Time Travel in Colonia del Sacramento
December 10th, 2009 by Kristina May
Time travel is a hot topic in the office today, so I thought I’d step into my own time machine (after consulting this helpful guide, of course) and revisit Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay. I stopped there briefly in late August of 2006, during a rather chilly South American winter. It was absolutely gorgeous. Thanks to a near-cloudless sky, it even warmed up enough in the afternoon to enjoy an orange or two lying on a picnic blanket by the lighthouse. (So far, my trip back in time has not affected the weather, nor fruit. It’s still brisk, but sunny. The oranges still bursting sweet citrus-y goodness.)
photo by Josiah Mackenzie on flickr
Whether you’re a time traveler or not, the city is a popular spot for tourists due to its historic district — declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It also provides a ferry service to Buenos Aires, which is the reason my visit there was so brief. I was in Colonia for the ferry and did not expect to be so enchanted by the cobbled streets and vintage cars I found in the historic quarter. Maybe it was because of the winter, but the streets weren’t overrun with tourists and the air was very still and quiet. It was easy to imagine a different time in the city, which was founded by Portugal in 1680.
photo by Kristina May
I highly recommend a visit to Colonia if you’re in the neighborhood. Neo-hippies sell necklaces and trinkets on blankets, but otherwise the place is virtually devoid of tourist traps. There’s a cheap hostel right inside the historic district (skip a shower here, however) and a good number of eateries as well. My favorite was the quirky indoor/outdoor cafe El Drugstore, which is home to a private outdoor dining car housed in, well, a car. There’s another antique car nearby, slowly falling apart due to the number of small trees that take root in its body. Inside El Drugstore it’s brightly colored, with many paintings and funky posters on the walls, and preppy polka-dotted tablecloths. It’s a nice place to relax, though I suggest sticking to the traditional menu items if you eat here. And if you happen to be visiting via time-machine and you are me, avoid the place altogether to prevent running into your (my) past self.
photo by Josiah Mackenzie on flickr
photo by Kristina May
photo by einalem on flickr
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