FYI: Since the WiFi here at the bottom of the world is poor, I will upload when I can but without photos. I’ll go back and add in pictures when we have reliable WiFi 🙂
Step 1 accomplished in my mission to return to Antarctica. Tomorrow we begin Step 2 with our trek to the domestic airport here in Buenos Aires at 6:30 AM. I do have to admit that we had a great Step 1. Hopefully the rest of our group enjoyed their BA city tour as much as we enjoyed our jaunt over to the the city of Sacramento in the state of Colonia in the country of Uruguay.
Our day started way too early. I was still tired from our flight over but we were up and at ‘em by 5:45 AM. By 6:30 we were at the breakfast room waiting for them to open the doors. Breakfast wasn’t bad but no great shakes either. I was disappointed that there was no oatmeal but you learn to be flexible in foreign countries :-). I went heavy on the fruit instead. After breakfast we made our way down to the lobby just as our van pulled up.
There were already four people onboard when we climbed in. Two were from Australia here in South America to attend a wedding in Brazil. Their plans had shifted considerably with the closing of Peru. I felt their pain. The other two were a father and son visiting here from Peru. They spoke little English so we couldn’t grill them on what was going on in their country.
Our tour facilitator got us to the ferry terminal and in all of the correct lines. I can freely say that I stood in more and longer lines today than I have since my last trip to Disney World and that was many moons ago. We had to stand in line to show our passport to get our ticket. Then we had to stand in another long line to go through Argentinian Passport Control. The next line was for Uruguay Immigration. That was the shortest line. Finally, we had to stand in a very long line to board the ferry. No wonder we had to get there an hour before the ferry was scheduled to depart. We found out later that this particular ferry makes the trip to Colonia and back again six times. The trip over takes an hour. It makes a very long day for the crew.
On the ship they were quite organized. There was no outdoor seating so we hunted inside until we found three seats next to each other. I soon figured out why nobody else was sitting in them. They were directly beneath an A/C vent. It got a bit chilly. It didn’t bother me on the ride over though. It didn’t feel too cold. Plus I needed to absorb all of the cool air I could as the temperature in Colonia was suppose to be 99 today.
The trip across to Uruguay was uneventful. We sat and chatted and got caught up with lives and talked about plans for future travel. We are hoping to do three trips together with Liz next year. Although we hadn’t seen her since last year, it felt like no time had passed at all. It’s nice when you find those people who you just immediately click with.
Once we docked in Uruguay, we still had some boxes to tick before leaving the terminal. However, it was a breeze. We merely had to put all of our purses, backpacks, etc. through the x-ray, not that they paid any attention to the x-ray at all. Then we had to meet up with our guide. That was easy as well as Alex was standing with a sign containing our names. Once we were all gathered up, she began our tour.
Now I have to confess that this morning I seemed to be having intestinal difficulties. It must have been something I had eaten but it was making for an unpleasant morning. I was nervous about getting too far from a toilet. Fortunately by the time we disembarked the ferry, the problem had calmed down somewhat but I was still concerned that I would feel the need and not be able to get to a toilet on time. The fun aspect of traveling :-). I did make it through our entire excursion with only one dash to the toilet so all’s well that ends well 🙂
As we wandered down the street towards the town, we learned that Colonia is a state and that the actual town is Sacramento. It has a whopping population of 28,000 people and was originally settled by the Portuguese back in the 1500s. The country is actually quite small with a population of 3.4 million people. That’s smaller than many of our cities. It is the smallest country in South America but it is the richest. The capital is Montevideo which has a million and a half people. It is the largest city in the country. Most of the population is situated on the coast.
It was quite interesting to hear Alex talk about her country. According to her it has absolutely no natural resources. It has no native flora. There were no true indigenous populations. The people who lived here in pre-colonial times were nomads and simply moving through the country. It sounded like Uruguay was a whole lot of nothing before being colonized by the Portuguese first and then the Spanish.
Uruguay continues to be a sleepy little country. We saw maybe five cars on any of the streets actually moving. Most of the people we saw were tourists like us. I have to say, it was a refreshing change from the hustle and bustle of all of the places we have traveled to lately.
Because the country has very little, they must import everything except food. Agriculture is their main source of income. Cattle is their number one source of income followed by soy beans. They also raise two breeds of sheep (merino was one but I didn’t catch the other one). They also raise pigs and grow a variety of crops.
