Amazing Send Off from Argentina (June 12, 2026)
Admit it. You hear the song, don’t you? “Don’t cry for me, Argentina...” And, of course, there’s nothing to be sad about. I’ve had an awesome time here and this was my view from the gym this morning on the 24th floor of the building I’ve been staying in:
Beautiful sunrise ready to send me off to continue my journey today
Yesterday, I had another incredible meal here in Buenos Aires. I went to a place called “Bodegon de las Abuelas” which means “Home Cooked Meal.” I ordered a salad and “half” a sirloin steak (but you tell me as it looked like a full portion to me):
This is what Argentinians believe a “half” of a steak looks like ;-)
Yesterday, the weather was cooperating nicely. It was a fully sunny day and not a cloud in the sky. I don’t mind all the overcast clouds and drizzle. It feels a bit like Seattle, Washington or my home town of Santa Rosa during it’s “winter” (i.e. the wet season). But when the skies opened up, it was truly a magnificent day and I took some pictures of street art and the nearby parks.
The street art in Buenos Aires really grabs you with bright colors
Today I am rested, fulfilled and ready for my next adventure: Uruguay. Ready, in large part to my friend Jill (see related post). When I first saw how close Montevideo (Uruguay) was to Buenos Aires (Argentina), my first thought was, “How could I not!?!”
Up until this trip, I had not given Uruguay much thought. I remember being stumped by this country in elementary school when I was required to memorize the names of all the South American countries. My mom would quiz me and inevitably Uruguay was one of the last countries I’d pull from my memory banks. And now, like magic, I’m going to be spending a week in this beautiful country with a number of Jill’s friends. How cool is that?
Today, I took a short ferry ride from Buenos Aires to Montevideo. Unlike the airports, I arrived only an hour before departure, breezed through check-in, security and both immigration stations (i.e. leaving Argentina and entering Uruguay). I even got another stamp in my passport. Despite many countries requiring a full page in my passport for an on-the-spot travel visa, I’m only counting 21 stamps – a far cry from the total number of countries I’ve visited in the past 12 months. The European Union, for example, only stamps on the way in (i.e. in my case, Dublin, Ireland) and upon exit (for me, that was Athens, Greece). And, of course, England now that Brexit is in full effect. I do miss all the extra stamps before the EU was formed, but agree it’s a lot more seamless traveling inside of Europe these days. There are always trade-offs.
While I wait for my ferry to board, I’m struck by the beauty of this local artist from Buenos Aires:
Stunning art from local artist, Paula Barbini (Tandil, Buenos Aires)
And then, before I know it, we’re being called to board the ferry.
This ferry was primarily created to transport cars, trucks and commercial vehicles over the water. Yes, there are many passengers here enjoying the ride, but it’s clear the primary purpose is cargo transport. And it turns out that in order to take advantage of the more convenient exit time of 12:15pm, the ferry will now drop me off in Colonia and then have me hop on a bus to complete my journey to Montevideo. No matter. As long as I can grab my luggage in time and make the transfer, should be all set.
On the bus ride, I responded to the many comments made to yesterday’s LinkedIn post (72 comments and climbing). Gratitude begets more gratitude. I love it. Then I stopped at the ATM machine to grab some Uruguayan Pesos and walked to my AirBnb where I met my host Nella and her adorable cat (whose name I promptly forgot). Don’t worry, she’ll remind me tomorrow (and I assure you, the cat is indifferent as long as my lap is warm and I keep the ear scratches coming).
I’m going with “no name” for now … I’ll catch this cat’s name tomorrow
Rental kitties are the best. I’m the stranger so I promptly must be thoroughly checked out. That includes my luggage, clothes, hands and legs. My lap must be tested for warmth and crawling around inside my backpack is a must. Why? Because it’s box-like and cat lore dictates that all objects that appear box-like must be entered and sat inside of. My cat Leo would be happy to explain. He loves laying on top of our unopened suitcases in the living room just to display his dominance over said suitcases. Upon opening to remove the laundry, it takes less than a minute for Leo to jump on in and settle on the inside of whichever suitcase is left open temporarily.
“What?” asks Leo. “You reminded me I hadn’t been in this box today.”
Unlike Leo, however, I have no parental requirements. No feeding, watering or changing the litterbox. Not that this is a “hardship,” just a bonus that I need not do it when staying in the AirBnb of someone else’s home with established pets.
And so, tonight I’ll get to know my host over dinner and the tomorrow I explore Montevideo and get fully acclimated to Uruguay. So far, it’s only slightly colder than Buenos Aires. And I suspect Santiago, Chile (where I’m headed this coming Friday) will be colder still. That will just make me appreciate the summer I get to return back to in New York in 12 day’s time.
First piece of art I came across in Montevideo, Uruguay.
First look on my walk from the bus station to my AirBnb. I’ll do the deeper dive tomorrow. Good night for now.
