at Posada del Virrey. The room is gorgeous, has divine curtains, is oozing with character and with the most divine aroma. Both the bedroom and bathroom have an exposed stone wall and I suspect the building is very old. The huge doors have giant shutters outside and the ceiling is enormously high with a scalloped finish. The rooms come off an outdoor courtyard which comes off the main building and I can see staircases here and there which I suspect lead off to other sections. I love it and and could have easily just stayed there but its a beautiful day and I have stuff to do.
I dumped my bag and went exploring, hungry as I went, and found I was surrounded by restaurants, many overlooking the ocean, but the first cafe had caught my eye offering Croquettes Bakalao. I’m a sucker for salted cod so I went back there, walked down a cobbled lane, through a courtyard into a space where an old guy was doing his books. Figuring I had lost my way I asked to look around and discovered a quaint brick lined room with about six tables. I’m sold and am now sitting in The Augusto Tea House sipping on my copa de vino tinto eagerly awaiting my lunch.
The croquettes were very much spanish style and very creamy but I’m still waiting for the wham of the bakalao. Since I’m on the last one it does not appear to be coming but it was nice to have something different to eat for a change and the classical music playing softly in the background is perfecto.
Time to explore which I did, all of the sites of the old city in about half an hour. Love at first sight, yes it was but I’m not sure what I am going to do for the next few days now that I have walked down every street of the old town, gone into every shop and gone into the places that interest me. Oh I know. Sit at one of the many cafes and watch the sunset, except although most say they are abierto (open) there’s no one home. Easily solved. I bought a coke from a kiosk and sat at the yacht port with many others waiting for the sun to go down.
As I sat there I was treated to the best entertainment yet. Two young women waiting, like me, for the sunset. One ordering the other around to take photos of her. Thats cool, but she wants the photos taken from behind her as she was looking into the sun. All good until she spends ages getting her hair and smile right before her friend is allowed to take the photos of her back!!!! Thanks girls you have filled in my half hour nicely.
The next half hour was spent watching a driver trying to get his four wheel drive out of a rather ample but tricky park. Eventually his mates came along and reminded him that he had a 4wd and could drive onto the footpath to give himself more room. Thanks for another laugh guys. He he he!
The locals with their matē are gathering. They too want to see the sunset over the Rio de la Plata with the very vague outlines of the sky scrapers at Buenos Aires’ Puerto Madera just visible in the background.
This really is a pretty old town, gorgeous, but dangerous cobbled footpaths (NZ H&S would have them covered with spongy surfaces). The roots of the beautiful Sycamores that line most every street, littering the streets below with their russet coloured leaves, have broken through most of the road and footpath surfaces so cobblestones aside even the paved paths are treacherous. The old section is rather small with a few main sites:
- the remnants of the original city gate which was partly restored/rebuilt last century
- the famous street of sighs. Wiki tells me “there are different theories about how it got its name. One is that criminals used to get hung at the end of the street (no records to back this up so it can be dismissed). Another is that prostitutes used to line the street to tempt the sailors (where the sighs come in there are best left to your imagination), and a final one about a lover that was killed on this street and with her last breath (sigh) calling her partner (which I suspect was invented to try and romanticize the street).”
- the convent and adjacent lighthouse built in 1694, destroyed by fire in 1704 and the rebuild completed in 1857.
- the BasilIica which is the most unadorned church I have seen in a long time
- the ruins of many of the old buildings each with a story to tell
There’s also a few boutiques and souvenir shops, nothing too exciting but very very quaint. There’s a few dogs hanging round, an aquarium (with unique advertising) and lots of tree lined streets.
My love at first sight is waning and this is the place I most wanted to see but tomorrow is another day and I can explore more then.
Despite there being lots of restaurants around the neighbourhood most are closed when I went searching at 7:30pm. My choices were narrowed to two, one advertising burgers and another, a parilla, down near my hotel which is where I ended up going despite not wanting another meal of grilled meat. Obviously they didn’t want me there, as after a few minutes and a hello they hadn’t acknowledged me, so I sat and waited a bit. Still no hello so I left and reconciled myself to the fact that I would be having another burger. Except that shop, despite advertising cheese burgers, doesn’t do burgers. Now I am hungry and getting very peed off. They do have provoletta on the menu so I ordered that with a coke. Not holding my breath, the coke is out of a machine and comes in a waxed cup, with plastic straw and a plastic lid. Has the makings of a burger bar without the burger! The provoletta was different. An earthenware dish with melted cheese (not all of it was provolone and judging by the stretch I think mozzarella has crept in there too), sprinkled with oregano and floating in oil. I was hungry, it came with plenty of bread and I made a meal out of it. For a city that has a reputation for fine food this is not what I expected. Hopefully tomorrow more places will be open. I look forward to it........
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