Uruguay - Colonia

Saturday 11^th March 2017

Montevideo in a local bus/coach to Colonia. VERY impressive bus station which had all the mod cons and a huge shopping centre above – useful if you want to buy a TV before you catch your bus!  No trains available as fell into disrepair, so rely on buses.  2.5 hour trip through mainly flat/small hill countryside full of pampas grass, small communities with horses scattered around, couple of horse-drawn cart and saw my first cowboy on his horse. Lots of commerce including big distribution centres for John Deere tractors.  None of these seen in the actual farms, with lots of rusting machinery and some very old cars/tractors gently rotting.

On arrival at Colonia, met by our new guide, Lourdes, who took us straight on a walking tour of Colonia.  Gorgeous little town, with cobblestones a little like Paraty.  Laid by the Portuguese, who also constructed a huge wall to protect the old town on a peninsula, from the Spanish.  Beautiful little shops / bars/ houses with bougainvillea and hibiscus surrounding doorways and around arches. Nice little lighthouse by the marina. Then took a coach tour for further afield to see the disused Bull-Ring. Uruguayans built it around 1920 on basis that bulls would not be killed. But Spanish bull-fighters killed the bulls, so the place was abandoned about 2 years later.  Beautiful building which badly in need of restoration. Also viewed the original Portuguese church and donations of silver to a black saint/ex slave, who allegedly had gift of healing.  Also saw and stopped at the only two traffic lights in the whole of Colonia… traffic jams are completely unknown.. wonderful!

Back to check in to Don Antonio Posada.  Nice little old-fashioned place with our room on a terrace overlooking the pool and fountain.  Seems to be run solely by women.  Very neat and quirky. 

 

 

 

 

Joined by Ed, Jude and Loretta to wander back into town and see the sunset over one of the islands, whilst supping a gin and tonic. Gradually joined by most of the rest of the gang, but quickly decided that too expensive so descended on a very popular restaurant in town.  Couple of bottles of Tannat to wash down a boeuf bourguinon. Iain had a rice dish with lots of mussels, squid and other fishy things lurking. Nice atmospheric place with stone walls, whitewash and thin bricks.  Usual difficulties with paying so I paid for Loretta Iain and I by card (gives 20% discount in Uruguay to help tourism).