Siempre Colonia

Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay
Your way begins at the other side. 
Become the sky. 

Take an axe to the prison wall . Escape. Walk out like someone suddenly born into color. - Rumi

Colonia will forever be in my heart. A fold in the larger landscape that surrounds it, it is immensely tranquil and steeped in soul. I can't explain why I feel such a deep connection to this city, but I know I will forever cherish the bond. The last two weeks have flown by, as time tends to do, and I can't believe that I'll be leaving tomorrow for the big city. 

Once again, I have encountered boundless generosity from the people here. My wonderful neighbors, the Louers, are a truly international family, encompassing Holland, Nicaragua, Argentina and Uruguay under one roof! They have become my Uruguayan family, taking me to lunch, out for ice cream, on tours of the surrounding cities and to the casino to play bingo. Liddy, the middle daughter is a delight to spend time with. She, along with her boyfriend Fede, have been my personal tour guides. Liddy speaks perfect English and is an incredibly bright young woman . She intends to go to medical school upon graduating this year. I am grateful to have gotten to know them, and hope to one day repay their generosity by hosting them in the U.S.! 

I have learned so much in my short time here. I was excited for a time of solitude and reflection to figure out my next steps in life. The answers came flooding in and I am very excited about all the possibilities. I think most of all, I have enjoyed getting to spend time with myself. I became comfortable with taking myself out to dinner, or for a glass of wine. My favorite haunt was El Drugstore, a hip little parilla that has great decor and delicious food. The prices may have been a little higher as it is in the most touristy part of town, but it was roughly $17 for a full dinner and a glass of wine. They also have live music on the weekends, a fabulous guitar duet playing awesome bossa nova. The first night of dining solo was admittedly uncomfortable. The fact that I was the ONLY person in the restaurant added to the awkwardness, but soon enough I was making friends with the mosso (waiter) and telling him that he could not, in fact, have my diamond earrings as a tip .  

Another solo adventure was going to a swanky wine tasting at La Vineria de Colonia. I was the only non-native Spanish speaker there, not to mention the youngest! I was in good company, though, with 8 other people from Argentina and Uruguay. We tried 5 different wines, most native to Uruguay, and also had a spread of local cheeses, empenadas and dry salami. All of this for only $20! It was a stroke of luck that I entered the small shop on one of my afternoon strolls and met Carolina Rosberg, who owns the Vineria along with her husband, Martin. They are a lovely couple, and I highly encourage anyone in the area to stop by and visit with them, and to reserve a spot at the Saturday night tasting! Check them out here: 
http://www.lavineriadecolonia.com/.  

Each day being alone got easier and easier, and I could hear my thoughts clearer and clearer. I deliberately left my camera at home on some of my walks to force myself to experience the moment in the moment . It was a fun experiment - I kept reaching for my iPhone, and upon finding it missing, I made my eyes do all the work. Tonight was no exception, as the sunset was out-of-this-world amazing. My mental snapshots from the last two weeks, along with the overall experience, will be forever filed under: "Life, changed." 

Some of the other memorable experiences I had were accompanying Liddy and her friend Maca (both 19) out one night for some drinks and dancing. I love Latin American dance clubs, or discotecas, because they play MY kind of music. The girls took me to Tres Cuatro, the only dance club in town, where the cumbia rhythms (and the tequila sunrises) kept me dancing all night. 

Aside from my small, daily interactions with the Louers, I was really on my own. I had two contacts here from my previous visits, but I did not end up connecting with either of them. It was just me and the city. We're pretty fond of each other, I think. And I'm walking out in full color. 
 
 
Other Entries

Comments

Katherine Merenda
2012-08-24

Me encanta oir de tus aventuras y tengo ganas de aprender de la proxima ciudad.

adventureingenu
2012-08-25

Gracias, maestra! Esta viaje, y mi segunda lengua, existe mucho por su influencia en mi vida. Gracias por todo!!!!

Jo Anne Swart
2012-08-25

What fun this is.....following you about & experiencing through you the excitement of such glorious places. Your photos are spectacular, as are your descriptions. I am very happy for you, Caitlin!
Rene is doing well & we're happy that he has been promoted.
Keep chuggin' along!

Oreyes
2012-09-03

Your pictures are BEAUTIFUL! Glad you're living it up!

2025-02-06

Comment code: Ask author if the code is blank