The Strangest Day

While Amy was visiting, we decided to take a trip to Colonia, Uruguay. It's a quick 1-hr. journey on a huge sea-faring airplane-type boat.

We raced to the docks to make the 8:30 a.m. departure. Little did we realize the passport/visa complications we would encounter.

Long story short, Neil and Nile stayed behind and just Amy and I went.

Long story shorter, it was really hard for me to be far away from Nile like that! I was really sad.

But I tried to have a good time and Amy and I still had fun.

We ended up departing on I think the 1:00 p.m. boat, arriving in Uruguay at 2:00 p.m. Luckily, we saw all (we thought) there was to see of Colonia in the span of one hour, showed up at 3:00 to check in and board, and returned on the 4:00 p.m. boat.

I've never been on a cruise, but this sort of felt like it. The boat looked like this, with two stories; we sat on the upper deck:

The trip made for a very strange day: I took the day off of work and we went to the port area on a weekday morning, which was out of my routine. I'd never been to Uruguay. Our arrival and the city itself was so weird.

When we left Buenos Aires, it looked like this:

This:

And this:

Shortly after departure, Amy and I both fell asleep.


I slowly awoke to the dull, enveloping hum of engines, like when you're on a plane.

I felt like I was wrapped in cotton; my senses weren't making sense. The light was very low and soft all around me. All I could hear above the cabin sounds was a strange version of "Borderline" by Madonna. I slowly became aware of a TV screen suspended from the ceiling a couple rows ahead, just like on an airplane.

On the screen was a live version of Madonna, playing a guitar and singing "Borderline" in an arena concert venue.

Really strange.

When I turned my attention to the soft light, looking out the window for the source, I saw only softly glowing haziness. I thought we were in the clouds. Half conscious, I thought maybe the boat had taken off and we were now flying through the clouds. Then I thought, "perhaps I died and I am on a plane eternally flying through heaven, with an endless loop of Madonna on the guitar."

"... You just keep -- on -- push -- ing -- my love, over the borderline ..."

I was really confused, and I sat up to get a better look out the window, and this is what I saw:

Rather unsettling. Where were we? How much time had passed?

Soon after, we arrived in Colonia.

 How far is Colonia from Buenos Aires? How can the weather change so much??

The city itself seemed cute in a mildly eerie, desolate way.

 

A school. I love the blue.

 

 

Amy was really hoping we'd see the Uruguayan team from the World Cup.

Luckily, we did. OK, so this was a poster in a store window, what?


This scene cracks me up: street dogs chasing a covered golf cart. Not something you see in BsAs.

The doors to the post office.

The beach. Strange in winter, with boots on.

 

Upon our departure, Uruguay looked as gloomy as when we'd arrived.

I was so happy to go back to my home in Buenos Aires, where I feel comfortable, and to where my lovely family was waiting.