http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from South America , Uruguay en-us Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:18:33 +0000 Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:18:33 +0000 Been a while couple of weeks since I have found time to sit down at a computer and get my thoughts down. I am now in Sao Paulo Brasil mega city of Brasil and the major middle class commerce city as well. It may not be by the beach like Rio and the Paulistas may have a workacholic reputation but I think it has its charms. Anyway Ill rewind a little bit. About 2 weeks ago I left the comfort of http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/East/Punta-del-Diablo/blog-458004.html So...after Patagonia we were back in Buenos Aires our favourite city We weren't here for long this time though as we had decided to head into Uruguay for a week or so. However whilst in BA we did take the chance to visit the hospital as Ben's thumb was still playing up from his fall in Colombia 4 months ago The doctor was a little surprised that we hadn't had it checked out yet and sent us http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/East/Punta-del-Diablo/blog-456267.html I have decided to leave the sailing expedition and venture off on my own.... Currently I am returning home for the Thanksgiving holiday and will be back in Argentina in December.Ben http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/District-of-Montevideo/Montevideo/blog-454861.html We were up early for our transfer not that we had much choice as the ibis nesting around the farm made far more noise than the cockerel and driven into town for a 4 hour bus ride to montevideo. Doesn't look like a south american city there are plane trees and mixture of european architectural styles it's small too. There is of course lots of drab concrete but it could be europe 10 yea http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/West/Colonia-del-Sacramento/blog-453353.html We were met in Salta by Juan miguel and he was kind enough to ferry us over to the thermal baths think hot swimming pools and then the 3 hours into the middle of nowhere to the ranch. It turns out that Uruguay is absolutely lovely verdant gently rolling countryside and pretty little towns. Our first job on the ranch was to herd 200 sheep onto a lorry and then we had some free time Rab ha http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/North/Tacuarembo/blog-453352.html This is the wonderful sunset we had for Halloween. The sky is on fire. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/District-of-Montevideo/Montevideo/blog-450767.html We arrived in Montevideo about 12 days ago via a boat trough the Delta from Tigre in Argentina to Carmelo in Uruguay. On the journey we noticed Tigre actually had a theme park we hadn't done much as it had been raining and saw lots of little houses dotted through the bush including little old rotting boathouses with people putting out their washing and drinking mate. oh the simple lifeWe found http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/District-of-Montevideo/Montevideo/blog-450331.html We had a near gale this evening. The water was breaking over the breakwater at Puerto Buceo in Montevideo and the tide was almost over the quay. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/District-of-Montevideo/Montevideo/blog-450000.html Uruguay punta del Diablo rocks As soon as we stepped off the boat even though i had a raging fever and about four layers on in the high 20s we felt this country was so chilled out. Richard is so strong these days he has been carrying 2 rucksacks around like a hero as i have been so weak The roads in this country are amazingly flat with loads of palm trees and cows everyehere. Its mega weird s http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/East/Punta-del-Diablo/blog-447330.html Nach gut 1 12 Wochen in Buenos Aires. Muss ich villeicht wieder einmal meine Meinung ueber Grossstaedte revidieren. Buenos Aires ist super nett. Die Stadt lebt und zieht einem einfach mit. Die Leute sind aeusserst freundlich und von der Arroganz die man den Porteos Einwohner von BA nachsagt habe ich nicht viel gemerkt. BA hat nicht viele sensationelle Sehenswuerdigkeiten aber es gibt immer w http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/West/Colonia-del-Sacramento/blog-444967.html After two days in Colonia we took a 2 hour bus ride East to the Capitial of Uruguay Montevideo. The architecture here was amazing Very European. The city was big but easy to negotiate. We enjoyed it better in B.A. because you did not have people coming up to you constantally trying to sell you things. We stayed here for two nights and took in a Tango show too. The entertainment was great an http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/District-of-Montevideo/Montevideo/blog-444681.html After spending sometime in Argentina we decided to hop on a boat and take a 1 hour ferry to the country of Uruguay. Our first stop was Colonia del Sacramento. This cozy town sits on the Rio Plata and still has its cobble stone streets and quaint houses. It wasnt a very big town but a nice break from the hussle and bustle of the Big City. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/West/Colonia-del-Sacramento/blog-444677.html Got up early too early Uruguay sprung forward last night for their DST and went to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Colonia de Sacremento. It really feels like a town frozen in time. I had parilla today for lunch Mmmmmm.... My cholesterol just went up a few notches.I left there on the fast ferry to Buenos Aries back in Standard time Argentina doesn't spring forward till October 18th http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/West/Colonia-del-Sacramento/blog-442149.html Its 3.30 am we have just been dropped off by the bus we are standing in the dark the cold. We stand outside a police station on the main street its not a street its a sand track. Where are we Where do we go Will our hostel guy come pick us up in his truck He does. He arrives in the smallest van you have ever seen. Our bags take up the entire back of the van we struggle to fit on the row http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/East/Punta-del-Diablo/blog-442046.html The next day I took the bus back from Montevideo to Colonia del Sacramento feeling that I had experienced Montevideo as much as a traveler could without some local connections. With my friend Timmy from Switzerland I took the city bus back to the long distance bus station which incidentally is a shopping mall on the top floor and a bus terminal on the bottom to catch our four hour ride to the http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/West/Colonia-del-Sacramento/blog-441566.html The long and winding road to Rosario didnt quite lead us to what we were promised. Our first bus arrived over an hour late. Im actually convinced that the bus left without us and they had to put a replacement one in service to take us. We were the only two people on the bus the bus was cold dark and had no onboard entertainment. It was a miserable 7 hours or so. And just as we had resigned ourse http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/West/Colonia-del-Sacramento/blog-440247.html The rainy cold front continued and I decided to change my plans and head straight for the capitol Montevideo instead of going to one of the smaller beach cities further along the coast. There should be more to do and see there given the weather. At breakfast I found the couple I had dinner with last night had come to that very same conclusion so we went to the bus station together and ended u http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/District-of-Montevideo/Montevideo/blog-438317.html I took a Buquebus ferry across the river to Uruguay to the town of Colonia del Sacremento a small city founded by the Portuguese as a smuggling port and found it a world away from Buenos Aires. Yes it is kept up as a tourist destination particularly for local tourists but even on a cold rainy and dark day it keeps its charm right down to the groups of children on their way home from class http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/West/Colonia-del-Sacramento/blog-437317.html After the excitment of BA we decided we needing some quiet time to relax and work on our tans as the end of our trip approached.We headed to the beaches in Uruguay and after a night in the expensive and holidayresort feel of Punta del Este we were up in the morning to take the local bus to Punta del Diablo an old fishing village where we rented a cabana beach hut with 2 of the Irish lads we had http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/East/Punta-del-Diablo/blog-434207.html ..drei U auf engstem Raum ich denke oft an Uruguay... ein Wochenende in Montevideo...wir haben beschlossen einen Wochenendausflug nach Uruguay zu machen und dies auch in die Tat umgesetzt.Es war alles dabei wild...dunkel und Zauberei.Wir sind mit der Faehre drei Stunden nach Montevideo gefahren als wir dort ankamen war es bereits dunkelobwohl es erst 19uhr war. Und es war wirklich dunkel nur http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/District-of-Montevideo/Montevideo/blog-432751.html