Really living it up here in Buenos Aires, I tell ya.

We spent the last day in Colonia enjoying a true fall day - rainy, cold, windy. I was very glad we did the coastal walk the day before as wise Kim had suggested. It was quite a lazy day actually, we got a late start, sat outside for a while having coffee (and stretching it ouuuuuuuuuuut as long as possible), decided to skip the museums and headed to the ferry station. Actually, I don't think we even discussed the museums. It was just understood that we both wanted to skip them.

coffee shop placemats

Anyone taking the ferry from Buenos Aires to Colonia/Montevideo should keep their original ticket with the entry stamp, otherwise you will be charged $75 US when exiting Uruguay to return to Argentina. It didn't happen to me personally because I have kept every bloody piece of paper from this entire trip "just in case"... I'm just saying.

It was cold and dreary in Buenos Aires too, so we grabbed some delicious pasta at a restaurant just up the street (nicest waiter too) and headed back to the ArtFactory hostel to call it a night.

ArtFactory art

I'm so glad I'm traveling with people who go to bed as the other hostel residents are gearing up for a big Saturday night on the town. I know I'm in a great city but I don't do that at home, so why would I do it here...? Besides, I'm old.

Sunday we walked all over. Through the empty and grungy financial district...

whaaa... ?

... up to ritzier Palmero and the Botanic Garden...

Oregon and California in the Buenos Aires hizzzouse!

... over to charming Recoleta for some great pizza and back to the cemetery for a little while...

... and that's when things got weird. We had two maps, two brains, and four able legs and feet, yet we still managed to get completely turned around numerous times (to the point where it really felt like we were in the Bermuda Triangle of BA).

it's not rocket science

I had been up since 4am for whatever reason but thanks to our early-to-bed habits, had gotten 7 hours sleep so I couldn't even use that as an excuse... I think we spent an hour and a half trying to get out of that little neighborhood and finally hailed a taxi out of exhaustion and desperation.

We stopped by the San Telmo market and went our separate shopping ways. In my meandering back, I found an artisan brewery where we went later for dinner - corner of Bolivar/Chile, la Poetia I believe it was called? - GO THERE. My salad of beets, walnuts, sesame seeds and green apples might have been the best salad yet. After a little while supporting the hostel bar we called it a night.

Last night we managed to stay up past 10 though. Progress! And still the days wind down... Sadness.