A Glimpse into History

There are two companies that have ferries going from Buenos Aires to Colonia del Sacramento, crossing the Rio de la Plata in just over two and a half hours. The one is the Buquebus, and the other the Colonia Express. I chose the latter as Mati had said it is slightly cheaper. An uneventful crossing, with my first glimpse of Uruguay through the window of the walkway.

My room for 3 days – in Uruguay I will only be able to afford hostels where one shares

Colonia del Sacramento has an interesting history. The Portuguese established a post there in 1680 under the rule of Manual Lobo, who described the place as fertile with plenty of fresh water. I understood the latter more clearly when I went for a swim in the (brown) sea, and discovered that it was fresh, not salty. According to Wikipedia, Spain took possession of the town four times between 1680 and 1777, with it being returned to Portugal each time after a treaty or battle. From 1817 to 1822 it belonged to the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves, and after that to Brazil. In 1828 it finally became part of Uruguay when the latter became independent. The old city, Barrio Histórico, has kept its character, with narrow cobbled streets that fit the irregular terrain plan, old houses and many little shops and restaurants. I spent hours roaming around, discovering new places, taking pictures and watching incredible sunsets, as the coastline faces West.

These are the ruins of the Convento de San Francisco (St. Francis Convent) which was destroyed by a fire in the 1700s. Behind the ruins is the lighthouse.

An old tower – many of the old places have been restored

Great bookshop – very expensive (as everything in Uruguay)

I was impressed with the lanes of tall plane trees in the newer section of town

Ruins, and 1900s factory buildings. An old dock was also here, see next photo. Now a cultural center with art gallery and indoor- and outdoor theaters.

I found a door in the garden and steps going down, and came upon this – I assume that is where the boats came in to dock.

How do you know someone is a tourist? He is not clutching a thermo flask in the crook of his arm, or carrying a mate in his hand. Locals drinking mate are everywhere, and sometimes they have a special basket in which to carry everything.

While waiting for one of the sunsets, I strolled into a gallery. These artworks each have an accompanying poem.

This restaurant has a plaque outside, explaining it was built in 1710, and Mamá Antula lived there in 1784 – I have no idea who she was.

On my second day in Colonia, I walked the 5km along the beachfront to the Plaza de Toros, where there is a fully restored bullring. It was built in 1910, and was only used for 2 years before bullfighting was banned in Uruguay. It was restored and reopened in 2021 as a cultural and sports complex.

The walk there was fun and interesting. I was puzzled by the many new and modern blocks of flats and developments along the way, until I read that huge amounts of money is being spent on developing Colonia to the north and west, to attract especially Argentinians, as their economy is struggling.

It was Saturday, which invariably means streetmarket

An encouraging signpost: ‘path of delights’

I was determined not to walk back as I was hot and tired, but wasn’t sure where to catch a bus back to my lodgings. I asked at a cafe and was told the bus stop was just across the road. I waited for 40 minutes, and would have waited longer if necessary. The thing about the buses is that, not only are the explanations in Spanish (given by friendly and helpful people), they are often vague. So one waits. And wonders, especially if three buses pass without stopping. And then one waits some more.

On the last evening I decided to treat myself to a pizza and beer, and as I was walking past all the many restaurants to choose from, I saw a crowd gathering in the street ahead. Thinking it might be a march of sorts, I walked closer, only to discover it was a parade of old cars.