We decided to escape the hustle and bustle and leaking air conditioning units of Buenos Aires by spending a few days in Uruguay - our first stop being Colonia. We got the ferry over - we chose the slow (and cheaper) option which was really quite luxurious and even had a duty free section.
When we arrived in Colonia, we were immediately won over by its cobbled, tree lined streets. It definitely had a certain charm about it. We explored the old town which was full of character with cute colonial houses, town walls, the ruins of a monastery and a colonial-era lighthouse which we climbed to the top of for views over the city. Whilst there isn't a lot to do in Colonia, that's part and parcel of it's charm.
The Rio de la Plata on which Colonia is founded isn't very appealing with it's murky brown waters, but we managed to find an idyllic water hole with clear, fresh waters to while away an afternoon alongside.
Wandering round the old town, we decided to sit down for dinner at a restaurant overelooking the river which was recommended in the Lonely Planet. However, after looking at the menu and not finding a main or bottle of wine for under 20 pounds, we did a runner and found ourselves at 'El Drugstore' on the Plaza de Armas. We had no preconceptions about the food as it looked more like a bar than a restaurant, but it got off to a good start with a smiling pig's face on the vegetarian page of the menu. We ordered a cheap bottle of wine (which was delicious) and were more than impressed by the fish we ordered which was bursting with flavour - a rare experience in South America. The restaurant even has a clapped out vintage car outside as an alternative dining location.
All in all, Colonia gave us a very good first experience of Uruguay and we were keen to explore more.
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