Location: Guatemala

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Adding to my sunburn tally in Uruguay


I can think of two occasions on my whole trip where I've seen some form of water mass. Lima, where we looked out across the pacific from the massive mall built on the edge of a cliff, and Lago Titicaca where I absolutely fried myself on the boat cruise to the islands - see my legs.... Desperately craving some beach time and some down time after our speedy trip of Puerto Iguazu, we headed to Uruguay.

We'd heard varying reports of Uruguay, and taking up only 10 pages or so in my guide book you could see why people would give it a miss, but it is a little gem, particularly the area of 'Punta del Diablo' (literally translated as 'end of the devil'), a remote little fishing village 4 hours north of the capital Montevideo - think wooden cabins, dirt streets, dreadlocks, wandering pipe and flute playing musicians and beaches that stretch as far as the eye can see. There would have to be more weirdly shaved heads/dreadlocks here per capita than anywhere else in the world. The half head shave is extremely popular, and I have seen some good two sided head shaves with a really long bit in the middle, kind of like a horse's mane. Can't say I'm planning to adopt this style anytime soon.

To get to Uraguay we caught the 'speedy' ferry across from Buenos Aires to Colonia, an old Portuguese port used to smuggle goods into Buenos Aires. This time we had no choice but to go first class (seriously). The next ferry, which was considerably cheaper was a 5 hour wait. Not wanting to waste a whole day sitting in the ferry terminal, we splurged and boarded the massive P&O style boat, minus the decks. Trapped inside with salted up windows and an expensive bar (that we avoided), our trip across the Rio de la Plata (the 'River of Silver') was uneventful. To keep us amused, and to recoup some moolah we'd forked out, we hatched a plan to drink the cost of our tickets in free champagne that was being handed out. Our plan failed miserably however when the champagne lady disappeared on us mid journey.

In no time we were pulling into the port of Calonia del Sacramento. A picturesque cobblestoned street town, filled with good restaurants, cute houses and antique cars (some complete with shrubery). Having not booked a hostel, it being at least 40 degrees, and struggling to walk on cobblestones fully laydened with 20kgs of stuff, Claire and I left Jules with all our luggage under a tree somewhere while we tried to find a cheapish hostel. Turns out Uruguay is expensive (by our standards...). After about an hour we returned with only one hostel name. By the time we got back up there, having stopped for lunch (baggage still in tow) it was booked out. Joy. Luckily for us there was another one not too much further down the street.

On our wanders for a hostel we discovered a really cute plaza lined with restaurants. We headed back up there that night for a meal - choosing to eat at 'El Drugstore' (random) cause it had live music and a cute car out the front that they had pulled all the insides out of and put a table and chairs in. Not that we got to dine in there, it being reserved for the romantics. While slowly being eaten by mosquitos, I ate a really good sweet and sour chicken dish, accompanied by copious amounts of sangria.

Walking along the water in Punta del DiabloUruguay

Some of us bearing slightly sore heads, we got up early the next morning so that we could make it all the way to Punta del Diablo, aColoniashrubberyladenedbout mosquitoes7 hours away. We arrived just before dusk in Punta del Diablo. However, with no street signage, and crappy directions from the local police, we followed randomly placed signs that had our hostel name on it, but no arrows... helpful. I wasn't complaining however when we finally arrived. Located right on the beach, our room looked out across the sand out to the ocean in one direction, and back towards the village in the other. Magnificent, but time for food so we wandered back down the road into town.

The view from our room

I feared another Copacabana incident was brewing (ie. having no cash and no ATM in town) when we asked around for a 'cajero' and all we got was vacant looks. We spent what little money we had left on dinner (no beer allowed because we didn't have enough) with fingers and toes crossed that an ATM would magically fall out of the sky and we wouldn't be stuck in Punta del Diablo. Not that I would complain. I could easily live here! A bit of Google action later that evening pointed us in the direction of the only ATM in town. Hidden back up in the sand dunes where you would never find it. We eventually managed to locate it, but little use it did me - Claire went first and cleared the thing of cash.

Having done at least 54 hours of bus travel in the past 4 days, I craved a walk when I got up the next morning. Claire and I strolled up along the beach (fabulous look sneakers on the sand) and over the headlands to the next beach along. The walk turned into a marathon however when we lost our way in the National Park that we ventured into. Not thinking that the park would be as big as it is, we followed the road hoping it would lead us back to Punta del Diablo. It didn't. What was supposed to be an hour or so walk turned into a 2.5 hour expedition through the forest in the stinking heat. Not thinking we'd be outside for so long, I didn't put any suncream on and have now added to my collection of feral tan lines. I tried to rectify the disgustingness later in the day by lying on the beach. My plan failed. I spent the next day in agony, having now burnt the top of my legs and butt. Joy. I now have 3 shades of brown on my leg. It's really attractive....

My day did get better - we went horse riding in the evening along the beach (rather painful with a sun burnt butt). Though we managed to miss the sunset having spent too long picnicking and drinking wine with our tour guide who really liked to talk, it was still awesome to canter along the beach - the sound of the crashing waves and the moon, which was almost full, lighting our way. I did get yet another doofy horse though, called 'Diablo' or 'little devil'. He like to stop randomly without warning (though luckily not when we were cantering, else I surely would not have of stayed on). Our guide had to give me a stick to make him go. In the end I caught on to what might be causing him to stop suddenly - Jules' horse. I don't think they were very good friends. Her mare kicked Diablo at one point when I got too close. Diablo reared but soon calmed down and we continued at a much greater distance behind Jules up the sand dunes.

We spent 4 relaxing days in Punta del Diablo before heading south to Cabo Polonio - a tiny fishing village hidden behind sand dunes that everyone you talk to raves about; a town you won't find in your Lonely Planet. After managing to arrange a ticket with the bitchy and totally unhelpful bus lady we boarded our bus to make the 2 hour or so journey. Everyone else had the same idea. If our bus was made for 100 people, it had to have at least 140 people on it. We were sandwiched, shoulder to shoulder, in the aisle (much to our surprise when we couldn't find seat numbers on our tickets). While totally packed, the bus continued to stop at bus stops along the way, picking up even more people. We must have looked like a can of sardines from the outside. With sore backs from bad beds in Punta del Diablo, it was not a fun trip.

The jeeps to get into Cabo Polonio
The bus to Polonio drops you off on the main road where you jump in a 4x4 with monster truck tyres to take you over the sand dunes, along the beach and to the town - the only way to get there. Again, having booked no hostel, we did the hostel wander. We settled on Gramp's and G-ma's cottage - an elderly couple's home. They had boarded up all the doors on the inside to make several bedrooms, renting them for US$50 per night. With no electricity, running water, or flushing toilets, you felt like you were being a bit ripped off. But it was fun nonetheless. We explored the local markets, had lunch in a restaurant on the water, wandered up to the lighthouse to do some sea lion spotting, strolled along the beach (which is not so fun when there are dead turtles and sea lions washed up on shore)and climbed the massive sand dunes in the late afternoon.

On top a sand dune

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

LOL! that tan line is horrendus ;) that story of you guys wandering in the national park made me laugh out loud. miss you both!!!! xoxoxoxox A