Nov. 09/12 – Colonia is a little coastal town in Uruguay. It was recently made a UNESCO heritage site, so it should remain in the time capsule of the Rio de la Plata’s (the river that separates Argentina and Uruguay) colonial past for many years.
We decided to go to Colonia for a day trip, only an hour ferry ride from Buenos Aires. We were told by new local friends we met through InterNations that the ATMs here dispense USD instead of the local currencies like in the rest of the South American cities we had visited. Then, I can convert the USD cash for 35% more in the black market in Buenos Aires. Yes, 35% is crazy but it’s true! I was told that this is due to the Argentinean government trying to control the currency exchange over the last couple of months since the inflation here is more than 30%!!!
Colonia is a tranquil beach town that provides a break from the chaos of Buenos Aires. We arrived at 1:30pm then we rode on a rented golf cart for 4 hours total. Both Deon and I loved this experience. We drove behind other cars on the very quiet street to their tiny downtown for a nice Uruguay lunch, then drove to the beach. I was so surprised to see how fine and white the sand was. But the most relaxing part for me was being the passenger while Deon was the driver along the riverside. Yeah, that’s how quiet and safe the road condition was for me to allow Deon to be the driver of the golf cart.
What a nice way to spend our Sunday. We are so glad we came to visit this city…. Oh, and because our first golf cart broke down, we asked for help from another tourist who was also driving a golf cart; he was with his beautiful daughter and his friend’s family. It turned out that he is a lawyer from Buenos Aires and seemed like a really nice guy. He offered to take me out for lunch after we got back. I am excited to meet him and his family to learn more about the local culture….
Originally posted on Amy’s travel blog: TravelwithAmy.ca