Columnist Melanie Umbaugh talks about her trip to Uruguay.
Last week was my spring break of sorts (although it’s turning into fall here) before the semester starts this week, and I went with some friends to spend the week in Uruguay. We planned the trip less than a month ago, and it came together fairly easily despite our minimal planning.
We rented an apartment through Airbnb, which was easier to do than I expected. Our host was friendly, and the place was less than a five minute walk from the beach. Unluckily for us, the second half of the week was cloudy and rainy, so our beach days only numbered two — although that was still enough time for me to underestimate the strength of the sun south of the equator and come away with a pretty bad sunburn.
Walking through Montevideo’s historic neighborhood was fun, but we underestimated the differences between Montevideo and Buenos Aires. Montevideo is a much smaller city, and catching a cab proved to be such a hassle that even our taxi driver told us we should rent a car. Not exactly an option considering none of us can legally drive here in South America, but an understandable suggestion since it took ages to hail a cab and our efforts to order one ourselves via a smartphone app and over telephone were all unsuccessful. It was harder to get around the city than I had planned for, which meant we weren’t able to explore as much as I would’ve liked.
Our last day in Uruguay was spent in the little town of Colonia del Sacramento. It’s where we caught a ferry between Uruguay and Buenos Aires, and where we planned to spend the day before our trip back to Buenos Aires. Beyond a cursory glance at what Colonia has to offer, we didn’t make a plan for what to do once we got there, so when our bus dropped us off at the station in a much more rural area than we’ve been so far this trip, the five hour stretch of time before the ferry seemed more like a hassle than an opportunity.
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We did rally and we wandered through gorgeous old Colonia and up to the top of a lighthouse where we could see the whole town and the ocean stretching out before us. We had to carry all of our bags with us as we trekked through town, and it took a while to get our bearings, but it was a fascinating place, so I enjoyed the afternoon despite my exhaustion, my backpack that definitely doubled in weight since my arrival, and my worsening sunburn.
Despite a lot of little things that made the trip more difficult, I had a great time in Uruguay, and I learned that it’s OK to not always have a detailed plan when you travel. If you have the opportunity to go someplace new, take it, and don’t worry if you can’t do everything you wanted to, or if you’re not sure exactly what you’ll do there. Be smart and get yourself situated, then give yourself the freedom to explore without a strict itinerary, and enjoy the adventure.
Melanie Umbaugh is a sophomore studying theater who is studying in Buenos Aires this semester. Have you been to Uruguay? Email her at mu495313@ohio.edu.
