When our Patagonia flight got cancelled unexpectedly, we were forced to scramble for some new plans. Our guidebook recommended a daytrip to Colonia, Uruguay. A short boat ride and another stamp in the passport sealed the deal for us.

Getting there from Buenos Aires couldn’t be easier. We took a ferry ride that was a little over an hour and pretty comfortable with airplane-like seats. There was a snack bar and a few TVs showing (what else) soccer. The boat dropped us right in the port of Colonia.

The Portuguese founded Colonia in 1680 to smuggle goods across the Río de la Plata into Buenos Aires. The Spanish captured it in 1762, and it went back and forth between Spain and Portugal several times. After some years of Brazilian control, Uruguay declared independence in 1825. It’s valuable location at a point on the river means it still survives as the oldest town in the country.

Colonia’s Barrio Histórico is the most famous area with many original buildings. The famous narrow, roughly cobbled Calle de los Suspiros, is lined with crumbling stucco colonial houses. The whole area is now a world heritage site. Several of th buildings in the historical area are now small museums. In the Plaza Mayor there was still fruit on the trees despite the cool weather. We spent a lot of time just wandering around the streets.

The unofficial ambassadors of Colonia are the not-so-stray dogs who wander around town. We got “adopted” by a few. Amigo Uno is above and Amigo Dos is below. These pretty sweet and very tame canines have their act down pat. A few sad puppy looks and I was at lunch stuffing my coat pockets with rolls to share with these guys later.