The journey to Montevideo was fairly simple and not too expensive. We took a ferry from the port ‘Puerto Madero’ in Buenos Aires, just a 20-minute taxi ride from the volunteer house. The ferry journey lasted only one hour before arriving in Colonia. Directly from the port in Colonia, we took a coach to Montevideo, which took around 3 hours and offered some beautiful scenery. Both the ferry ride and the coach were comfortable and, despite a few long queues, the journey was very little hassle.
After getting our heads around the Uruguayan currency (also called a ‘peso’ but with about half the value of the Argentinian peso), we spent their first day in Montevideo looking around the city centre. To celebrate our first night away, the volunteers and I went shopping for ingredients and cooked a big asado (barbeque) together on the terrace. A nice night with good music, great conversation and delicious food.
We spent the next day soaking in the glorious sun on one of Montevideo’s beaches. A relaxing day finished nicely with ice cream! That night we got into the Halloween spirit, dressing up and celebrating with others from our accommodation.
I would recommend a trip to Montevideo, Uruguay to all those who have the opportunity. Only a short journey to experience a whole new country and a chance to visit the beach! However, a few tips before travelling to Montevideo:
· Take a bank card and withdraw Uruguay Pesos when you arrive. This is much better than taking Argentinian Peso to convert as the conversion rate is not good.
· If possible take more than one bank card as occasionally there are problems with foreign cards at certain banks.
· Take secure luggage and watch it carefully. It is important to be aware of your luggage because there are a few busy queues and you will be carrying luggage around for a while. I used a padlock on the zips of my bag for peace of mind.
· Definitely visit the beach!
We would also highly recommend the hostel where we stayed in Montevideo: Rambler Hostel, Montevideo.
