Summer Vacation Part 3...Buenos Aires and Uruguay

The day after I took my mom to the airport, I was heading back there for my very first trip by myself!

I was very nervous but excited about my trip to Buenos Aires. I have always wanted to go to this city and heard such wonderful things about it, but I was a bit nervous traveling solo. I minored in Spanish in college, but to be honest I forgot most of it. Pathetic, I know, but I haven't used it much and I forget things quickly. I was also a little worried about things getting stolen at the hostel. I'm so glad I did not chicken out because I absolutely loved the experience and felt so liberated! The hostel turned out to be fine. I stayed in a four bed girl room which made me feel safer. I used the locker to lock up all my personal items and all was well with the world :)

So let's talk money...I knew I could get a better exchange rate if I went down the touristy Florida Street but  I still wanted to exchange some money for a taxi from the airport and a little extra to spare. I was unable to get Argentina Pesos at two of the exchange places in Porto Alegre so I exchanged my Brazilian money for American dollars. It actually worked out better for me because I got an amazing exchange rate on Florida Street.

Here's how it went down....I was walking down the street trying to find a place to exchange my money. I found two legit stores but they were only exchanging at the regular 6% and I didn't feel comfortable exchange with some random man on the street yelling "Cambio! Cambio!" So I just kept on walking down there until I saw a small little strip mall. I went in and asked the guard if there was a cambio place in there and then a janitor led me down the hall and around the corner to a small store that looked like a travel agenc where I was able to get an exchange rate of 13% (unheard of! No one else at the hostel got over 11) Even though I checked the money there to make sure it wasn't fake, my excitement grew to nervousness which grew to panic on my walk home. Although I held my breath every time I paid for something, it was all real! :)

Anyway, Buenos Aires is a beautiful city and I'm looking forward to returning one day. My favorite neighborhood was San Telmo because of the old buildings and streets. I loved the feel and character of the place. There is so much to see and do there. There were some great restaurants (yes, food with some spice again! Amen!) and bars. Each neighborhood of the city had its own special feel to it. The metro made it easy to get around too! Here are a few highlights from my trip to Buenos Aires!

Sunday afternoon in San Telmo watching some tango in the streets!

Sunday afternoon in San Telmo - delicious street food

Sunday Market in San Telmo

I bought two pairs of cute sandals for 70 pesos each....less than US $7! I also bought a leather purse for less than US$15. I felt like I was stealing!

Recoleta Cemetery

Avenida de Julio - one of the widest streets in the world. They say you can't make it across in one light. Since I walked across this street every day, I obviously learned how quickly I needed to walk and if I lightly jogged the last few steps I would make it across in one light! Success! :)

The view from the rooftop of my hostel! 

El Ateneo - an old theater converted into a book store

I took two tango classes here!

La Boca with some friends from the hostel 

After a week in Buenos Aires, I headed to Montevideo, Uruguay and met up with some friends from school. Montevideo was a clean and pretty city, but I was happy to only spend 2 days there. I'm not sure if it was because the city was dead due to people traveling to beaches for the summer or that we were there on Sunday and Monday, but it was definitely not my favorite city.

Montevideo

We then took a bus to Punta del Este, one of Uruguay's most well-known beaches. Punta del Este is an upscale beach town with many high rise buildings, expensive summer houses and stores. I enjoyed my time there, but learned I prefer the smaller beach town feel. :)

Punta del Este

Punta del Este

We rented a car which was nice because we were able to travel around and really check out the area...especially since the weather was chilly and rainy...not good for lying on the beach! Next day we took the car and drove to Cabo Polonio for a day trip since it was raining. It is inside the national park with no road access (except for the 4x4 we took through the sand), There are "hostels" there where you can stay out on the sand dunes, but there is no electricity or running water. Although it is very peaceful, I'm not sure I would enjoy that! We did find some seal lions relaxing on some rocks and were able to sit and watch them for awhile before leaving the park. 

Cabo Polonio:

After my friends left, I changed my plans and left Uruguay early and headed back to Buenos Aires for the final few days of my vacation. After taking a bus from Punta del Este back to Montevideo, I boarded a high speed ferry that took two hours to reach Buenos Aires. You had to wear special booties on your shoes the entire time while on the ship and although you did not have assigned seats (only assigned areas - economy, first class), there were comfortable leather seats to relax in while looking out the window or eating your over priced lunch. :)

I'm so glad I challenged myself and stepped out of my comfort zone again to travel by myself. It was a wonderful experience and I look forward to doing it again sometime soon!