Colonia del Sacramento

And the next day continues with the completion of the formalities. However, the visit to the Grimaldi shipping company was not really successful. The port fees are constantly changing, so the final price is only determined shortly before the arrival of the ship. And as everywhere else, no payment, no documents. At least we found out that the ship will arrive on the 18th, or 19th, or 20th, or.... Another lesson in the art of deceleration.

After the initial disappointment, we decided to enjoy the unplanned time in Montevideo and Uruguay, and planned to take a trip to the absolute must-see and highlight, Colonia del Sacramento, the next day (January 10th). As true globetrotters, we didn't take the luxury option offered by the hotel for $75 per person, but opted for the public bus. So, wake up at 6:30 am without breakfast and take the bus to the bus station. Have a quick coffee there and eat a soggy ham and cheese toast, and off we go on the 2.5 hour journey to Colonia. The intercity bus is comfortable and fortunately air-conditioned. Overall, the public transport network here is well organized and affordable. The trip cost about €45 for both ways... can't complain about that. Colonia is not located by the sea like Montevideo, but by the Rio de la Plata, and on top of that in a kind of hollow - not advantageous in temperatures over 30°C. Maybe it was the sultry heat or maybe the expectations were just too high - but the tiny old town, packed with restaurants, cafes, souvenir stands, and Argentine day tourists, was not worth the effort for us. Nevertheless, we sweated our way through the alleys, over the old city walls, and into Uruguay's oldest church, the Iglesia Matriz from 1680, and took some photos.

After half a day in Colonia del Sacramento in sweltering heat, we were glad to be back in the air-conditioned bus driving through occasionally very monotonous landscapes towards Montevideo.