I needed a break..so I came to Uruguay.

Just for two days. I arrived yesterday by boat from Buenos Aires. It was just a three hour ride and landed in Colonia. Then all that was necessary was a two and a half hour bus ride and I arrived in Montevideo, capitol city of Uruguay. I arrived with the company of a friend, Aaron from NYC (same Aaron from volcano trek and Torres del Paine). For the remainder of last evening, we strolled the streets and took in some dinner. We then settled down for the night and planned out our next day in the city. We would wake up pretty early, rent some bikes and take them to the Rambla where we would ride till we grew tired and then we would throw frisbee and have a great day in the sunny weather. It was a great plan until we awoke in the middle of the night to rain beating down on the rooftop that didn´t stop until around noon. So we devised a plan over breakfast that took us to a couple museums and finally, a good lunch in the open air market down by the waterfront. Although we would have preferred plan number one, number two worked out just fine and we were thankful that it included the amazing traditional Uruguayan lunch of grilled-over-an-open-pit fire veggies (including but not limited to: eggplant, zucchini and sweet potato), chorizo sausage and filet migñon. After lunch, Aaron had to return to Colonia to catch the boat back to BA but I was able to spend more time in town before taking the bus to Colonia. I wanted to go the the Rambla and walk around a bit but the wind was so strong that I could barely step forward and I was already beginning to get soaked so I gave in and went on to the bus station. Now I am in Colonia preparing for an early bed time.

Speaking of early bed times...the reason I am here was partly to explore another country and also, as the title says, to get a break from BA. You see, when you have so many groups of friends in a place that is known for it´s nightlife, sometimes its hard to get a night in that doesn´t include a five a.m. bedtime. Since Hallye has left me for Bolivia, I have kept the friendships with the people we met before and have made new friendships in the city. I have Aaron and Dinesh with their apartment in Palermo, Aussie Chris who moves around the city and always seems to have a new Aussie friend of his own turning up, there are the Dutch girls that I met in Iguazu, the Norwegian girls I met through the dutch girls in the hostal, and some Dutch guys that met the Dutch girls in El Calafate, Argentina. So with friends like these and a new bar or club to go to every night, I began to be so sleep deprived that I felt like a zombie walking around the streets of Buenos Aires and decided that once the Dutch girls went back to Holland that I would take a break and get out of the city and into a bed! So here I am well rested and ready to tackle Colonia tomorrow. Likely I will treat myself to a good pasta lunch (notably good here in Italian-influenced Uruguay) and an afternoon in a cafe. I need to take advantage of my solitude here because I know as soon as I go back to BA, there is going to be more celebrating of something. The other night it was Dutch girls´s last night, the night before it was Dutch guys´s first night and tomorrow night it will probably be my first night back from Uruguay. I just can´t escape the madness! Luckily I have had good luck with the hostals lately. Before I left for Uruguay, I was in a hostal where the lady home made croissants for our breakfast! In the hostal waiting for me tomorrow night, I have my own room for the same price I have been paying for dorm rooms lately! However, it is hard not to think about what I have ahead of me in just six days....my VERY OWN BED in Louisville, Kentucky. That´s right folks, just six more days till my lovely face graces your presence once again. Aren´t you excited? Or have you enjoyed your respite from me?

Hopefully you are still reading, I have noticed that ¨0 comments¨ at the bottom of every blog entry and have wondered if I lost you somewhere along the road. But I keep writing in faith that a few of you are still following. Also, I enjoy writing this. It is different from writing in my journal where I am my only audience.

Well if you were wondering what the differences are that I have found between Uruguay and Argentina, let me begin. I will keep the comparison between Buenos Aires and Montevideo because these are the places that I know the best. It basically comes down to one major thing...while the porteños (people of BA) walk around in their Prada and Polo like they own the world with their surgically adjusted noses stuck so far up that they resemble the obelisk on 13 de Julio, the citizens of Montevideo are much more warm and relaxed...or that could just be the effect of all that dang mate that they are sucking from those gourds all day (inside joke only for people who have been to BA or MVD). That is all the comparison I have for you really. It just stuck out to me so much. In general, MVD is much more chilled out and humble. BA is a bit intimidating and fashionably self-important.

Well, I´m really looking forward to this early bedtime I have been raving about so I must be going. Stay tuned for a few more posts before the end of the trip. I am sure I will have some final words or something like that. Words of travel wisdom, reflection, what I miss about the US and what I can live without for the rest of my life, etc. All for the next installment.

Until then,
Katie