Beach and Carnival in Uruguay

Do not do what I did: walk up to the Buquebus counter asking for a ticket the day you want to leave. The reason is simple, they will rob you blind. It costs US$75 one way for a one hour ferry ride to Colonia de Sacramento. If you book a few days in advance it will cost US$75 return. There was really nothing that would have prevented me from booking a day or two in advance and so I paid for my unwillingness to plan.

Once in Colonia it became evident pretty much right away that Uruguay is more expensive than Buenos Aires. Colonia is a small, quaint UNESCO Heritage town. At first I thought the cost of everything here was steeper because of it's proximity to BA and the UNESCO designation. Having said that, there are 2 hostels that are very reasonably priced and a few empanada and hamburger stands that make eating in restaurants not the only option. Although the town is nice and quiet I really did not feel that more than one day was required to see all it has to offer and get a good feel for the pace of life. So, after just one night here it was off to the beach at Punta del Diablo.

Punta del Diablo has more than one beach on offer. The water is cold but the temperature is very, very refreshing after 10 minutes in the hot, boiling sun. There are no palm trees and therefore no shade on the beaches at all. Most of the Argentinian and Uruguayan families brought their own coolers and umbrellas to the beach. I, on the other hand, just sat out and was grateful that the sky was covered in clouds for a majority of the time. Once it was clear that a sunburn was inevitable even on an overcast day I headed out of the sun and straight to the churro stand for a sweet afternoon snack. The hostel here was not the most comfortable experience in the world. Although it was being cleaned on a regular basis it still felt a bit grungy. The dorms were small and the one fan in the room did nothing for air circulation in the dorm. Also, being a beach location you would expect there to be more than one hammock on offer per floor. But it was not all bad. We encountered a few owls in the sand dunes on our way to the large beach and sitting on a hill at night overlooking the water was a pretty good time. Two nights and a wicked sunburn was enough time spent.

Montevideo is a much smaller city than Buenos Aires but not any less beautiful. The main drag was bustling with shops and people. The port was bustling with boys trying to impress their bikini clad counterparts with daring dives into the river. One look at the brown color of the water and the large formation of white foam (which I imagined to be chemical waste but that's just my imagination) was enough to make me wonder if any of these kids ever had parents who warned them against swimming in the water here.

The main reason for heading to Uruguay around Feb 8 was to see Las Llamadas (the Calls), a two day parade. Uruguay has the longest running carnival in the world. Festivities here last 40 days and the Llamadas are the biggest street party of the entire month. The parade takes place in Sur and Palermo, once known for being the black neighbourhoods of Montevideo. Historically this parade was one started by slaves in the country. The drums were used to call their friends into the streets to celebrate and dance. It quickly became the most coveted party in the country and the slaves' white masters wanted to join in the revelry. To ensure their anonmity was preserved during festivities the white population participating in the event wore (you guessed it) black face.

The parade has multiple stages. Each drum group is preceded by a number of flag bearers who twirl large swaths of cloth. They are followed by old mammas and papas in, what looks like, 18th century costumes dancing their way down the parade route. Behind them are what everyone is waiting for: the half naked women dancers in heels with the feathery tails and headgear. The dancers are accompanied by large groups of drummers (the best part of the parade). Unlike Rio, there are no impressive floats here. The few floats that do exist are small and not very elaborate but here it's all about the music. Although stands and chairs are set up along the parade route it is not necessary to pay for a ticket or a seat. You can just stand or squat near intersections along the route for an up-close and personal view. The street party does not end until the wee hours of the morning.

Fernando the safari guide

Our second weekend in the city it was time to get out and see where the Porteños spend their weekends. It took us a while to get out to Tigre, about 30km north of Buenos Aires. First there was that impossibly long bus ride (the 152) that went out into the suburbs of Buenos Aires. The tren de la costa (also known as the tourist train) to the delta is located in Olivos, a neighbourhood north of the city that is famous for being the home of Argentina's presidential residence. Some can't be bothered to deal with traffic so they take a private helicopter out and cut their commute to about 5 minutes. Clearly we did not have that luxury.

