Sent on Apr. 27, 2003 from Montevideo, Uruguay.
Time in Montevideo: 2 hours ahead of EST in USA, as in
Argentina. Exchange rate: US$= 28 Uruguay Pesos;
1 Argentinean Pesos = 9 Uruguay Pesos
Iguazu, 20-hour (3) busses south, east, then southeast.
Hello from Montevideo, Uruguay
I had mentioned I am in the northeast part of Argentina
which is like an island between the Parana River on the
north and west, the Uruguay River on the East, and the
combination of the two in the south. Iguazu Falls on the
Parana River is at the very northeast (panhandle-like) part
of this island surrounded by Paraguay on the west,
Argentina to the south and Brazil to the east. So to get
to Uruguay, 1) I had to go enough south (14-hour bus) to
pass the point where (southern) Brazil and Uruguay have the
border. Then 2) Find a point where I could cross (east)
the Uruguay River to enter Uruguay. There are 3 such
crossings. I chose the northernmost one, from Concordia,
Argentina to Salto, Uruguay, to traverse the longest
stretch in Uruguay. The bus ride between the two is about
an hour.
The potential snag here was that the bus from Iguazu
dropped me at the turnoff to Concordia on the highway at
6:00am--NOT at the bus station in Concordia, which the bus
skips. I thought it would be difficult to find a ride to
Concordia and its bus station at that early hour. Indeed,
there was a woman there waiting for me in her car, perhaps
prearranged by the bus company. She said she would charge
me 10 Pesos. The ride took about 10 minutes. I tipped her
5 Pesos besides, for making things so simple.
I arrived at the bus terminal at 6:30am; there was a bus
leaving for Salto, Uruguay at 7, for 8 Pesos, for the
one-hour ride. About halfway, we stopped for border
formalities, at the same counter: exit from Argentina,
entry to Uruguay. Next came the Uruguay River and I was in
Uruguay, at Salto bus station at 8am. The station in Salto
is neat, part of a shopping mall. The next bus from Salto
to Montevideo was at 1pm, for 353 Uruguay Pesos, about $15.
(US$= 28 Uruguay Pesos; 1 Argentinean Pesos = 9 Uruguay
Pesos.) I did not have Uruguay Pesos with me and so paid
45 Argentinean Pesos for the ride. In the exchange I got
taken by $3.50, but why argue. (There was a bank at the
shopping center--no ATM however. This being a Saturday, I
did not think I could get money exchanged. Indeed the bank
opened at 9am; I exchanged $50--then saw that the bus
company had screwed me $3.50 in the exchange.) The bus
took off timely; 6 hours later (7pm) here I am, in
Montevideo, Uruguay.
I had to find a taxi to get to the bus station, a ride of
about 5km. From Salto to Montevideo is another 7 hours by
bus, going Southeast in Uruguay. Well, here I am. I
should add that during the entire 7-hour ride, we passed
thru a monotonous undulating countryside of farms and
ranches, with occasional towns.
2. Montevideo. One reason I came to Montevideo is that
there is an "Old Town" here. Old Towns are always the most
charming parts of cities, also in Europe (e.g., Old Town
Warsaw, which is really beautiful), Morocco, Vietnam, India
. . . and the biggest and most beautiful one in Istanbul,
especially the area around the Golden Horn. These are the
parts to see, to meander around, to imagine life as it was
. . . Well, this being almost November in these parts, I
received a cool reception.
As far as Montevideo, talk about a charming old town crying
for a major clean-up, face-lift, and a dosage of life. I
picked the Palacio Hotel on Barthelomeo Mitre($15 per
night) in old town, as recommended by my travel book. They
gave me Room 67 with a wonderful west-view from the huge
private terrace, all else in the room as charming as one
encounters in old Europe, including the very comfortable
queen-size high bed, and a TV. Its location is just right,
a few steps from Plaza Independencia, from where the main
avenue here, Av. 18 de Julio, continues to the east thru
several other plazas. This is the only place where there
is life in Montevideo after dark. The sections to the west
of the hotel location, including the charming Plaza
Constitucion and Zabala--named after the founder--are too
desolate and dangerous to walk, I was told. (Perhaps they
meant the many recent Russian immigrants I met here.)
Indeed, the taxi I took from the bus terminal to the hotel
passed thru these sections. Entire streets were dark and
desolate, some narrow sidewalks almost entirely occupied by
huge old trees planted 5 meters--15 yards--apart, adding to
the ghostly look of these streets. I arrived Saturday
night; Sunday morning there was garbage all over the
streets, from the night before, perhaps from the week
before. There are many very nice old buildings of Italian,
Colonial, etc. architecture, and some are looked after.
Montevideo is surrounded by water on three sides: south and
west (beaches) and north (docks).
The latter location is the place from where I will catch my
bus-ferry connection to Buenos Aires. I am glad I came;
got my post cards and few photos, and took a measure of the
city. Having traveled so extensively, I can get a feel for
a place quite fast. I think Montevideo is more comparable
to the neglected cities of the old Eastern Block, perhaps
like Bucharest--certainly not in the class of Prag or
Budapest, which (to me) equal Paris.
3. Montevideo to Buenos Aires. There are 3 bus companies
that serve this connection, all operating from the main bus
terminal near Ave. Italia: 1) Belgrano, 2) Bus de la
Carrera, and 3) Buquebus. The first 2 companies operate
bus only, traveling southwest thru Uruguay to the first
bridge to Argentina, to Buenos Aires. The trip takes 8
hours and costs 535 Uruguay Pesos. Buquebus offers several
choices. a) bus only, like the other 2 companies, b)
3-hour catamaran only from the dock terminal at Portuaria
in Montevideo to the downtown terminal in Buenos Aires for
1024 Ur. Pesos, c) 3-hour bus (west to Colonia, Uruguay)
plus 50-minute ferry to the downtown terminal in Buenos
Aires for 788 Ur. Pesos (about US$28), and d) same as c but
with slower ferries. I took the c option also to enjoy the
ferry and to see Montevideo and Buenos Aires from the
water. (I should add that the bus terminals in Salto and
Montevideo are some of the best I have seen in that they
are part of a shopping center. The only other one I know
like that is in Townsville, Australia, where they have also
a nice hostel on the 2nd floor.)
When you arrive at the downtown ferry terminal in Buenos
Aires, you will proceed either to the airport, or the bus
station, or to your hotel or hostel. In all cases, take
the busses operated by Manuel Tienda Leon that is about 50
percent cheaper than a taxi. (For example, a Remis taxi to
the ferry terminal to the airport costs 35 Ar. Pesos, or
about $13, whereas MTL will take you there for 15 Ar.
Pesos, about $6.) You can take MTL bus also from the
airport to your destination in the city.
4. Latin America Done. As to the northern parts of South
America, I have been visiting Latin America on-and-off for
several years now, including Guyana, Surinam, French Guyane
(and the 3 islands off its coast, e.g. the Devil's Island,
propelled by the book Papillon), Belem, Brazil and the
Amazon Delta, Manaus, Brazil (which I would like to see
again as a point-to-point visit), Rio (Carnival 2000),
Maracaibo, Venezuela, Peru & Mach Picchu, and (of course)
Mexico. And I know almost all of the Caribbean island
groups, including Haiti--a very interesting one. This
leaves only the Angel Falls, in Venezuela--perhaps not
after Iguazu Falls, and (for sure) Cuba, when it becomes
legal for Americans to visit that island. Right now, I am
not interested in the remaining parts, as the element of
redundancy does become an issue eventually, but who knows,
I may do Colombia and Ecuador too some day, after a pause
from the Latin world--which may take some time, since I
live in Miami . . .