Banking is big business here also. Because Uruguay is financially stable and neighboring Argentina is not, many Argentines bank their dollars here. This way they avoid taxes. Not for nothing is Uruguay known as the Switzerland of South America.
About 60% of the people living here own their homes. The government has a program helping this happen. If you chose one of the four small government floor plans, you don’t have to pay property taxes for the next ten years. The downside of that is the homes are very small, averaging 600 square feet, and have only one bathroom. It seems to work for them though.
Due to free medical, no income tax, and a decent climate, Uruguay has a strong ex-pat community. In fact 30% of the population is retirees. It is one of the top ten best places to retire. Something to think about 🙂
Along with free healthcare (they do have private facilities as well) they provide free education. Primary school is mandatory but high school is not. Sadly only 50% actually graduate high school. School only lasts four hours a day. This way they can use the buildings twice a day. However, since their time with the students is restricted, they have to be picky about what they teach. For example, there is no time to teach a foreign language like English. Alex did say that they have the best education in South America.
How does the government pay for healthcare, education, home assistance, etc.? High taxes. They have a very high sales tax as well as a VAT. Import taxes are excruciatingly high. The tax burden is considerable. On the flip side, most people don’t have a mortgage and own their car so they only have to pay for food and taxes. They have no major debt.
One issue that concerns the country is the lack of population growth. People here average a bit over one child per family. As a result, they are welcoming immigrants with wide open arms. Move to Uruguay and two weeks later you have your official papers. There is one exception and that is Muslims. They allowed seven families into the country and after that the government said no more because here women and children have rights. Something obviously happened but it will remain a mystery.
It was interesting to learn that 50% of the country’s population is of Italian descent. They love their pasta here. For breakfast they drink Yerba mate which is a hugely popular drink in South America. Just about everybody drinks it. Mate is kind of like tea in that it is brewed from Yerba mate leaves placed in the bottom of a gourd cup. Hot water is poured over the leaves to make the drink. They use a metal straw with a filter built into one end to drink it. It’s a communal drink that they share among friends and family. You take a drink and then pass it to somebody else. Of course during COVID everybody had to use their own cup and straw.
So mate is breakfast. At lunch they have a decent sized meal consisting of beef and potatoes or pasta. Around six PM they drink mate and have a snack. Dinner comes around ten PM and once again they have beef, potatoes, and or pasta. I can only imagine what their cholesterol levels are. Actually Alex said that her husband had high cholesterol so he has cut back to beef only once a day🤪
Uruguay is a very progressive country. Their energy is almost 100% green. Gay marriage has been legal for over 15 years. Women have had the vote since 1927. It is also the only country in South America where marijuana is legal. Prostitution is also legal. The “workers” are required to get monthly medical checks. They even have a union! During COVID they received financial aid from the government because they couldn’t work.
As we walked and listened to Alex, we passed an old railroad turn table. It one one of the few remains of the railroad that no longer exists. There just wasn’t a large enough population in the country to sustain it. I believe it ran from 1904 until some time in the 80s. Now the train station is a hospitality school as tourism is big business for Sacramento. These days to travel to other parts of the country you either have to drive or take the bus. I believe she said it was a two hour drive to the capital.
We also stopped under a blooming tree whose name I have forgotten and watched the tiny hummingbirds flitting around. They are always fascinating to watch. We did that while Alex made explanations to our Peru duo in Spanish. She kept busy saying everything in two languages.
To get to the original portion of the city we walked passed streets lined with tall trees. They were London Plane trees which we know as sycamore trees. They made beautiful shade in these residential areas. They were also quite picturesque. Everybody had to stop and snap a picture.
Slowly we made our way to the gate of the old city. We stood outside of them as Alex gave us a down and dirty history lesson. First though I had to dash to the toilet. The first stall I went into didn’t have toilet paper. Not a good thing for somebody with my issue! I always carry toilet paper but not enough for that! Fortunately the second stall I tried had an entire roll. Whew! Better yet, this was the last time I had to dash to the toilet. I had a few twinges off and on but managed to control it. Thank goodness! Whatever it was had worked its way out of my system.
Anyway, at the gate Alex explained that the Portuguese settled here first. Sacramento is actually the oldest Portuguese settlement in the country. Along with colonizing, the Portuguese also brought slavery to the region. Then the Spanish came and destroyed the town before leaving the area. They abandoned Uruguay because there was no silver or gold to be found there. Eventually they colonized the area that is now the capital of Uruguay. So the Portuguese came back and this time built a walled city that they could defend.
