A volunteer or a tourist is allowed to stay for 90 days in Argentina. All volunteers and tourists who want to stay in Argentina for more than three months do the same trip as I did last weekend. They visit another country for more than 24 hours and then you are allowed to stay another 90 days in Argentina. So all the people make a trip to a small city called Colonia del Sacramento which is on the coast of Uruguay and very close to Buenos Aires. You can go from Buenos Aires with a one-hour ferry to Colonia. Another reason for the trip was that my friend wanted to see Uruguay and to be able to make a comparison with Argentina. At the beginning we had some problems because we wanted to buy the ferry tickets in the ferry shops in the Avenida Cordoba but as a foreigner you are not allowed to buy a ticket in a shop with cash. You have to buy the tickets with your credit card or online. It was surprising and we got the impression that Argentina does not want you to travel. Nevertheless we bought the tickets in the shop and we decided to go to Colonia with the Colonia Express ferry and to stay there for one night. Afterwards we wanted to go with the bus to Montevideo for another three days. We were definitely surprised as we saw the building of Colonia Express because it was in comparison to the other places in Buenos Aires very clean and well organized. We had no problem with any custom stuff and the ferry left in time what surprised us even more. After one hour we reached Colonia.  This city is so small, there are not many shops or things to do. We rented a small golf cab for six hours to get around more easily. The traffic in Colonia is really relaxed that´s why we dared to rent a car. In the whole city there is not one single streetlight and they are really not necessary. You can see lots of tourists from Argentina who drive around in golf carts. There is just one thing we really “visited” there and that was the lighthouse.

 The day after we went with the bus to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. The bus rides are always nice because you can admire the landscape and you get a first impression of the country. We were really excited about going to Montevideo because we heard so many different things about this city. After all that we saw there, Montevideo was a big surprise: the streets were clean, the traffic was organized and quiet and the buildings were not that run-down as in Buenos Aires. We were amazed. The differences between Uruguay and Argentina are clear if you have a look at the people. The people in Montevideo or rather in whole Uruguay are very relaxed, never in a rush and the Mate tea is even more important for them than for the people in Argentina. I thought that this was not possible but they carry their thermos and cups, for the tea, around all day. It does not matter where they are, in the city or on the beach, the tea is everywhere. Some tourist, who I met in Buenos Aires, told me that Montevideo is named to be the safest city in South America and I agree. In 4 days we saw only two homeless people and we felt pretty safe whatever we did.

One of the disadvantages of a quiet city is that there were just a few shops opened on Saturday, Sunday and even on Monday morning. The most shops opened on Monday at 1 or 2 o´clock. Therefore it was not easy to buy some water or something to eat. Furthermore, in some parts of the city it was impossible to get a cab. These facts make a stay for the weekend really hard and you have to plan out every day very well. Even the museums are closed on the weekends. Montevideo should do more for its tourists and should expand its touristic structures. As a result of these few possibilities my friend and I decided to go shopping because the Shopping Center is opened every day. Afterwards we took a long walk on the beach which is very beautiful. There were some people who took a swim in the water, ran on the promenade or rode their skateboards. Of course, my friend and I had to try the national dish “Chivito” which was for us almost like a Hamburger from US-America but more healthy. We really liked it. The worst was the weather in Uruguay. My friend and I wanted to spend one day in Punta del Este but unfortunately there was no sun, many clouds and a lot of wind. Therefore we went back to Montevideo earlier than we wanted to because I was too cold. Across the board it was a great trip to a great country which a lot of people should visit. It is a trip for people who want to relax a little bit and to spend some days on the beautiful beaches there. Thanks to my roommate Dee with whom I always have a great time and for discovering the country with me.