A Ferry to the Past
May 31st 2024
Table of Contents
Uruguay was the second country in our 2024 South American Tour. If you want to start from the beginning, click here.
We love a good day trip to another country. We did it in both Mexico and Malaysia and thought it was a great way to dip our toes into a different culture and check off another country from the list.
Chaotic Beginnings
We hadn’t been in Argentina for 24 hours before we planned to do a day trip across the bay to Uruguay. It was definitely one of those moments when you’re planning it you’re excited and don’t think that fatigue can ever affect you. This was the plan after traveling overnight: wake up at 5:30 am, schedule an Uber to pick us up, drive 45 minutes to the ferry terminal and get there 1.5 hours before departure like it said we had to be. As you can guess, that did not happen.
We woke up an hour late with my alarm still going off and 3 missed calls from a very angry Uber driver. I didn’t think we would make it to the terminal in time, but we sprung in to action. Clothes on. Uber bought. Passports packed. We were out the door, in an Uber, and 45 minute later at the Colonia Express terminal and through immigration. Our ticket said check in closed at 1.5 hours before. We definitely checked in later than that. Maybe we got lucky, but we got an extra hour of sleep, so that was a win win, maybe not for the missed Uber though. Sorry about that, Uber driver.
Ferry to Colonia
The terminal was small and packed to the brim with people. We didn’t know what to do, so we just sat next to a crowd of people and waited for instruction. Then suddenly, someone started speaking and the crowd shifted. We followed and started walking down a corridor which eventually led to the ferry.
The ferry was huge. Colonia Express is supposed to be the ‘budget’ option out of the ferries, and the way the reviews made it out to be, I was expecting some battered boat that could barely float, but this was nice. You are able to pick any seats you want, so we sat up near the front. It was a modern, comfy, and a smooth ride. Unless you stepped outside, then it was windy.
An easy 1 hour ride later and we could see the banks of Uruguay, country number 23 on our mission.
We made our way through the Uruguayan terminal to the familiar chorus of people offering tours and taxis. We didn’t need either of those. We had a plan. Wander around and find something interesting. We had 8 hours until our return ferry back to Argentina. The clock was ticking.
Colonia del Sacramento is one of the oldest towns in Uruguay, founded all the way back in 1680. Similar to Antigua in Guatemala, the entire town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The timeline of Colonia’s existence is actually quite funny, being passed back and forth between Spain and Portugal for a hundred years until finally becoming independent in 1828. The Spanish / Portuguese influence can be seen in the cities architecture, again similarly to Antigua.
We wanted to make our way to the Colonial District, and the first landmark in the way was the was the Historic Colonia Railway Station.
Colonial Treasure
A short walk later and we were standing on a wooden bridge in front of a large castle. Stepping through the gate was like going through a time portal. From here, the official colonial town began.
Streets became cobbled, houses became historical, old antique cars sat on on sidewalks. We were literally the only people here. Everyone else had been trapped into taking tours or guides around the town. It was so peaceful. A cool breeze from the water blew against our faces, birds chirped, and a lady swept dust outside her little store. It felt like a movie. This was the San Miguel Bastion, built in the late 17th century to protect the city from those pesky Spanish invaders.
Street Food National Dish
We wouldn’t have guessed that in this old, colonial town on cobbled streets, that we’d be eating the National Dish from a street food truck that looked like it was out of New York City. But here we were, at Mi Carrito to try the dish that represents Uruguay best, the Chivito.
A metallic, silver trailer with bright red Coca Cola signs sat next to a couple of small, red plastic chairs similar to those in Hanoi. In broken English I ordered our lunch, 1 Chivito, 1 Pancho, and 1 Pilsen cerveza. In addition to the National Dish, we had ordered a Pancho: Uruguay’s specialty hot dog. We’d recently had Argentina’s specialty hot dog, the Choripan, and wanted to compare. Apparently South Americans are really into hot dogs, who knew?
A man in the trailer ushered me over, “What do you want on your Chivito?” “Everything”. We had to do it right and everything meant getting the whole deal. I watched as they assembled this beast. Peppers, mushrooms, peas, corn, cauliflower, and tomato were placed onto a slice of bread that had been covered in mayonnaise. Beef, ham and egg that had been grilled together were then placed on top and here we were: a Chivito.
School children in their navy blue uniforms came running down the street laughing and joking with each other as they fumbled in their pockets for change and bought Chivito’s. Small moments like this are so special. It’s real life. This is just a normal day for them, getting lunch at a food truck nearby, but for us it was a special experience.
We each took a side of our sandwich and took a bite. There was a lot of flavors going on. The smoky char from the meat, the sourness from the vegetables that must have been soaking in vinegar, and the creaminess from the egg all collided with each other in its bready container. It was a hearty eat, but nothing too special.
Oh, and the Pancho? Emily liked it more than the Chivito. It was simply a massive hot dog, drowned in mozzarella, mustard, and ketchup. It was basic. Don’t tell the Uruguayan’s this, but Argentina’s version was better.
Back to the Ferry
We spent the rest of our time in Colonia, walking around, taking in the scenery, and buying souvenirs. Oh, and we also watched a German Shepherd play in the water as his owners tried desperately to get him out.
It was a beautiful city that I’m sure doesn’t represent the whole of Uruguay, but we loved the peaceful bliss of it. Sometimes these lowkey day trips are almost like another trip within your trip.
Continue on with our 2024 South American Tour as we go back to Argentina!
The Hungry Voyagers 