A Busy Afternoon in Colonia

Fast Ferry for a Big River

 

 

 

 

With some early morning haze in the air, we were a little surprised to find out that the river between BA and Uruguay is too wide to see from one side to the other. The fast ferry, a serious vessel with capacity for hundreds of tourists and commuters and some number of cars and trucks, crosses the 25 or so miles in a little under an hour. And there is the excitement of customs and immigration control, which is all handled on the Buenos Aires side for both Argentina and Uruguay when leaving Argentina and on the Colonia side for both countries on the return. The crossing is part of the fun, comfortable, reasonably efficient and an opportunity to look up and down the river.

Colonia -A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Colonia is mostly for tourists. The dominant view is of the classic lighthouse. It is a walking town with a a ring of restaurants and “bistros” ringing the plaza. It comes across as a well preserved 100 year old with some decent photo galleries and shops. Its easy to have a good time here for a few hours, there are plenty of good photo ops and the adventure of walking along old cobblestone streets and walks. We even came across what looked like a moat and drawbridge as we approached the wall of the old city.

The Fast Ferry

The Old Port - Puerto Madero

BA from the Delta

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That Old River with the Color of the Lion

With these words Jorge Luis Borges defined the huge Río de la Plata. 

We left after an early breakfast to wind through Buenos Aires morning traffic for almost an hour before we got to our launch point for a day trip. Still called the “Tigre” for the jaguars that ruled the area a hundred years ago, the modern name is the ”Delta of the Parana River”, referring to the islands and streams that the Parana River has deposited over the years as it joins the Rio de la Plata.  

Welcome to Gato Blanco Ristorante

This is just far enough from the city to be relaxing, a different world with nothing taller than the treetops. We stopped at a great restaurant with a cruise up dock – I don’t see how anyone could get near this place by car. Exotic, but still comfortable. it made for a nice and very leisurely lunch

Buenos Aires by Water

Motoring back along the river you get a new insight on Buenos Aires. This is a seaport and the water approach proves it, with cranes galore and a long look at the skyline of the city stretched out for miles. This was a totally enjoyable, low key day.

  Tango For Tourists

 Learn the Tango Today

Buenos Aires has its own rhythm. Coffee and some exploration in the morning. For some people, a substantial lunch for the first half of the afternoon. A substantial lunch includes the Minimum Daily Requirement of Malbec and a meal that includes beef. Our group squeezed in tango lessons for 20, something that is readily available in the right sections of BA. This is just like the movies. The tango dancers dress in black and a little white. The guys look suitable macho and nimble. The girls are terrific dancers and a little dangerous with 4 inch stiletto heels and some very acrobatic back kicks.

And they got most of us up to try ourselves. With about a half hour of group lessons and a strong partner you could almost believe you could do the tango.

The Dinner Hour Starts at 9 or 10 or Later

The first couple of nights we went out to eat we wondered why the restaurants were almost deserted when we showed up. I took us a day or so to figure out that this was a Mediterranean lifestyle – 10PM  was a perfectly normal time for Argentineans to start thinking about dinner. Restaurants were just filling up when we were finishing our coffee and desert. There must be a late afternoon nap that is part of the lifestyle, because many of the people are just getting started when I’m ready to give up and go to bed around midnight.

It Must Be the Hat!

Start with Your Right Foot

We are on a first time trip to Buenos Aires, then on to Bariloche and Mendoza in Argentina, finishing in Santiago, Chile. We used a bunch of AMEX points to get the airfare from Delta, way better than paying cash. The flight was long, 11 hours from Atlanta, and the connections were exciting – there were enough thunderstorms in Atlanta that we weren’t sure we would make it. Our 4 hour Atlanta connection window shrank to an hour and a half, but we made it. So, once again, it pays to pad these connections on international flights.

This was an overnight flight, so we arrived a bit groggy. But we were in almost the same time zone – Argentina is on “bermuda time” – one hour ahead of the US east coast during daylight savings time.

The Alvear Palace Hotel

The business part of the trip took place at the Alvear Palace Hotel, which has to be one of the best hotels we have ever stayed in. It’s the prestige place in BA, on the main shopping street. There are concierges, waiters, even butlers looking to be of service. While it sounds a little bit “old line” – we found out it is be popular with the young and beautiful in Buenos Aires - models and people who like to be around models and can afford the tab.

Alvear Palace Hotel - best in Buenos Aires

The Alvear Palace hits the mark with all the extra things I need on the road. A good gym. A spa where you can get a massage after a long flight. And an excellent breakfast with plenty of good coffee.