expat shuffle

(Saturday, February 14, 2009)
it's almost been three months that i've been in Argentina. my 3 month tourist visa is about to expire, so to get a new one, like most expats, i took a day trip to Colonia, Uruguay. Uruguay is just 1 hour by boat.

at 10am my friend an i met and took the colectivo to the "buquebus" boat terminal. it was a really nice building, very modern with one wall all glass that looks out onto the buenos aires sky line.for a saturday the line was short. we checked in, went upstairs, then went through customs where they looked at our passports and then we got on the boat.

the boat was very nice. it had rows of '1st class looking' seats. there was a small cafeteria and a duty free.

we arrived in colonia at 12:30 (we departed at 11:30). the town was so charming. it's quiet, almost all roads are cobble stone, there are trees lining most streets and the buildings seem to be well maintained and some painted colorfully. it looks like a town in the Caribbean.

we walked around, took some photos, had some lunch then some ice cream. we both ordered caesar salad for lunch, but both were aware that it would come out not so caesar salad looking. we were right. the dressing was yellow and could have been mustard? i just opted for the vinegar and oil. my ice cream was perfect though: a scoop of coconut and a scoop of pina colada.






(photo below: school children's uniforms)




(photo below: this is the river, not the ocean. there is a lot of silt in the water...making it brown)
at 4pm we headed back for the boat terminal. went through customs, got our new 3 month tourist visa, got on the boat and fell asleep for the ride home.

this could have been one of the best valentines day i had...and not because there was someone romantic in my life. it's because it's not celebrated like it is in the states. i think there is a lot of pressure in the states 'to have someone' to spend this day with. if you don't you're made to feel bad for yourself. here, the flower stand had a v-day sign and i saw one advertisement in the newspaper for v-day, but that was it. no pressure of "what did you get" "what will you do". it was just a day. for me, yesterday was a very good day and not because i did anything romantic

yesterday was 92 degrees and sunny. i loved walking around colonia; it's so charming and quite. i can't wait to go back with my first visitor. i want stay a little longer and rent a mini dune buggy or maybe a moped?