the alarm went off a 6 this morning, way too damn early, good thing i had the backup set for 6:15...
Got grogggily out of bed and checked the buquebus website on the ferry schedules for today, darn, they were all booked for teh 830 rapido ferry, just my luck, i get to sleep for another hour.
got up again, got ready and headed to the corner for coffee, its now 9am so i've got a few hours before i need to get to the ferry terminal to catch the 1230 ferry to Colonia uraguay. after getting my cafe con leche (expresso with cream) i started to make my way down avenue de mayo, fully expecting to just hail a cab to take me there, but to also enjoy the sights of the city on a bright and sunny friday morning. after passing the large blvd there was a side street that was all pedistrian and had locals set up with knick knacks and junk on blankets for sale. I took advantage of the time i had to peruse the junk and of course didn't buy anything and continued on walking, to what i think was the financial district, surrounded by large buildings and bank after bank i saw that the buildings ended at one point, meaning there was either a ghetto or water on the otherside.
I was lucky, there was water, when i took the last corner there standing in front of me was the buquebus terminal, not this place makes most airline terminals look like shit. it was large, clean, open air, and the waiting areas were very clean with confortable seats. If this was a clue as to what was to come with the ferry, i was in for a very pleasant suprise.
While waiting for tickets i met a nice american couple from florida, they were on holiday and were enjoying buenos aires as much as I was.
After puchasing tickets, getting checked in, i still had a couple hours, the walk to the terminal didn't take nearly as long as i thought it would so i had some time to kill, while i was getting ready to step out, i decided that breakfast was in order, so a large cofee and a couple of empanada's was just what i needed. While waiting i ran into a couple from chicago. Matt and (sorry can't remember her name), a software salesman and nurse in the chicago area. we began talking and headed into the cafeteria together, enjoying good conversation on some of the places we had been, some of the things we had seen, and of course our feelings and thoughts on buenos aires.
I was very pleased that they were allowing me to tag along with them, it was nice to have some people to talk to, especially after travelling solo.
Once on the ferry we saw that there was also a cafeteria, and a duty free shop, no shit...a duty free shop on a 1 hour ferry, what will they think of next.
Once in colonia it was a nice sunny friday. the city itself is a tourist attraction, there is not much else to do there. streets lined with old buildings and cafe's stretching to the street. Uraguay is a pennisula, so there is water surrounding everything, and in colonia it was no different.
Once we got into the city Matt was determined to rent a golf cart, repeating over and over its only 35 five dollars....Matt's girlfriend, the sensible one of the group at this point reminded him that much beer would be involved today so the while it was a good idea now, later it might not be the best of idea's.
we stopped at a small cafe, ordered a couple of uraguain (sp) cervasa's (two 1 litre bottles i think) some empanada's and enjoyed the sun and the view of the sea behind us. there was a couple of dogs here and there, and te german shepard that was following us decided to ditch us for someone who was actually going to give him food, no kidding, once we hit the main street form the port this dog followed us for almost 10 blocks.
while we were enjoying the beers, a datchusand was hanging around the tables, a nice little brown dog, we shared a little with him, nice calm little dog.
the beers were gone, and we were ready to explore, i unfortunately did not allow myself a lot of time, opting for the 430 return, while matt and company were heading back at 830.
after exploring a few more blocks i headed back to the ferry terminal, not realizing thats its beena while since i last drank and was feeling a little drunk, not a bad place to be, but one that i would continue on for the remainder of the evening.
Back in BA i told myself that i'm going to catch a cab from the terminal to the hostel...that did not happen, after reading that it was wise to walk a cople blocks from the "tourist" areas to catch a cab so as not to get taken advantage of i started walking, and before i knew it i was back at avenue de mayoo and said to hell with it, if i'm this far i might as well walk all the way home...it was an enjoyable walk, the air was not too cold and it the drunk i was having made it move a little bit faster.
making it safely back home with the carton of cigarettes i picked up in the duty free, camel light naturals, i sat down, got things put back away and decided that dinner was the appropriate next step. knowing that there was a resturaunt on the corner i headed the 2 minutes it takes to get on the elevator and walk in there front door, there i ordered another steak, and it was tasty and a bottle of wine....
With the steak gone and the wine bottle empty it was time to head back.
i had one hell of a drunk on so that meant it was time for bed...tomorrow ehvid is going to take me somewhere, i don't remember where but i think to one of the outdoor markets. I also need to ask him about river platte football tickets, matt had mentioned that they were trying to go to that game, and with sunday possibly being my last day in bueno's aires i think that would be a nice way to spend it.
chow....
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