In 1584 the Spanish came back to Uruguay. They were exploring along the Rio de Plata looking for El Dorado and needed spots along the river to defend their territory from other colonizing countries. Four times the Spanish attacked the country. The Portuguese managed to repel them. However, the Queen of Portugal was having problems so she eventually signed a treaty giving Uruguay to the Spanish. The new inhabitants of Sacramento remodeled many of the Portuguese style homes into Spanish ones with flat roofs that didn’t work well in this area.
At one point in time Argentina and Uruguay were both under Spanish control. They wanted to become independent from Spain and together create one country. That dream faded when Argentina broke away from Spain and Brazil invaded and conquered Uruguay. In 1830 Uruguay finally became its own independent country with the help of England.
Uruguay became the leading democratic country in South America. All citizens here are required to vote. They have to pay a fine if they fail to do so. Interestingly enough, their last president was a bank robber! The current president is young. He is 49. He came into office with grand plans and then COVID hit. Despite that he has brought unemployment down from 10% to 7%. So he is on the right track. At least he didn’t rob any banks😜
To enter the Old City we had to walk across a tiny drawbridge and through the gate in the fortified city wall. The moat these days is filled with grass instead of water. Inside we walked down the cobblestone streets to the original main street.
The old section of Sacramento is a UNESCO World Heritage site. As a result, no modifications can be made to the exterior of the buildings. However, before it gained that designation, people had modified some of the buildings. It was very obvious which ones those were. On Calle de Los Suspiros we saw one of the oldest buildings in the city. It reeked of age and I loved it. Painted red, it stood out from all of the others. At one point in time it was a brothel so we were walking through the old Red Light district. The roof had Portuguese red tiles that were shaped over the thigh of the tile maker.
It was tough going up the street as these the schist paving blocks were not flat nor even in height. I was SO glad not to have my boot on. That would have been challenging. It was difficult enough in tennis shoes. As we walked I got distracted peeking through wrought iron gates into beautiful green spaces and courtyards. The houses themselves were interesting. You would have a renovated house next door to an original building and a Spanish remodeled home with a flat roof next to that. It made an interesting juxtaposition.
Our wandering took us to the old lighthouse. It is no longer in use because it was built inland several meters and only succeeded in luring ships onto the rocks. We saw the new lighthouse on a tiny island as we came into Uruguay on the ferry.
We spent a bit of time in a small courtyard of several businesses as Alex explained more about her country. We also had an opportunity to go upstairs to an open area to get a view of old Sacramento and the water. I can’t say that the view was all that inspiring. The water was yellowish brown from all of the silt. It wasn’t pretty at all although the buildings of the town were. It was well-worth the climb up the stairs for that.
From the lighthouse we walked to what had been the main square. It was unusual in that it had no church. That was because Sacramento was built as a military town. There was a basilica in the old section of the city but the Portuguese had built it on a different square. In the center was a water fountain people could get drinking water from so a few of us topped off our water bottles.
We continued our ramble up one of the main business roads just a block up from the water. We saw the huge Bank of Uruguay as well as a myriad of small shops and eateries. We were learning bad habits in this quiet town. We walked down the middle of streets and crossed without looking for traffic. There was no traffic. I could count the number of cars I saw being driven on one hand.
We learned as we strolled that originally the poor lived here. That is no longer true. Most of the houses in the old part of the city have been purchased by rich Argentinians. And they paid a pretty price. For example the brothel we saw would sell for around a million dollars. And it wasn’t that big! Only 16 Uruguayan families live in the old city now.
It was a short walk to the next square with the Basilica. Alex warned us that churches here are simple because there is no gold or silver in the country. She was correct. It was simple but beautiful in its own way. The foyer was built with stone in the 1700s. They saved one of the original columns when they remodeled. Down behind the plain alter was a niche with a small but interesting cross. All in all, I enjoyed our few minutes inside.
From the church Alex led us to our meeting point by the gate. We had nearly 3.5 hours to wander and do as we pleased. Since it was after twelve, she gave us suggestions for lunch. Doug wanted to try the chivita which is the national sandwich. Alex told us we could find them in the square with the church. So the three of us headed back to where we had just come from. The other four went elsewhere. I know the Australians ate down on the water.
We were lucky to find a table at the cafe by the church. It was crowded. But we found one and it was even in the shade. Thank goodness because the temperature was heating up. Most of the morning had been overcast with some breeze. But when the sun came out and the breeze stopped, it was hot! I felt like one big ball of sweat.
