Today we had an exciting day and went to Colonia, Uruguay. We took a boat and it was a less than two hour ride. Colonia is right on the water. However, the water is brown due to heavy metals and clay. We started the day with a walking tour of Colonia. It was very windy and cold when we got there, but the sun later came out and it was beautiful. During the tour we saw many stray dogs playing with each other. We learned that the community takes care of the dogs and they get tested to make sure they are healthy. I was shocked by this because there are so many strays and in the U.S I have never heard of anyone doing this. We also saw a church that was constructed by a military soldier so the church is not a typical Catholic Church appeal. They also had a pretty light house and we could see people looking at the ocean at the top of the lighthouse. After the walking tour, we went on a bus tour and visited Plaza de Toros Real de San Carlos, which used to be a bullring. However it was only used for two years before the government banned bullfighting. We went to lunch and later explored the city. It had beautiful architecture and incredible views of the ocean. Uruguay is also known for their cheese so me and my friend went to this cheese tasting place with incredible food and nice workers! It was cool to go to another country so easily. Overall, I had a fun day with friends and still learned in the process!

Also, shoutout to one of our group leaders Jason. He is very open to answering questions about Argentina and has very helpful feedback!