Our 1st trip 'off the island'

This week we went across the river to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.
It was only a short trip, staying overnight, midweek. The purpose of this trip will become evident as the months advance but it concerned banking.

This was the 1st time we have left Buenos Aires since we arrived. That's 4+1/2 months for me & over 3 months for husband. It was a tad dizzying I must admit.
The BIG thrill was that we travelled as LOCALS!! Our Argentinian status means we are members of MercoSur which includes the privilege of crossing borders within the continent of South America without a passport, using only our id cards (known as DNI). Similar system to EU zone. And it worked! Plus we can still purchase Duty Free goods on the return ferryride. Great heh? Well, it's pretty limited Duty Free range but husband managed to spy the essential Underberg elixir at an affordable price which made it worthwhile.

It was actually different over there! Different to Argentina I mean. We were there 5 years ago on our big trip but didn't stop in Montevideo. The Rio Plata is even blue on that side of the river! The entire city is built - as usual - facing the river. (Buenos Aires is not, it's built with it's 'back' to the brown river.)

It was refreshing to be in a less pressured environment, it's definitely more laid-back & you can see it in the faces of the people. Nobody's in a hurry. At all. To our 'still not fully trained eyes' it seemed there was less street crime presence also. We saw people walking on the streets, relaxed, wearing jewelery eg. No taxi driver would accept our ARG Pesos either, which legally they are able, telling us they're concerned about counterfeit notes from Argentina & they are just simple Uruguayans who cannot identify a counterfeit because they do not have this industry in Uruguay(!)

After our appointment, we found the recommended restaurant a short walk away within the old city barrio. It was in a touristy pedestrian-only area, nearby the port full of portrait artists, etc. so I was dubious upon approach but once inside I relaxed when I saw all the local business people being seated. The high-turnover outdoor seating area was where the foreign tourists were concentrated. We had a very tasty, relaxed 'proper' lunch with a nice, inexpensive bottle of Uruguayan Pinot Noir (U$22-2002) before wandering leisurely back to the hotel via the riverside esplanade walkway. Husband remarked that the old city of Montevideo had the same ambiance & state of disrepair as Fremantle had prior to the redevelopment that occurred there in preparation for the America's Cup. If any of you readers are looking for a (secure) longterm property investment, you can snap up whole blocks of ornate, rundown buildings in this prime location if you care for a super bargain!!

I had some emails to answer, so used the wifi there in the guest lounge area while husband had the obligatory siesta nap on 1 of the comfy lounges nearby until we left for the return ferry checkin. Though we were quite tired upon returning home, it was certainly a worthwhile tiny break from our usual surroundings.
It is our intention to travel on short trips more often in future.