Last weekend Sarah was invited to a charla- a talk (and if there is one thing Uruguayans thrive on, it’s a good charla)- in Colonia, so we used it as a good excuse to get away for the weekend and visit a place we’ve wanted to go. Colonia is still on Rio de la Plata, like Montevideo, but west. It’s about an hour ferry ride to Buenos Aires. It’s pretty small, quaint and tranquil. It’s the only Portuguese colony established in Uruguay, and the center of town still maintains old, colonial buildings and cobblestone streets lining the waterfront. Since the charla was early Saturday morning, we left late Friday night after work. Really nothing of note happened on the bus minus the fact that two minutes into the trip I was caught licking dulce de leche off my alfajor wrapper much to the amusement of Amy and Sarah and to the terror of the poor lady sitting next to me. After making sure no sugary goodness went to waste, I promptly passed out with my mouth wide open and occasionally leaning on the woman next to me for the duration of the 2 hour trip to Colonia. We got there at midnight, and after being abruptly interrogated by the bus driver to verify my ticket with my luggage (really? Do I look like I am trying to steal one of the two bags left on the bus? I am 5’2″, have arms the size of buffalo wings,groggy from my nap with alfajor bits on my face. I’m not a thief; I’m just trying to get my bag and get to my hostel), we took a cab to our hostel, La Casa de Teresa.
It was literally Teresa’s house. This small woman greeted us at the gate chasing away a stray dog and warmly welcomed us. She didn’t ask our names, credit card information, or for our passports, but enthusiastically showed us our room and even drew us a map of Colonia to help orient us. After bidding us good night and giving us each a kiss, she left us to our cold (the window was open) private room with private bathroom (Yea. We learned our lesson in Punta del Diablo with the stinky males). We bundled up and passed out.
We woke up to a lovely breakfast prepared by Teresa herself. I’m telling you it was actually her house that she converted into a hostel- she herself lived in one of the rooms. We dined on medialunas, dulce de leche and multiple cups of coffee. La Casa de Teresa was head and shoulders above the stale bread and butter at El Diablo Tranquilo. After the charla (given by a Uruguayan Fulbrighter), we had lunch with him and another english teacher from Colonia.Talk about the nicest people on earth! They even gave us magnets. After a leisurely lunch, they drove us around Colonia to show us the town. We drove along the Rambla, drove past seaside summer homes, and circled around an abandoned bull fighting ring (apparently, a former president reeeeeeally wanted to promote bullfighting, so he started to build a bullfighting ring and jai alai courts. The next president outlawed bullfighting, so the project was abandoned.) They dropped us off at our hostel and invited us back to Colonia anytime. It really is people like this that make me never want to leave Uruguay. I spent the rest of the sunny afternoon napping, writing, wandering around the small cobblestone streets and plazas in the center of town and drinking wine. At night, as we listened to this old couple play Spanish guitar, we ate until we almost exploded at El Drugstore (quirky name for a quirky place). We had a giant meat and cheese board, beer, wine, and paella for two, which I’m positive was meant for 6. Pretty sure the waiter had never seen three girls take down so much food. I suppose we needed a break after 2 months of lentils, sweet potatoes with black beans, and microwave-poached eggs. Before reaching the point of never-ending indigestion, we left to hibernate at Teresa’s house. All in all, a Saturday well spent.
The next day was spent similarly: calm, slow-paced, and quiet. I didn’t realize how loud Montevideo was until being surrounded by the tranquility of Colonia. We climbed up a lighthouse, explored old streets, and saw some falcons in the trunk of a car. To be honest, my pictures paint a much better picture than my words do. But, before we made our way back to the bustling Montevideo, we had one last meal on a rooftop: Pizzanesa. So, milanesas are a common food here: a thin piece of meat, breaded and fried, typically served with fries. Well, a pizzanesa is where the milanesa acts as the bread and is topped with pizza toppings. Mine had tomato sauce, mozzarella, arugula, and pancetta. Oh yea, it came with fries too. And yep, I ate the whole damn thing. It was delicious, was 3 days worth of sodium, and burned in my stomach all the way back to Montevideo until I fell asleep that night. It was probably still burning as I slept, but I was too knocked out notice. Plenty of food, a little indigestion, a great weekend.
Life's a Borer 