Tienes que ir

The words from the lady in the tourist centre in Colonia were stuck in my mind. You have to go, tienes que ir, to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. I didn't make the time to go when I was in Colonia last week. It was a challenge enough to get there that I wanted to stay put, thanks very much. That said, my 'FOMO' still kept me wondering about the city.

While I'd originally planned on spending the full week in BA, I opted to 'pop over' to Montevideo for a couple of days mid-week to satisfy my curiosity. Javier is from Montevideo so I knew I'd have a guide and wouldn't be stuck in the touristy spots. It's so much easier to get a feel for a place with local guides.

It's 'only' three hours by boat but the Buquebus company makes the check-in and customs fairly painless. Besides, there's wifi on board. I could easily waste that time in an Internet cafe! Sad but true. Might as well be en-route somewhere.

Montevideo is a capital city but it's a fairly small one. It felt like a town compared to Buenos Aires which was actually refreshing. There were only eight attractions listed in the Frommer's online guide but there's so much more to the city!

The hotel,

and the view from the balcony.

I met Javier for dinner at this funky pub called Matteo (after some famous Uruguayan singer) in his neighborhood. Good food and great music. All good.

The old city gate by night.