The first thing we encountered at the final stop was a yellow booth with the words Safari Delta painted on it. A well tanned, thin Argentinian man named Fernando asked us where we were going and proceeded to give us his pitch. He runs a company that takes you out on a tiny little boat into the Paraná delta. His route is vastly different from the large tourist boats and even the small public transportation boats that ferry passengers to and from their neighbourhoods. What makes Safari Delta unique is that they cater to their customers and create personalized tours. If you want to go swimming he'll take you to a quiet spot far far away from the noisy rush of the weekend crowds. If you want to sit in the boat and explore the delta he'll take you somewhere 30 kilometers into the delta to explore the quietest rivers to see the wildlife. And, if like me, you want it all he can arrange for both of these things in one trip.

It was two in the afternoon and somehow that seemed to late to go on a customized tour. There was also the fact that none of us had brought swimwear and after being on the bus and train for over an hour we were starving. We walked out of the train station and down a little street to a kiosk that sold hot dogs. I was working on my second footlong hot dog when Fernando biked by and stopped to chat. At this point it was pretty obvious that he was a) friendly and b) helpful as he warned us of the big boats and said we'd be better off paying what the locals pay and getting on the public transport boats. Guess what happened right after we bought our 26 peso local boat tickets? Fernando double parked his car on the street jumped out and offered to take us out on his boat for the afternoon to hang out. It took all of 10 seconds to decide to go with him.

His boat is a small zodiac with no sun protection. It is mind boggling how many Porteños own big expensive boats. We passed more than a dozen boat warehouses and jet ski garages. Traffic on the river was heavy near the port but slowed to a lazy float as soon as you entered one of the little rivers off the main waterway. Aside from being a great place to show off your wealth on the biggest boat you can fit into the smallest riverways, Tigre is where the big vacation homes of the wealthy are. There are locals here as well but they live in much more rustic conditions right next to the giant weekend homes. Fernando owns a little spot called Soledad on one of the rivers. We spent our afternoon sitting on his porch drinking red wine and eating what I would consider the most amazingly tender and juicy steak I've ever had. The lush green garden surrounding his rustic cottage with it's huge cypress trees reminded me of Louisiana.

Having lost everything in the crash of 2001 Fernando came out to the delta to consider his future and reevaluate his life thus far. He watched the giant tourist boats slowly motor their way up the big river and all the bored tourists reading or taking a picture of him as he motored by on his tiny zodiac. It occured to him that people weren't getting the experience they were looking for when they came out to Tigre. Fernando was convinced that none of the people on the boat understood why so many locals came out to the delta. With no access to a private boat or a local guide it was impossible to appreciate what the delta had to offer. It's been over 8 years now that he gives private tours of the delta and his crew has grown to 4 guides (none of them young nor good-looking according to him). One of these was a former customer from Switzerland who found himself reconsidering his life's goals at 50.

Eight years of guiding tours makes for some great stories.

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is beautiful and I'm very grateful that most of the streets and large avenues are one-way only which makes crossing them less of a life-threatening affair at crosswalks. It also keeps traffic moving in a very steady flow. 

It's been a week since we arrived in Argentina and it already feels like we've been here for much longer. I suppose part of that is because we have fallen into a routine, albeit a very short lived one as it is going to change the week after next when our Spanish classes end and we take off to Uruguay. Buenos Aires has become surprisingly cool in the evenings over the week and as much as it is a welcome sensation to not fall asleep in a puddle of your own sweat but to a cool breeze I must say that I much prefer a hot summer night on a patio than a windy one. I guess you can't have it all and I shouldn't complain. People in Canada are bundling up to go outside as I write this and I'm having a pity parade because I have to wear a cardigan to protect myself from a breeze as I walk the streets in flip-flops at night.

Our neighbourhood is called Almagro and it is an urban working class barrio (neighborhood). Walking around the first night we discovered one of the best bars in the city around the corner, El Banderin. Our second night we came across a milonga down the street and then there was that time we discovered the tango school on the other corner. So all said, we live in a very convenient neighbourhood that feels a little different from the higher class streets of Palermo and Recoleta. Yes, there is an abandoned building right next to ours and then there is the matter of the garbage and dog poo right outside the abandoned building but that is a small price to pay for being generally immersed in a Porteño (this is what Buenos Airens are called) neighbourhood.

Some times you need a laugh

Today is one of those days. I love antics. Especially when it involves these two:


And this chat truly is their best work.