So,  just in case you are wondering: you need your passport to enter Uruguay.  I wouldn’t say that I forgot it, I just happened to not realize that I would actually need that tiny, yet important document to cross international borders for the weekend.  Okay fine.  I was the dumb Americana in the ferry station trying to explain in perfect(ly horrible) Spanish that I hadn’t brought my original passport and that I would miss my boat if I went to retrieve.  The oh-so-patient worker kindly directly me to the change-your-ticket line, so I gave up and changed my departure.  Luckily (well, maybe not), my friend and co-traveler and randomly fellow Penn Stater also forgot her passport so half of our group went to board ou original boat, and we went home to grab our little blue books.  

It’s not as ridiculous as it sounds.  In Buenos Aires, there are many people who work in the city for the week and return home to their families in Uruguay for the weekends because it works out better financially.  Going to Colonia, the nearest city to BA, is no big deal.  People do it everyday.  It was such a nonchalant trip that I didn’t bother to bring my passport because I subconsciously thought that the odds of me needing it versus the odd of me loosing it weren’t worth the bringing it!  False.  Get it together, Rachel.  

Once I made it successfully from Argentina, I realized that even though the countries border, they are distinctly different.  People in Uruguay have neither the same ridiculous Spanish accent that portenos insist on using, nor the same love of driving like it’s the end of the world.  They are calm and friendly.  And the people in places that I went love tourists – which is better than if they hated us!  

In Montevideo, we walked down the main avenue to find a fountain secured heavily by thousands of small locks.  Simple locks – like the kind you might use to secure the door of a shed or you hang from your high school gym locker.  All of them had two names carved into them.  The legend goes that if you place a lock with you and your partner’s name on the fountain, you’ll never fall out of love.  It’s was so sweet to see so many people investing in their relationship’s futures!  It made for cool pictures, if nothing else.  

We spent the night in Punta del Este, a beach town.  In the morning, we rented scooters (don’t tell IES, I’ll get kicked out) and drove all over the peninsula and beyond.  I will have you know I am an excellent driver.  But, who on earth trusts a bunch of foreign 20-somethings with brand new scooters in a foreign country?  I’m still not really sure what the speed limit was or how it converts to miles per hour, but no importa.  

We went to Casa Pueblo, a museum/restaurant/hotel/resort in the edge of a tiny peninsula.  Formerly inhabited by an artist, it displayed art of great colors and interesting shapes.  The view was breathtaking, and I hope you enjoy the pictures!  

We later, returned our scooters, got some huge chivitos and headed back to BA.  Chivito sky rocketed to my top ten list of all time favorite foods.  It starts with a melt in your mouth steak sandwich and just gets better from there.  Add lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, egg, jam, bacon, ketchup, mayo, and mustard, and anything else you would like to this delightful grease pile.  It rivals Primanti’s for height, and far exceeds them in flavor.  It’s a fabulous piece of art, but unfortunately only officially found in Uruguay.  

Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina