Travel Date: November 2021
Why Montevideo and Buenos Aires?
- Well, I really wanted to visit Punta del Este, but it was not easy to get to as Uruguay just reopened
- I’ve never been to Uruguay
- Buenos Aires offered the best connection to Uruguay
First of all, this was not a short trip. I figured if I were to fly to the Southern Hemisphere, I should spend a few more days there… and it’s exactly three weeks since my last trip to the region.
Day 1: Quick Day in Buenos Aires
This was a transit day, as I would be heading to Montevideo the next day. I walked around Palermo, logging more than 20,000 steps. Dinner was at Lo de Jesus in Palermo with 400 grams of tenderloin (lomo) and some empanadas. I had a very, very early dinner by Argentine standards. To walk my dinner off, I walked more than 3 miles back to my hotel in Retiro.
Day 2: Montevideo
After dealing with the mess that is the Buquebus Terminal, I finally arrived in Montevideo after a 3-hour trip. I found myself an Uber outside of the terminal and quickly checked in to my hotel at Punta Carretas. This was where the drama began.
First of all, the ATM ate my card. The machine rebooted in the middle of my transaction and the card just… stayed inside the machine. Thankfully credit cards are widely used in Uruguay so I had options. I had to sit down at a nice cafe with an affogato and a lemon pie to reset. The weather was amazing. I then walked along the boardwalk (it’s actually a river, the Rio de la Plata and not the Atlantic) to Pocitos, and the breeze took a lot of the stress away.
Day 3: Montevideo’s Ciudad Vieja
The day started with a walk to Parque Rodó, then all along the Rio de la Plata to the Ciudad Vieja (old town) of Montevideo. As with Latin American countries, the old town isn’t usually the safest place. However, I felt quite safe wherever I walked.
I grabbed lunch at the classic El Fogón for some Uruguayan steak, but ordered the ‘matambre’ as opposed to the entrecôte like everyone else. The food was good and the service was…. fast. The lunch special (Menu Ejecutivo) was U$620 (US$14).
After lunch I hung out at the La Farmacia Cafe, which is a pharmacy-turned-cafe. The ambiance is quite old school and I loved it,
I actually came back to the old town in the evening for a concert at the Teatro Solís. It was my first classical concert in a while. The theatre didn’t have a lot of people, which was a bit sad, but I know things will be back to normal soon.
Day 4: Morning Walk then back to Buenos Aires
My first order of business was to mail some postcards (Note: in many South American countries there are no post boxes to drop off your stamped letters, you can only mail them when the post office is open). Since I had some time I took a bus to the district of Malvín, but didn’t really find anything interesting. I quickly headed back to Punta Carretas to have lunch, and then headed for the Buquebus Terminal.
I arrived 3.5 hours before departure to get my PCR test to enter Argentina. Then it was another 3 hours back to Buenos Aires. I said to myself, never again will I take the Buquebus. Ever.
Caught an Uber outside of the terminal and headed for my Airbnb in Recoleta. Loved the place.
Day 5: Art Exhibits, San Telmo and La Boca
The morning started with a Subte ride to San Telmo, where I saw the Implosión exhibit by Marta Minujín. After the exhibit, I began to walk… from San Telmo to La Boca and back. I just used Google Maps and walked to the center of La Boca. This was my first time to this part of the city, as I was told it wasn’t safe to walk through… but this time I decided to do it and it was fine. But La Boca was just alright. I prefer San Telmo over La Boca.
Of course, when in San Telmo, I had to take my third or fourth photo with Mafalda.
While walking back to my Airbnb, I passed by the newly opened Buenos Aires Museo. This was the biggest surprise of the day. It’s a museum showcasing the history of the city with many nostalgic pieces that were donated by its citizens. I encourage everyone to visit this museum and learn more about the city.
Day 6: Walk from Recoleta to Palermo
It was a hot day. I managed to walk from my Airbnb in Recoleta all the way into Palermo. Along the walk I got to see the beautiful jacarandá trees. I had lunch at the El Club de la Milanesa in Palermo, then sat down at the local LGBT cafe called Maricafe and ended up at Plaza Mafalda.
I covered quite a distance.
