Day 27: Colonia, Uruguay

On Wednesday morning, we took a bus out of Montevideo to travel to Colonia, Uruguay. Colonia has long been an important gateway to Buenos Aires, and has both Spanish and Portuguese influences as a result of their attempts to gain control of its port. Because of its small buildings and narrow, brick streets, the only way to describe this town is charming.

We were fortunate to be in Colonia on a beautiful, clear day, and rented a golf cart to traverse around town on wheels. Dan was as happy as a little boy on his golf cart, and came up with various destinations for us--including a lighthouse, the oceanfront, and a park--so he could drive around for as long as possible. The weather turned chilly early, so I retreated back to our pousada while Dan continued to ride around Colonia and ended up on the beach for sunset.

We went to a casual dinner (by foot) at night, and as we walked, were amazed by how few people were around; it seemed like we were in a ghost town. Four of us then went back to our pousada to get the golf cart and do some late night cruising. We first passed a nearby casino, and decided to stop inside. There, we discovered where the entire population of Colonia was hiding. The casino was small, but I have never seen a place so packed. For every person sitting at a slot machine, there was someone else queuing up nearby. And the main lure of the casino was undoubtedly bingo. Every single person in the building--from teens to eldery individuals--was clinging on to paper slips that served as their bingo cards. It was a bizarre sight, and one that left us pondering what life is like for Colonia locals.

After that experience, we decided to ride to one of the docks in the old part of town. There, we saw a crumbling wall with a drawbridge that must have once served as a barrier to outsiders. We climbed up the wall and sat down to look out at the stars and the sea. While taking in our surroundings, we noticed that the horizon was glowing a faint yellow, and realized that we were staring out at Buenos Aires. We soaked in the sights for a little longer, and then rode back in the golf cart to get some sleep before the final leg of our tour.