Colonia de Santiago, Uruguay - Day 1

I went on a tour of Colonia de Santiago today. This UNESCO site is an old town which has been well preserved to show the old Portuguese and Spanish architecture. This town traded hands multiple times as this city was passed back and forth to settle disputes between the two countries.

One thing that I learned on this tour is that the cobble stones roads were designed in the Portuguese style of a slight “U” concave shape to allow the water to drain off in the middle. While it was efficient at draining the water, it can be somewhat difficult to traverse. Conversely, the Romans built their cobble stone streets in an upside down “U” shape to allow the water to drain off to the sides which is equally efficient and allows for easier transport.

Colonia de Santiago, Uruguay - Day 1