This morning we enjoyed a very nice full breakfast buffet in the Hotel Balmoral dining room and then met our guide, Mirta, and began our drive north to the colonial town of Colonia, site for the first settlement in Uruguay. As we traveled north the countryside got a bit greener and the hills were dotted with small farms and a few villages. As we departed Montevideo we saw some of the really poor neighborhoods that had been discussed earlier.
We reached Colonia on the banks of the Rio del Plata once again and were surprised to be able to see Buenos Aires far off in the distance. Colonia is only one hour by ferry from Buenos Aires however we were glad we had a chance to visit Montevideo, even if for just one day.
Colonia is a small city of about 100,000 people and we spent our entire visit in the historic section. Mirta gave us a very nice overview walking tour before introducing us to our upscale hotel, Hotel La Mision. With only twelve rooms we took over the place and the rooms and staff were absoltuley delightful. After checking in we went to a local cafe on the main square for a great lunch and chat with the owner, an Italian fellow who was quite animated and full of great spirit. Afterwards we wandered the historic sector on our own and visited museums, shops, and climbed the watch tower.
We gathered once again in the late evening for dinner on the beach at a small cafe with amazing views of the water and the sunset. Then it was off to bed for four hours of sleep. Tomorrow will be a VERY LONG day.
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