Unpacking Uruguay: Getting to Know a South American Gem (Part 2 of 3) - Argentina Interlude
After an uneventful flight, I landed in Buenos Aires late Sunday morning. Upon clearing immigration and preparing to go into the city, I immediately noticed the most stark difference between Buenos Aires and Montevideo. While Montevideo is a large city with plenty of life, Buenos Aires is simply on a different level. Seeing four lanes of packed highway traffic in both directions on a Sunday was the first indication that there would be a lot more happening in Buenos Aires- and that assumption was largely correct. Despite not having been reopened much longer than Uruguay, Argentina was up and running full throttle.
A common refrain about Argentina is that it feels “very European”, especially in Buenos Aires. This is a point of pride, or mocking, depending on who you ask. However, the similarities in architecture and overall vibe were indeed reminiscent of Paris. With regard to any similarities to North America, there was definitely a hint of New York City in my opinion. That being said, Buenos Aires has an aesthetic and energy that is all its own, being neither an imitation nor easily replicated.
My hotel was located in Retiro, near the theatre and tango district. This was a nice homebase, with its proximity to many touristic sites and just generally being a place with a lot of action. Walking around the neighborhood on a Sunday afternoon, I got so caught up in the urban charm that I neglected to take any pictures - except for one. While I was attempting to log on to public WiFi, I found some paid options, including one optimized for Tinder. I guess Telecentro identified a “just need WiFi to swipe right” market and went after it.
Tinder is essential, I suppose…
From there, I made my way to Palermo for a wine tasting at the Miravida Soho Hotel & Wine Bar. I was very much looking forward to this as Argentina is a wine country and I am a wine enthusiast. This tasting did not disappoint. I joined four fellow Americans in sampling a nice array of Argentine reds and whites, accompanied by delicious tapas, cheese, and fruits. The highlight of the tasting was trying Torrontes, a white sparkling wine from Mendoza that combines the characteristics from all of my favorite white wines. Light, crisp, and slightly sweet, Torrontes has a distinctive flavor that compliments a wide array of foods, while also standing on its own. The tasting was a success and I would highly recommend it. Fortunately, my local Total Wine carries both a Torrontes from Mendoza and one from Uruguay for whenever I need a quick mental visit to the region!
I didn’t get a great picture of the wine, but who cares about the photos when you’re having a good time?
During lockdown, I got to know Argentina a little through my Sling TV South America subscription. Unsurprisingly, Argentina is a stylish country. Thus, I was hoping to get a little shopping in while I was there. To shop in Argentina given its somewhat volatile inflation situation, it is recommended to withdraw some cash at the beginning of your trip to maximize the value of your currency and avoid relatively high fees from credit cards. I was advised to get cash at Western Union. Spoiler alert: this wasn’t all that necessary for a two-day trip as US dollars go a long way in Argentina, even considering fees.
Nonetheless, I went to Western Union, keeping in mind my shopping goals. I was hoping maybe to get some pants, a belt, and shoes, as well as pay for my meals and snacks. I figured $200 would be a reasonable amount to withdraw. So, I stood in line and awaited the equivalent amount of Argentine pesos. I did not expect two tall stacks of bills that would be way more than I could carry on my person. The Western Union agent noticed my surprise and had a nice laugh about it. Thus, I had to go back to my hotel room and store much of my bounty in the safe. And after all that - I didn’t end up going shopping as I didn’t find great shopping opportunities within a short walk from my hotel. So, while cash may be king in Argentina, there are practicality considerations to keep in mind.
(Another note about that: I was only able to successfully spend about half of that cash. When I got back to Uruguay, I searched for the best exchange rate, but it was clear from the exchange clerks that they did not enjoy exchanging Argentine pesos. I ended up losing a little over half of what I had spent on the remainder of that cash.)
Having spent way too much time dealing with the money situation, I now embarked on a guided city tour from Signature Tours. This was a fantastic tour that exceeded expectations.
Traversing through the sites of Buenos Aires with fantastic storytelling and admirable efficiency, my tourmates and I were able to see the Plaza de Mayo (political center of the country), San Telmo, the bright buildings of La Boca, La Bombonera (soccer stadium of the Boca Juniors, an important team in Maradona’s career), and Recoleta Cemetery (burial place of Evita) before ending in the modern international neighborhood of Puerto Madero (see gallery below). Fully satisfied by the ground covered by this tour, I ended that part of my day with a lunch of beef milanesa, one of the must-have dishes when visiting Argentina.
Before continuing my day, I would need to get a Covid test. As I mentioned in my last blog, I had to test roughly every other day. In this case, I would need to have one to return to Uruguay. As luck would have it, my hotel had arranged with a medical service to allow guests to have their tests done in-room. In theory, this was very convenient. The nurse administered the test (which, in Argentina, involved both a nose swab and a mouth swab) and let me know that she could send me the result via WhatsApp. So, I waited, and waited a bit more, just to find out that the testing service phoned my negative result to the front desk, who didn’t inform me until I asked. Arrrgghh- the lesson here is that it always pays to stay proactive.
Having lost a fair chunk of the afternoon time I planned to use for shopping and swimming, I prepared for my next activity, which was a Tango show with dinner at Cafe de Los Angelitos. Unsurprisingly, while both Montevideo and Buenos Aires take Tango seriously, Buenos Aires is all business with its dance productions (of which there are many to choose). Whereas the Tango/Candombe show in Montevideo was fun, educational, and very well-performed, this show carried a more serious, dramatic, and sensual vibe while being equally well-performed. I was enthralled by the storytelling, set and costume design, and skilled performances on the stage (and I’m typically a bit lukewarm toward dramatic dance productions). From dinner to dessert to the show, Cafe de Los Angelitos was top notch.