It felt good to be in the shade and be able to sit and take a load off especially since my foot was aching a bit. We all immediate ordered beer. Liz and I went for the Patricia which is a Uruguayan pilsner. Doug to the Zillertal which is a local IPA. Liz and I shared a liter while Doug drank one all by himself.
They had a chivita for two on the menu so we went for that. Liz was good and got a salad. When our sandwich came, it wasn’t a true sandwich. There was no bread. It was just as well as I had had a roll that they had brought out earlier. So our chivita consisted of a well-cooked minute steak, a slice or two of ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato all topped with a fried egg. It was surprisingly tasty. Definitely a keto meal. The sandwich came with a few delicious steak fries. The potatoes tasted so good.
We took our time eating and drinking before exploring the old city on our own. We stopped first in a souvenir shop and Doug got his flag ornament. I found an okay magnet.
We stopped in another shop and Liz bought a couple of pieces of amethyst for her grandsons’ rock collections. We found a small coffee-espresso cup for Sam to enjoy her Asian coffees in. Shopping completed, we made our way down to the harbor and walked out on the dock admiring the various boats.
By now the clouds had moved off and the sun was beating down on us. I was drenched with sweat. I could feel it trickling down my back. Everything felt wet with sweat and humidity. Thank goodness for the breeze or it would have been rough.
We slowly made our way up the street towards the meeting point. We had just enough time to enjoy dolce du leche ice cream at the self-proclaimed best ice cream shop in town. It was good but really rich. I was surprised that I could finish my one scoop.
We had a few minutes before our meeting time so we ducked into a small shop next to the gate. Liz found a cute dress for her daughter. I was shopped out so I found a chair outside and sat while Doug went in search of a toilet.
We were the first other than Alex to the meeting point but nobody was late. We were a prompt group:-). Like a pied piper Alex led us through the tree-lined streets back to the port. It was nice that we took a different route back so we could see a different part of the city. She pointed out the apartment buildings in the distance where most Uruguayans live today. Her apartment was only an 8 minute drive from the Old City.
Alexa guided us through the ticket line and then we said our goodbyes. There was a huge line for security and then another for Passport Control. They moved pretty quickly though so no complaints. We went through all of that and immediately got into the line boarding the ferry.
We had to hunt again to find three seats together. We managed but once again they were under the A/C vent. The cold air felt good for about five minutes but then I got cold. I really regretted not bringing my jacket with me in my backpack. I felt like an iceberg for the entire trip:-)
Back in Buenos Aires we had to stand in a huge que to go through Passport Control into Argentina. It seemed to take forever. I think we stood in that line for nearly an hour. It was crazy but we finally made it through. Whew! We were the last of our group so the other four had to wait for us. At least they had benches to sit on.
The trip back to the hotel was bogged down with traffic. Walking might have been faster. Sitting felt good though after standing in line for so long. At least we were the first off the bus. We bid our fellow travelers a final farewell. They had been wonderful travel companions. Then we made our way into the hotel where we ran into Pablo.
He let us know when we needed to put out our luggage in the morning and other bits of necessary information. We dropped off our backpacks and freshened up and then the three of us went back to where we had lunch with Julio. We just wanted something quick and easy for dinner. We saw Chris in the lobby but he declined the invitation to join us.
Dinner was fine although the chicken on my sandwich was cooked within an inch of its life. The Quilmes beer though hit the spot. It was cold and tasty. By the time we finished eating, it was after 9 o’clock. We still had to get cleaned up and pack. However, Chris was still downstairs drinking a bottle of wine so Doug joined him. I headed back to the room where I discovered that my keycard didn’t work. Oy vey! I went back downstairs and got it rekeyed. Doug came back up with me so he could grab his key out of the slot for the lights ( you have to have a card in it in order to keep the electricity on in your room). That way he could let himself back into the room.
I hopped into the tub first thing and enjoyed my bath. It felt so good to wash all of that sweat off! Then I began packing which really didn’t take long as I hadn’t unpacked much. By this time Doug was back. While he showered I imported photos from my camera to my iPad, went through email, typical nightly chores on a trip.
Our alarm tomorrow will go off at 5:15 AM. Way too early for a day where I won’t see any animals except the human kind. We are flying out of the domestic airport for Ushuaia and the beginning of Step 2 to Antarctica. Too early or not, I can’t wait!
Tales from the Trail 