Uruguay

Tried to post sooner, but today is first time I had Internet quick enough to post multiple pictures ... likely will be a recurring theme throughout the trip.

Went to Uruguay to basically to take a vacation from the vacation after a grueling week of spanish lessons in BA and with multiday trekking trips in Patagonia looming in the almost visible horizon. An amazing, relaxing country and experience...

Colonia

Took 3 hour ferry from BA to Colonia. A picturesque cobbled street town on the water, with old buildings and open air restaurants

Manantiales





A small beach town a 15 minute bus ride north from rich and touristy Punte Del Este. Met a guy on the bus that insited on helping us find our hostel and taking us out for a coffee (Still a bit paranoid of people being overly friendly but only slightly now).






Highlight of the town were the waves, A-frame, head-high to 4 ft overhead, "one of the best days of the year." Had my leash snap for the first time about 300 yards from shore and luckly got a few offers for rides in. This is the picture from the day before of a guy surfing when the waves were smaller.





Punte Del Diablo


Planned to stay in this small sand road fishing/surfing village for 2 nights, instead stayed 5. Complete beauty. A national reserve to the north leaves endless kms of unbuilt beach.




Stayed at a hostel in an 8 bunk dorm room in a small shed behind the house where you wake up because mosquitios are biting you, however, the view from the deck (below) and 1 minute walk to the water easily makes up for the discomfort.

A steady diet of wood coal cooked seafood and meat and wine and cervezas. Pictured (from right) Michele, Two French guys we traveled with a few days, Santiago the Argentinan surf instructor and Sabena a German Woman

A beautiful town and the beautiful common bathing atire


Cabo Polinio


A small small town a bit south of Punte Del Diablo. The bus drops you at the side of the road and the only way to get to the village is a 20 minute 4-whd ride along sand roads and the beach. At the end you are dumped in the "middle" of this small hut/cabin community that is situated on a point jutting out in the atlantic.

Both places Michele and I stayed had no electricty and manual flush toliets where you fill up a bucket from a well and pour it in the toliet.

The crazy/beautiful places you stay while traveling on a budget

typical afternoon


Probably would have stayed longer but neither of the last 2 towns had an ATM so had to move on.


La Pedrera


Yet another beach town, but bigger... 2 or 3 paved roads. Felt like we were at the epicenter of commerical beach culture after the last week.

Next up


Flying down to El Calafate tomorrow