Colonia, Uruguay

Tengo mucho fantastico tiempo en Colonia, Uruguay. Hay mucho antiguo colonial edificios y mucho bueno vino tinto y comida.

Chris and I crossed over the Rio de la Plata on the slow boat, a three hour ride - we were so tired because we are fast adopting the Argentine culture (and enjoying it I might add) and we had a very late night and a fairly early start to the morning. So we boarded the boat feeling a little jaded, and I didn't even realise we had boarded the boat - I thought we were in a departure lounge...silly billy.

Uruguayans are obsessive mate drinkers. You see the people walking down the street with their mate in their hand and a flask under their arms...there are even leather satchels designed specifically for the purpose of touting around your thermos and mate.

Colonia is a world away from Buenos Aires in terms of hustle and bustle. It has a very relaxed atmosphere and a very laid-back ambience. I loved this town. It is now a UNESCO world protected site. The quality of its very old architecture is stunning and I just couldn't take my eyes of the beautiful buildings and cobbled streets. The people are also very friendly - and would you believe it we bumped into three other kiwis over there.

I enjoyed the best fish meal I have ever had in Colonia - Sea Bass with vegetables and a delicious cream sauce - very memorable. And the vino tinto is definitely worth writing home about.