From Buenos Aires, I took a relaxing three hour ferry to Colonia in Uruguay. From there it was a four hour bus journey to the capital, Montevideo. The countryside on the way to Montevideo was flat, green and with lots of palm trees. That combined with the archetecture in Montevideo being old, I felt like I was in the carribean in the 70's.
I had a cool hotel in the city centre with a great breakfast. Not just bread and coffee but fruit, cake and cereal - much appreciated. I met up with Alberto and he showed me around his town. He joined me on a guided tour of the city even though he knew more than the guide. And I was fortunate to meet his family who were very warm and welcoming.
I took a day trip by myself to Punte del Este, a wealthy beach town two hours north of Montevideo. It was a fine sunny day and I enjoyed a swim in the Atlantic ocean. Punte del Este aslo has a port which was full of large yachts and two large cruise ships. I could only afford to buy lunch from the supermarket in this exclusive beach town.
December 23rd, I went further north along the coast to a small fishing village called Punte del Diablo. This quiet town attracts many backpackers, hippies and those seeking the bohemian lifestyle. The houses, shops and hotels are painted different colours and as I trudged the streets in the rain looking for a hotel I felt like I was in Ireland. I found a small quiet place overlooking the beach and settled into relaxsville.
Christmas Eve was a sunny day and I spent the day wandering the area and meditating by the sea. I've already written about my Christmas day in a previous entry (U R Gay), where I had to take a taxi to chase my bus so I could get back to Montevideo to catch a flight that afternoon. Well, I made it to the airport but because I didn't have a visa for Brasil, I had to move my flight back two days. My friend Alberto very kindly let me stay with him and his family.
Meanwhile, I went to the Brasilan embassy and usually it takes two working days but I was lucky to get a visa within one business day. Glad everything worked out and I didn't have to change my flight again and put my hosts out even more.
The funny thing here is so many people carry around a flask and mug to drink herbal tea. They're addicted to the shit. One thing I love about the people of Montevideo, though, is that instead of saying 'de nada' for 'you're welcome'. They say 'por favor' - 'please'. And so now I say it all the time.
'Thanks for your help'
'Oh, please'
So second time lucky I caught my flight from Montevideo to Brasil. Where exactly? I was on my way to the Iguazu Falls on the border of Brasil and Argentina. My time there had been cut by two days but I'd still have time to visit the natural wonder.
