Hey longhorns! My name is Joelean Hall and I’m studying in Buenos Aires this semester. I am a senior majoring in International Relations and Global Studies. I am happy to say that I’m done with my semester at Di Tella! To celebrate, I took a trip to Uruguay. The trip included Montevideo, Punta del Este, and Punta Ballena (with a visit to Casapueblo).
The fastest and cheapest way to get across from Buenos Aires to Montevideo is by ferry (through Buquebus or Colonia express) and then bus. The ferry takes you to Colonia and then it’s a 2 hour bus to Montevideo. Montevideo was extremely beautiful. Compared to Buenos Aires, the capital city is much smaller and more relaxed. We took bikes down the boardwalk with beautiful sites to the local beaches.
We then took a bus out to Punta del Este, the famous beach city 2 hours away from Montevideo. Expectations were set high for the beaches and I was not disappointed. Despite the water being cold, we still took a swim to not waste any part of the beach. Unfortunately Punta del Este is an extremely expensive place. It became apparent as we went to grocery stores and restaurants that Punta del Este was not a student budget friendly place; therefore I recommend that if you decide to go to Uruguay, stick to some of the other coast cities. That’s what motivated us to head to Punta Ballena the next day.
Punta Ballena was just a 30 minute bus from Punta del Este but had something a bit more special. For many Uruguayans, Carlos Páez Vilaró is an important artistic figure. He composed musical pieces, painted, and constructed a building now known as Casapueblo. His “livable sculpture” is now a hotel and museum where we were able to visit and spend a few hours in admiration of his work.
After a long day in Punta Ballena, we headed back to Montevideo where we scored a really nice deal at a hotel right in front of Teatro Solis. It was an old, remodeled hotel from the early 1900s, still accommodating us very comfortably over 100 years later. It was located in the “viejo” part of the city, giving us the opportunity to explore another part of the city before heading back to Buenos Aires.
Traveling through Uruguay was a wonderful experience, filled with warm air, sunny days, and beautiful beaches. I have a few more days in Buenos Aires until I set off for Brazil, where hopefully the warmth and sun will follow! Hook ’em!
This post was contributed by Joelean Hall, a 2018 Global Ambassador.
Don’t get left behind. Read more about Joelean’s experience at Torcuato Di Tella in Buenos Aires>>
Leave a Reply