Montevideo layover

So, this past week was, to say the least, incredible.  After planning with some friends for 2 months, we set a date, bought tickets, and took off all in a week and a half.
The plan was:
Santiago-->Montevideo (Flight layover of almost 10 hours during the night) -->Buenos Aires --> Boat to Montevideo --> Bus to Colonia --> Boat to Buenos Aires -->Fly Montevideo (2 hour layover) --> Santiago.

You might be wondering why the crazy complexities of a trip, and I will tell you.. Money!  To fly directly from Go-Town, Chile to Buenos Aires, Argentina would have cost at least $300 (this is also coming from a site which finds all the cheapest flights for you!) BUT, to fly Go-Town to Montevideo and then to Buenos Aires, price didn't even touch $200... almost touched it... but thats not the point.
So, being frugal University students living in a different country wanting to see as much as possible without selling body parts on the black market, we decided to do the 10 hour layover in Montevideo.
This post, and the following few, will define the incredible adventures of this trip.. Enjoy!

What to do for 7 hours (subtract time going through customs. Asking about buses and taxis. Taking money out of the ATM. Finding a bus. Riding bus for 40 minutes to bus terminal. and then the 2+ hours before morning flight required for all international flights) in a city where few tourists ever seem to venture?

-Ask your taxi driver to take you to Plaza de Independencia.  Any guidebook will tell you that at a Plaza, there is always a party... or robbers.. You pay your driver, hop out, heeding his warnings about dangerous thugs out in this part of town, and start wandering around (not in a touristy fashion!)

-You snap a picture or two, hoping your friends "got your back" and will pull out some random ninja moves if necessary

Plaza de Independencia

Teatro near Plaza de Independencia

-then keep wandering until you hear the loud American-Remixed music.  IRISH PUB!  Safe bet for hours of nothing else to do!

-Have a couple huge bong looking tubes filled with beer (to share!) and just take in all the random French Naval men hitting on you in their poor English, although they are fully aware that your friend speaks fluent 

French and can easily translate. (this went on for about 1.5-2 hours).

-Start playing card games, drawing in some local Urugayos (Uruguashos) who are quite nice, and buy a double sized bong looking tube of beer to share with you and your friends.

- Politely, yet forcefully, decline an Uruguayo's almost fatal attempt to kiss you. Eh.. negativo imbecil.

-Allow the Uruguayos (after awkward silence and then awkward jokes about the previous occurance) to get you and company a taxi to terminal.

-Wait about 1.5 hours at the bus terminal, waiting for the bus which should have arrived about 3 different times within the said amount... Drinking heated up Southern Ice Tea (with a hint of lemon) (YUCK)

-Make it to the terminal about 3.5 hours before take off... 

-Grab a warm beverage from the McCafe, and sleep (in turns...someone has to watch the luggage) on the very comfortable couches until the 2 hour before take off time.

-Perform Operation Sleep Deprived Mission Bunny...
Your orders: stealthily infiltrate the Duty Free Shop in order to take handfulls of the free Hersheys Kisses and other divine Chocolates out for sampling, without being detected.
Operation successful.... about 3 times.   

-Hop on the plane (Gate was a tarmack, where we hop on a bus, drive across the tarmack to the plane and then climb the steps to board the plane.)

-Take off!

Please be reminded that we have all been up for approxi 26 hours at this point...