Behind the curtain was some of the most beautiful dancing that I have ever seen.
With that, my time in Buenos Aires was drawing to a close. I would head back to Uruguay the next morning to spend some time in Pocitos and then rent a car to spend some time in Punta del Este. It is important to know that there are two ferry services connecting Uruguay and Argentina: Buquebus and Colonia Express. Buquebus runs a high-speed ferry between Buenos Aires and Montevideo. Colonia Express offers a ferry between Buenos Aires and Colonia del Sacramento, with connecting bus service to Montevideo. I had booked on Buquebus and arranged a taxi to pick me up from my hotel to take me to the ferry.
Despite the assurances of the desk clerk, it became clear that my taxi wasn’t coming after having waited 15 minutes past the agreed-upon time. The desk clerk realized this and found me another cab… which proceeded to drop me off at Colonia Express. With no time to make my Buquebus reservation, I bought the earliest possible ticket for Colonia Express and made the best of it. After settling on the boat, I spent whatever Argentine Pesos I could at the ferry’s canteen. Upon arriving back in Uruguay, I cleared immigration quickly and got on the bus. While I would have rather had more time in Montevideo, I enjoyed seeing the rural countryside between Colonia and Montevideo, where there are indeed more cows than people.
For this part of the journey, I stayed on the Pocitos/Malvin border. With yet another Montevideo tour cancellation, I had free time where I was able to stroll the Rambla in this section of the city. My initial impressions of a beachy, relaxed part of the city held up. Beach volleyball, sunbathing, and a pleasant breeze colored the atmosphere and I truly felt that I could never grow tired of that. I felt sad that I wouldn’t have more time in Pocitos (but I’ll take care of this on my next trip). In the vein of being a tourist, I did end my night at Hard Rock Cafe, conveniently located across the street from my hotel.
For my last full day in Uruguay, I rented a car (a Honda WR-V, a model unavailable in the US and Europe) and headed toward Punta Del Este. I spent the day relaxing on the beach and contemplating life. While driving in Uruguay was pretty easy and comfortable, I was hesitant to go out in the city that night as I wasn’t sure where to go as a solo traveler (I was staying a couple of beach towns over). However, the next morning, I made my way to Punta Del Este.
Punta Del Este is divine. It feels part South Florida and part what I imagine the South of France is like. With high-rise buildings, cute shops and restaurants, tranquil beaches, and delightful beachside art similar to Montevideo, Punta Del Este immediately passed the vibe check. Parking is easy and the streets are calm and safe. For The Amazing Race fans out there, I was able to get pictures at Los Dedos! The best part was lunch at the eclectic and bohemian Rustic Resto Bar, where my steak and mashed potatoes were the best meal I had during my entire stay (see my note on Uruguayan food).
Los Dedos on a slightly chilly shoulder season day.
From there, it was off to the airport for one last Covid test and my return flight to the US. It was a bittersweet moment. Despite having a bit of a slipshod itinerary, I enjoyed my time in the Southern Cone and felt that I really had only scratched the surface of the things that made it vibe for me. Having missed out on some of the things I really wanted to do such as exploring Colonia del Sacramento and attending a football game, I knew I would have to come back. Moreover, Uruguay and Argentina were both very inviting. In part three of this series, I will write about my return to Montevideo and a true digital nomad experiment in Uruguay.
Have you been to Uruguay? What were your thoughts? What other cities and attractions should I visit?
Notes:
Uruguay does not have the most diverse food scene. Uruguayan food is fine, but in many places, it seems to be limited to meat and potatoes or pizza and pasta. Many types of international cuisines are limited. It seemed like there is an aversion to salt, perhaps related to a public health campaign?
That said, food delivery is pretty easy. I used PedidosYa, a Uruguayan food delivery app, as well as the Colombian-born Rappi.
During this visit, I found it very hard to use an American credit card on the delivery apps. This seems not to be the case as of my last visit. Similarly, when withdrawing cash from the ATM, I first had to withdraw US dollars, pay a fee, and then exchange them for Uruguayan pesos (and I think pay another fee). I don’t know if that’s standard, but it was my experience in 2022.
I can’t emphasize enough how the last-minute nature of the trip plus the country reopening from Covid made planning activities more difficult. While I was able to adjust and think on the fly, Uruguay is a challenging place to just show up and find things to do. Luckily, beaches require little forethought and the selection of activities on TripAdvisor and Viator has become more robust in the last couple of years.
People in Uruguay are generally kind, but can be more reserved. The overall vibe is mellower than what you might expect.
I’ll talk more about safety in part three. For now, I’ll say that Montevideo was pretty safe on average, but there are parts to avoid. Punta Del Este is generally very safe.
It really helps to be comfortable speaking Spanish in Uruguay. There are some English speakers. Hotel desk clerks usually speak English and there are also a few immigrants from the UK and US scattered about. It’s also notable that Uruguayans and people from the Buenos Aires region speak a dialect of Spanish called rioplatense or River Plate. You might notice here some vocabulary words are different, but the most noticeable distinction is the “sh” sound made in words with double L’s (i.e. parrilla, the word for grill is pronounced “par-ee-sha”).
