Colonia, fotografías, y comida

Hola todos,

Today I went on a day trip to Colonia, Uruguay! =) It was the first time I've ever traveled to another country by boat. It felt so romantic to step onto the dock of another country!

My friends had warned me that there isn't a whole lot to Colonia... And in fact, the tour that was included with my "day trip" package could definitely have been skipped. But despite the town's shortage of rich historical anecdotes, it is really a beautiful place. And I'm glad I went today! I sat by the sea for about an hour in the sun, looked at the traditional blue and white ceramics in some shops (along with some modern art), and walked along the beautiful avenues. =)

Here are some pictures from my trip: 

Here is a relieve of the Uruguayan seal. It's similar to the Argentinian flag!

This sculpture was in a church. It's similar to the sculptures I've been seing at museums in Buenos Aires (which unfortunately prohibit photos). I can recognize the Spanish influence in it, having seen so much other Spanish colonial art! Portugal and Spain both colonized Uruguay alternately for hundreds of years, which also heavily influenced its ceramic industry's style.

Here is one of Colonia's typical residential streets! You can see a blue and white ceramic address marker on the wall; a yellow lantern (farolito), which can be found all around the city; and lots of flowers and brightly colored houses. =)

More beautiful foliage and houses. I love all the green in this picture. =)

Más casas y farolitos. More houses and lanterns. =)

This street reminded me of Buenos Aires because of the advertisements plastered up and the tiled sidewalk. I like the Coca-Cola ad on the kiosko. =)

This is an old stone path.

This is a Portuguese fountain from 18th century (if I'm not mistaken).

Ramos Generales. (The General Store.)

This was my lunch (included in the day trip). Asado and traditional salad with lettuce, onion, and tomato (that's a typical salad in Argentina, too). Yum! As you can see (from the dictionary), I'm still busy studying Spanish! =)

The sign says "Hay agua caliente / We have hot water." The hot water is for mate (the tea I wrote about a few entries ago). Uruguayos carry thermoses most places they go so they can drink mate at their leisure. =)

As I mentioned, it was a beautiful day today and I sat and watched the water for about an hour. After my relaxation (and also, I'm sure, because of all the art I've been seeing), I felt inspired to experiment with photography! These next photos are artistic experiments, lol. Hope you enjoy!

And now, back to Buenos Aires! Here are some pictures from the last week or so. ¡Me encanta esta ciudad! I really love this city! =)

I love this little spray-painted guy. =) 

I've been frustrated with my new camera... The lighting in my photos is wacky, and I have to hold the camera really still for things not to turn out blurry. Sometimes, though, like in the photo above, the colors end up looking pretty cool. =)

More cute graffiti guys.

Fede and I tried to go to Friday's on Halloween. Neither of us had been to the one in Buenos Aires. Usually the waitstaff here wear ridiculous Uncle Sam-style hats and glittery red-white-and-blue attire (I've seen them through the window), but on Halloween they were wearing scary costumes! It was packed, though, and Fede needed to study, so we decided to go to McDonald's instead — my first truly American-style meal in 3 months! lol. The regular menu is the same (except more limited) than it is in the US. The only difference is that kids have the option of ordering baby tomatoes instead of fries. Some differences, though, are that the desserts are sold in a separate area, as is the coffee. And just take a look at this McCafé! Flavored, syruped, cinnamoned coffee in real glasses, soda (carbonated water), and two tiny cookies (which you'll just have to imagine on the little white plate because Fede and I ate them immediately). They also sell a variety of pastries, one of which (chocolate-covered wafery stuff and dulce de leche) is pictured here. They also serve hot water for tea in real tea pots. Yummm....

This is a neopolitano (tomato, cheese, and basil) pizza and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Yum again!

 

And finally, here's a picture of my second favorite Argentinian food (after empanadas): milanesa! Breaded pork (or chicken, or spinach). Fede and I eat it with spicy sauce he got from Mexico. Chili powder doesn't exist here. =(

Hope you enjoyed! And that I can eventually retire in Colonia! =)

¡Chau, amigos!

Kaeli