Before heading west through Argentina towards Chile we decided to make a quick pit stop in Uruguay first. As it is only a stones throw away from Buenos Aires it was an easy decision. Within an hour we arrived in Colonia in Western Uruguay to start a new adventure in country number seven. I am loving all these new stamps in my passport!

Colonia is a small town where much of the seafront area has been preserved as a historical area. Tree lined cobbled streets lead you down to the water edge where you can sit and watch the sunset. Due to it's proximity to BA Colonia has a somewhat touristy feel. Around the main square and streets there are several artisan, ice cream shops and cafes to keep the tourists satisfied.

At one of these waterside restaurants we decided to try a local 'parrilla'. It is basically a platter of local grilled meats. The steak, chicken and chorizo was all good. However the blood sausage(believe me it's a long way from good ol clon pudding), the intestine/tripe and some other unidentified meat were not as popular. Generally I am pretty good for trying out new foods but honestly these would even test the most adventurous foodies.

The next city was the capital Montevideo. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon and it was eerily quiet. I have become accustomed to the fact that nothing is opened on Sundays but it was so deserted.

As it was a Saturday night I felt compelled to head out and get involved with the local culture. We asked the receptionist at the hostel for some tips. He gave us a map of all the places and what time to hit them at. It was crazy! His suggestions were that there was a different pub to head to every hour or two as clubbing was not starting till about four thirty. We started off in an Irish pub in the center where a really good trad session was in full swing. The place was packed to the rafters with locals. To be honest I think we were the only gringos in there. Sean even managed to score a free pitcher of Uruguayan stout from a local! What a team player. When we decided to head home it seemed like the Uruguayans were only starting their night out. This was at four thirty am! I think this explains why the city is so quiet during the day.

On Sunday we took a walk around Plaza Independencia and downtown Montevideo. As is the tradition in any South American city the main square has pockets of people juggling, selling crafts and others relaxing in the sun people watching. In short it was nice relaxing way to spend lazy Sunday.