snrtobias

While waiting to go on our rural tourism experience, we hung around the town of Tacuarembo for an evening.  I must admit, it did not leave me wanting to spend 3 days there to get to know it. We had a hard time finding a place to get a beer and something to eat, and the hotel, virtually the only one in town, left something to be desired. There were no gauchos in sight, but lots of people and families riding bicycles and motorbikes. These photos are especially sent with Mindy Shapiro in mind.

We left Montevideo for Tacuarembó on 1-16-09. 

Writing this on Jan 27, 2009

Secret Code

Sitting on the stoop of our cabaña in Andean resort town of Uspallata, where we’ve just settled after driving up from Mendoza. I hope to tell you about the Andes when I get a chance, but don’t count on me to give you a chronological account.

For now this is very relaxing, and I’m recalling this conversation we had back in Colonia, Uruguay on a Saturday evening. This was in a secret code, which fascinated me. It went something like this:

Me, to man sitting at the next table to the one we’d like to occupy in the patio of the Mesón de la Plaza restaurant: ¿No les molesta si nos ubicamos aquí? Okay with you if we sit here?

Man, seventy-ish, with stylishly cared-for seventy-ish companion with the look of a wife: ¡Por favor! And then, in some form of English, Where are you from?

Me: Philadelphia.

And then the basic vacation? Yes, etc. chitchat. Then he: We have come from Buenos Aires on our motorboat.

Me: Oh, you’re from Buenos Aires. (I don’t know, maybe 90 percent of the tourists in Colonia were from Buenos Aires.) (more…)

January 15, 2009

I’ve figured out that Rebecca’s the reporter, but I’m the columnist.  I’m more likely to tell you what I was thinking or feeling than what we did.

 Montevideo, Uruguay. I have loved being in Uruguay so far. We began with three days in Carmelo, then spent three or four days in Colonia, and now we are about to spend our fourth night in Montevideo.

Rebecca in her prior documentation found in a Montevideo tourist booklet a quote from Albert Einstein:

 In Uruguay, I met with an authentic warmth, as I seldom have in my life. There I found love of one’s own land, without any delirium of grandeur. These people, so modest and natural, make you think of the Swiss or the Dutch. The devil take large states with their obsessions. (more…)

 The bus ride from Colonia to Montevideo on 1-12-09 was a comfortable 2.5 hours. The guide books say how comfortable the buses are, and they are right. It is quite a system and can be very luxurious even, with chairs that for all intents and purposes turn into beds. We have not experienced one of those yet, but probably will when we have a longer journey.

We had met a couple in Colonia – Susie and John – who have lived on a boat for 20 years and normally move back and forth from time to time and for some reason I don’t know (probably having to do with time limitations) between Panama and Colombia. They dry-docked their boat in Panama and returned to the United States for a couple of years to earn money. They decided to return to Panama via an excursion to Uruguay, I think because they had heard that many Americans retired there and they wanted to check it out. In any case, they had been in Montevideo and suggested the Klee Hotel. We followed their suggestion and checked into the Klee on Monday afternoon 1/12/09. (Turned out we bumped into them again the next day at the Klee where they were staying prior to catching their flight back to Panama.) The Klee was a comfortable hotel with an ambiance out of the 1970′s. The breakfasts were the best we’d had so far at any of the hotels, and included fruit and a yogurt drink that is popular here, in addition to the regular bread, media lunas, butter and jam.

Quite comfortable, but no hotel stationary.

 I’ve decided that it takes about 3 days to begin to get to know a city. (more…)

6. enero 2009

Tamet, Paraná/ Luján Delta, Provincia de Buenos Aires. Two so very relaxing nights here and such a relaxing day. This is a decaying resort on the Río Carapachay. This is our shakedown lodging. We managed to get our gear here from our apartment in BA, using Colectivo, train to Tigre, and then Lancha, or Launch. I like what we are doing. Rebecca found this place on the Web, and I called and did the reserving in Spanish, speaking with Agosto, who runs this place out of “Night or the Iguana” or Green Mansions” or something. “Take the Lancha called Jilguero and tell lthe marinero to let you off at Tamet. I will meet you at the muelle, the dock. I’m called Agosto.” (more…)

We left Carmelo on January 8, 2009 and took a bus to Colonia del Sacramento, a ride of about 1 1/2 hours.  The bus was pretty comfortable, especially after the conductor complied with Steve’s request to turn off the blaring music.

Colonia  is described in the Lonely Planet as a tourist attraction, and indeed it is.  LP also says that that fact has not affected its charm, and indeed it hasn’t.  The town was settled by Portuguese in 1680 as a way to smuggle goods across the river to Buenos Aires.  In 1762 the Spanish took control of it, apparently for the same reason.  In 1777 tax reforms permitted foreign goods to go directly to Buenos Aires  so I guess that intriguing aspect of the town came to an end.  The historic district is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (more…)

A couple of people have asked what we’re hearing here about the war in Gaza.   This is not exactly something I feel comfortable bringing up with total strangers, and to date only Mario and Horacio, the Jewish guys we met in a BA restaurant brought it up – after they knew we were Jewish.

But they do have newspapers here, and here’s what the papers I looked at say.  (more…)

 Well, this is a pretty good start.  To be continued.  Love, Mom