03 October 2008

Uruguay


Last weekend I went to Uruguay with friends from school.  We took a very plush one hour ferry ride across the Rio Plato to Colonia, Uruguay and spent the day walking, walking, and walking some more.  Colonia is a small, coastal, tourist town that is very quaint.  We had a great time developing friendships and cultivating new ones.  We walked 7 km to see a bull ring that was only used once.  It was built to hold 6,000 people, but 9,000 people showed up on the first fight.  It wasn't built well enough, so after the first fight, the infrastructure was so bad that it could never be safely used again.  It seems like such a waste, but it was a beautiful structure.   


After a day in Colonia, five of us took a 3 hour bus ride to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.  We showed up at our hostel to find a clean, friendly place full of travelers.  After a quick dinner for our vegetarian friend, we returned to the hostel where they were having an asado.  Now, growing up in San Diego, I have had my fair share of carne asado and man is it fantastic, but I must say this asado was so good, albeit different.  We shared a few beers, had perfectly cooked steak with chimichurri, potatoes, and salad.  I sat next to a guy from Guadalajara, Mexico who is a music producer.  He "forced" my to speak Spanish to him despite his perfect English and was very patient as I searched for words and butchered his language.  We met people who were halfway through their trip to travel the world and experience all that the world has to offer.  I'm so jealous of and inspired by everyone who gets to travel the world... but I suppose if I'm really honest, I'm one of them too. 

The following morning we took a 4 hour tour of Montevideo in Spanish.  I was proud to say that I understood 90% of what was being said (when I was listening).  After our tour, Cyr and Daiver, my extended relatives picked me and 2 of my friends up for lunch and another tour.  We went to a small, family owned Italian restaurant for fantastic pasta.  Even though I haven't seen Cyr and Daiver in 10 or 11 years, it was like we picked up where we left off.  And in case you want to know what I looked like 11 years ago, apparently I look exactly the same.  :-)  After a long cup of coffee at the bus station and great conversation, we took another 3 hour bus ride back to Colonia where we had another hour long ferry ride back to Buenos Aires and then 2 short bus rides to a place where we could catch a taxi.  It was a very full weekend and I was exhausted when I returned, but after a long shower, I became overwhelmed with the goodness of people and life.  I'm here, on the other side of the world, and I'm so lucky to be doing this.  I had spent the day with family who aren't "real" family and am beyond blessed by their generosity.  I get to learn a language that I've loved for 15 years and get to meet some of the coolest people ever.  I have a family and friends who adore me and I'm seriously one of the luckiest girls alive.  

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

So the people in the world are the same where ever you may be.
What a fantisric education you are getting.