On this morning we are crossing the Rio de la Plata from Buenos Aires Argentina to Colonia Uruguay. This river is a combination of the Uruguay River and the Parana River. It separates the borders of Argentina and Uruguay and opens to the Atlantic Ocean. It took about one hour for our ferry (Buquebus) to cross to Colonia.

We were greeted when we arrived in Uruguay by the family that would be hosting us with for the week. They took us into the old part of Colonia so I could take pictures. This place was amazing – I could have stayed there and taken photographs all day. Colonia del Sacramento was the only Portuguese settlement along the Rio de la Plata and was founded in 1680. For years it operated as a contraband port, evading the strictures imposed on trade by the Spanish crown. Today it is a resort city, a port, and the trade center for a rich agricultural region (http://gosouthamerica.about.com/cs/southamerica/a/UruColSacto.htm). I wish this area was close enough for photo shoots!

From here we had to drive a little over an hour to the ranch where we would be staying for the week. We stopped in a little town along the way to pick up another truck which gave me the opportunity to hop out and snap a few pictures. The schools in Uruguay are very crowded so students only go half a day. We were there around noon so the morning students were leaving and the afternoon students were arriving. What was interesting was their transportation. Almost all were on bikes or scooters. We actually  saw one scooter with an entire family of 5, but were in the car and I couldn’t get a shot. This is a public school and the students wear white uniforms. They were so kind and loved looking at the pictures I took. This is a very safe town and they don’t even lock their homes or bikes.

We went hunting with the guys that afternoon so I could get some pictures. They were hunting Perdiz (Partridge) that day. The rabbits were huge!

Wow, I didn’t realize we did so much in one day – no wonder I was tired! Tomorrow the guys go hunting again while Isabel and I make a trip to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.

Hola!

We are back from our amazing trip to South America. It was a once in a lifetime trip from the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina to our stay at a ranch in the country of Uruguay (and no Internet service).  I have so many pictures I thought I’d share a few each day. Today’s post is day 1 of our trip.

After a 10 hour flight overnight from Atlanta, we arrived in Buenos Aires to a downpour, but that didn’t stop us from going out to see some of the city. We took a walk to Puerto Madero and got drenched! No worries, this was the only day it rained on our entire trip. Their seasons are opposite ours so they are just going from fall to winter. The rest of the week was beautiful weather with lows in the 40′s and high’s in the 60′s. Our friend Isabel was awesome as a tour guide. Originally from Peru, she speaks Spanish so fast it’ll make your head spin! Nice umbrellas guys.

Here are some views from our hotel for the night – Bisonte Palace Hotel. I thought it was so ingenious that you had to put your room key in a slot for the electricity (lights & air) to work in the room. What a great way to conserve energy!

We had a great steak dinner that night at LaChacra. Argentina is known for having wonderful beef and they often cook it in a type of barbecue called parilla.

Back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep. We take a ferry (Buquebus) across the Rio De La Plata in the morning to Colonia, Uruguay. I’ll post those pictures por la mañana (in the morning).

Gracias to everyone who has waited so patiently for your images to be posted while I was away. I did several shoots just before leaving and should have all of your  images edited and galleries posted by the end of this week.