The Subte was free today, as it was election day, so I took a free Subte ride back to Recoleta to give my feet a rest. I went to the local empanada place and bought some to go.
Day 7: Parrilla Lunch and Galería Güemes
I took a leisurely walk to Fervor for some lunch. I ended up ordering way too much, but made sure I finished the strip steak. Then of course I have to walk it all off (again), this time to the Galería Güemes off of Avenida Florida.
This art nouveau building opened in 1915, and you can go to the 14th floor of the building and get a view of the city. On a clear day, you could see the Rio de la Plata with a view of Uruguay, La Boca and the province to the south and more.
A kind gentleman who works there told me that the building in front of I was told that the building in front of Galería Güemes on the Diagonal Norte with two domes were supposed to be a show of power, because at the top of the domes were bishops, on the only diagonal street in the city. That was quite fascinating.
As with any trip to Argentina, I used most of my pesos. This is important as the exchange rate changes so fast (read: depreciates) that the next time you come back, your peso would be worth 50% of its value. One thing to note is that on this trip I figured out how to take advantage of the Blue Dollar (Dolar Blu) for the first time. I’ll write more about this in another post.
Practical Information – Montevideo
Buquebus Transportation: I took an Uber from the Buquebus Terminal to Punta Carretas.
City Transportation: I used either the city bus or Uber depending on where I needed to go. To use the bus it’s good to get a rechargeable STM card from Cutcsa. Your first card is free. Just bring your passport and they will register your information and give you the card. Buses in Montevideo are easy to use and of course safe. There is a Cutcsa desk inside the Punta Carretas mall.
Immigration procedures: You must fill out a Declaración Jurada Form for entering Uruguay. This form must be filled out no more than 72 hours of your entry. You don’t need to print the form out, but save it on your phone so you can show it to the immigration officer on arrival. On departure, they will check the form before you enter the immigration area.
Covid Testing: You will need to be fully vaccinated and provide a negative 72-hour Covid test (Edit: As of January 2022, no tests are required for fully vaccinated travelers).
Money: Uruguayan Pesos. At the time of travel, US$1 = UYU 43.69 (November 12, 2021). Credit cards are widely accepted, so you don’t really need a lot of cash.
Tipping: At restaurants they will ask you if you want to include service (propina). You usually say yes. They will then add 10% to the bill.
Internet/Mobile Data: You can purchase prepaid SIMs with one of the major carriers. If you plan to buy a new one, bring your passport.
Maps: As best practice, download an offline map using Google Maps to minimize data usage.
Official Tourism Site: Uruguay Natural is the official place to go for information.
Postcard Rate: 5.000 Uruguayan Pesos, globally (US$1.33).
Practical Information – Buenos Aires
Please note as the Argentine Peso exchange rate changes frequently, I am only posting some rates for reference. Please check with the individual vendors for the latest.
Airport Transportation: I usually book either a bus or a Remi (car) ride from Tienda Leon prior to my arrival. For this trip (and due to the pandemic) I opted for a Remi from Ezeiza Airport to Retiro. My rate was $2.820 Argentine Pesos (US$28.20), paid by credit card.
City Transportation: I used either the Subte (metro) or Uber depending on where I needed to go. To use the Metro, you will need a Sube Card, which is a rechargeable card to use with the metro system. For Uber, just use your app.
Immigration procedures: You must fill out a DDJJ Affidavit Form for entering and exiting Argentina (Edit: as of April 2022, you no longer need to complete the DDJJ to exit Argentina). This form must be filled out no more than 48 hours of your flight. You don’t need to print the form out, but save it on your phone so you can show it to the immigration officer.
Covid Testing: 72-hour PCR test (Edit: As of April 2022, no longer required).
Money: Argentine Pesos. At the time of travel, US$1 = ARS 100 (November 9, 2021) at the official rate.
Tipping: At restaurants they will ask you if you want to include service (propina). You usually say yes. They will then add 10% to the bill.
Internet/Mobile Data: For mobile data, you can purchase prepaid SIMs with one of the major carriers. If you plan to buy a new one, go to one of those offices and bring your passport.
Maps: As best practice, download an offline map using Google Maps to minimize data usage.