Buenos Aires Day Two

I have a confession to make.

It is not a sin of commission.

It is a sin of omission.

I have cheated all of you and just blew by a Port, not just any Port mind you….. this is the Port that we all loved in Grammar School Geography because of its weird sounding name……

Monty-Video

Or Montevideo (Monta-vi-day‘-oh)

I hope that you can forgive me.

“Now you’re pushin’ it a little too far don’t ya think Donny”?

Well….. I can make it up to you! I promise! I’ll share some of those little Chocolate Truffles that I get down in Vines, you know, the Wine Bar.

“What!!!???”

“There’re Chocolate Truffles on board!!!???”

(Uncomfortable pause)

Oops!  Well, ah…. yea…. hah hah hah 😊

“It’s 36 days into the Voyage and we’re just finding out now!!!???”

(Really uncomfortable pause followed by a gulp)

“You gots lotsa ‘splainin’ ta do boy!!!”

Ok…. it goes like this…. Once upon a time there was this guy on board a big boat that stopped at really cool places like the North Pole, Willy Wonka’s place, a Boat Store, National Geographic Headquarters, Motorhomes-R-Us, and a host of other similar fun places…… including a spot called Monty’s Video. Not only did the boat go to Monty’s Video once, but it also actually stopped back there after going to ………..

“Whoa there! You mean you went to Montevideo twice and didn’t clue us in!!!???”

I’m throwing myself on the mercy of the court, I have no defense, it’s just that the first time was on New Years Day, and nothing was really open, and the second time was directly after two days in Buenos Aires, with that second day spent on the Delta on Tomàs’s boat. We were bushed and needed a Sea Day, which actually was a Dock Day as we spent the whole day tied to the dock. And besides, there wasn’t anything that we really wanted to do in Montevideo.

I rest my case.

(Waiting for the Jury to come back)

“Ok…… so tell us all about this Day on the Delta and bring us lots of Chocolate Truffles and we’ll suspend your sentence, but we’re warning you, don’t try this again!”

Phewf! Thank you, you won’t regret this, and I actually do have a few pics of the first day we were here, so I’ll share them with you…… after I tell you about the Delta!

                        Not really knowing anything about this area we looked on TBL for another type of tour and found numerous Delta Tours. Just north of the city lies the Rio Parana de las Palmas and also the Rio Guazu. Together they make up a gigantic delta which is perfect if you are a pirate (they liked to hide in all of the streams and estuaries) or if you would like to have a second home for weekends and holidays, etc. You see, there are no roads that connect all of these hundreds of islands, just waterways and mostly shallow ones at that. But that does not stop thousands of folks from building nifty homes out there. This area has been popular ever since the early 1900’s and with their economy on the rise it is more accessible to everyone.

                        Tomás picked us up from the ship and drove us the hour or so north to the marina where his boat is kept. His boat is a little 19-footer with a 115 Evinrude hanging on the transom, and it’s a bowrider, just perfect for a day in these parts. Tomas is another fountain of Historical Knowledge which he regaled us with at lunch. More on that later.

                        After getting aboard we exited the marina and wound our way down and into the Delata proper. Interestingly, there are no Slow Speed-No Wake zones here. You can drive your boat in any way that you see fit, and I guess, not suffer any consequences except the dirty looks and formidable hand gestures that may be displayed by the numerous kayakers, swimmers, and small dock owners. There are no roads but there is electricity, and they use a combination of river water and bottled water. Even though the river is heavily silted and tinted brown, it is very clean. If you scoop up a glass full of it, it looks almost clear. It is the dissolved clay that tints it, making it just fine for washing dishes and bathing. I suspect that it would stain clothing, however.

                        We pulled into El Gato Blanco (The White Cat) for lunch. A guy met us at the dock and took the boat to another mooring area while we were there. This place is not only exquisitely located, it is also exceptionally spotless. They are only open for lunch every day, nothing else unless they have a wedding or something like that. Your first thought would be, “How do they get all the peeps there?” The answer is the Bus Boat! Old, really cred wooden boats ply the waters up, down, in, and out of the Delta bringing folks that do not have their own water-type transportation. Kind of like Venice.

During lunch Tomas gave us another History Lesson using a notebook that he scribbled in just to keep himself on track. This resembled the “circles and arrows with a paragraph describing each one” from Alices’ Restaurant fame. Completely from memory and very detailed, Tomas took us from the 1500’s right up to present day. This was accomplished between mouthfuls of our muy delicioso beef asada (again!) and another variation of the Provoletto. He finished just in time to get us out of there as the Bus Boats were starting at arrive, shattering our peaceful, solitary lunch extravaganza.

                        After lunch we continued down the main river to arrive almost at the bay across from the city. Here we stopped for gin and tonics and a little fishing. Nestled in a back cove we tied off to a stick protruding out of the water. It was just enough to keep us from drifting. Egrets, herons, and the like, abounded and they were easy to spot (and photograph!) as the reeds and sawgrass were only a few feet high.

 Our relatively short stay here brought zero fish to the line and as we were leaving Port in a few hours, we packed up and headed back to the Marina.

We arrived back at the Ship in plenty of time before sailing. One of the coolest things about Cruising is when they sound the horn to indicate what maneuver is going to be attempted. Three short blasts and one long one indicates reverse, three shorts mean forward, with many others in their repertoire. Then we get the captains that salute each other as they pass in the harbor or are near each other in Port. One of the great aspects of being on a Princess Ship is that they get to sound their horns playing the theme music from the Love Boat. It sounds so cool and no one else has anything like it!

I know…… it’s the little things!

And don’t fret none…. our trip to Monty’s Video is forthcoming!