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We live in an age of convenience and instant gratification. More is done with less and efficiency is one of the prime tenets of a successful business venture. However, when one goes to a world famous tourist attraction but is then greeted by a train, then an elevator and then two escalators, you have to wonder about the romance of tourism being almost dead.
Christ the Redeemer, is the most famous feature in Rio de Janeiro, maybe perhaps in South America and is as iconic as the Eiffel Tower or the CN Tower.
In my travels, I have seen some pretty amazing things, but I think the escalators at Cristo Redentor epitomize the slow death of romantic travel. I’ve known about these escalators for a while, having read the wikis and the guidebooks, but I find this scene a bit surreal. There are the people who will say that this is wonderful, and makes a tourist attraction accessible for those who are unable to climb a mountain. Really? Then why not put an escalator to the top of Everest or a cable car right to the top of K2?
Of course, the view from the top of Corcovado is completely worth the 36 Reais (22.5$ CDN) to get to the top. Getting to Corcovado was easy as pie. All one has to do is grab a taxi from downtown or Ipanema and ask to get out at the Corcovado Cogwheel Train Station.
Once you get into the train station, you pay your fare and head on to the train. There is a nice little area with the flags of the world and the train musuem at the back. Naturally, I looked for the “Trini” flag… but I was surprised to actually see it hanging there
Anyway, although this is tourist trap supreme, it is an absolute must do, simply because it is a truly iconic symbol of a magnetic city and like the Eiffel Tower, Empire State Building and others, it offer a vantage point that is breathtaking.
It’s unfortunate that I couldn’t capture the view in all its wonder as it was a bit overcast with high winds and fog.
So after the viewing and going up and down the mountain, then it was back to the hotel and gear up for dinner. A curious occurence at dinner though, whereever one goes in the world, it is funny that misunderstandings happen because of an expectation that events should follow a script. For instance, if one asks for bread, then you expect some butter with your bread. If one asks for Olive Oil to dip your bread in, you expect a little bottle or vial of Olive Oil…. one does not expect this…
Nothing like a reminder of lovely places and sunrises as a pick me up in the morning.
Nov 162009
One would assume that trying to book a ferry trip from Buenos Aires to Colonia or Montevideo should be a fairly simple process. You look online, find your ticket, purchase and then show up at the Ferry terminal and take your ferry. This is a “Western” assumption on how processes should work. This assumption is highly erroneous in the Latin American context!
Trying to book the right fare online from the Buquebus website is an exercise in utter futility, since the website currently times out, invokes errors and cannot properly process any credit card transactions. In North America, we assume that we can now buy anything online and that the websites will just work magically with out errors. Of course, this requires proper application testing. I assume that Buquebus got a pack of wild monkeys from Indonesia to test their application, because the site performance is terrible. So the lesson here is don’t even try the website for booking, but there are some good packages that are offered on the site.
Of course, since you are going between countries, to take the ferry, you will need your passport and the tourist card you received when you originally entered Argentina. When you leave Uruguay you will have to pay a departure tax. The departure tax was $17 USD as of Nov 2009. Very conveniently, the Uruguayan and Argentinean immigration are placed in the Buquebus departing hall; thus you get both stamps on the same spot.
- The trip between Buenos Aires and Colonia takes 3 hours on the regular ferry or just 1 hour on the fast ferry. I highly recommend the faster ferry if you are traveling on a day trip. Colonia is very small and can easily be seen in its entirety in one full day; some would even say less.
- The trip to Montevideo takes 3 hours on the fast ferry.
So a couple tips for using the Buquebus
- Do not buy your ticket the same day you want to leave Buenos Aires, this can result in frustration and disappointment, unless you show up at the terminal about 4 hours earlier.
- Tickets for day trips do actually sell out – buy in advance
- Have your passport ready and ensure that you can actually get to Uruguay legally. The assumption is that the same rules, your country had for Argentina, will apply for Uruguay
- The first class option is a nicer option as you are guaranteed a better seat on the higher level, complimentary bubbly and a private snack bar. It’s not that much more than “Turista fare”, if you book in advance.
- Expect tons of traffic into the terminal, if you are taking a taxi. It’s better to get off two streets prior and walk.
Another option would be to use Colonia Express. If you book far enough ahead of time you can get some of the cheapest ferry rates. Which is nothing to scoff at, when during high season you might pay as much as AR$400 for a ticket to Montevideo or Punta del Este. 20 days in advance qualifies you for the lower price. I have heard good things about the service, so there is an alternative to the Buquebus madness.
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