I heart Colonia

A US citizen with a visitor’s visa in Argentina can only live here for three months at a time without leaving the country. The simple solution for leaving the country is to visit Argentina’s neighbor, Uruguay. Many expats view Colonia, Uruguay as nothing more than the place they had to visit to renew their visa, though some find the beauty in the small town. Kelly and I weren’t sure what to expect when we boarded the early morning ferry and crossed the ocean for the day on May 26.

Colonia is an uneventful 45-minute boat ride from Buenos Aires and, appropriately, an uneventful city. It’s the oldest city in Uruguay and is known for the historic buildings lining cobblestone streets. For me it will forever be known as a quaint, picturesque town providing the perfect break from the busy, dog-shit streets of Buenos Aires where I got to enjoy the ocean, wander aimlessly through colorful streets and exchange smiles with friendly locals.

Our natural instinct was to walk toward the water – after exchanging our Argentine pesos to Uruguayan pesos and drinking coffee, of course. We spent the day following the coast along the edge of the historic district, taking pictures of the scenery and engaging in casual conversation with street vendors. We even made new friends from Florida while dangling our feet off the edge of the pier. It could have been the ocean or the obvious historical significance, but Colonia reminded me of a Spanish-speaking combination of St. Augustine and Stuart, Fla.

At the end of our seven hours in Uruguay I had a handmade leather bracelet from Paul (a street vendor), a camera full of photographs, renewed confidence in the kindness of South Americans, new friends and a deep appreciation and love for Colonia, Uruguay.