¡Felicidades!

Seasons Greetings

Merry Christmas and best wishes to all. We are missing family and friends as our travels continue and are looking forward to seeing everyone in the new year.  
Justin

Que todo el amor, alegría y abrazos se hagan presentes hoy y siempre. 
Muchos besos.
Cindy

Salto

Our view

Salto has a unique charm that separates it from being just another border town. With more than 100,000 inhabitants it is actually the third most populated city in all of Uruguay. We arrived in the evening and had a good look around prior to getting conveniently situated  in the heart of the downtown. We set out to visit the famous hot springs Termas de Dayman the following day but were promptly shut down by a weather advisory warning that caused them to be closed. The storm didn´t arrive as expected and in lieu of a relaxing day at the springs we spent our day in the streets of Salto. We visited Hotel Concordia, the oldest in Uruguay and tried our best to escape the throngs of people doing last minute shopping by seeking refuge in two of the cities enormous plazas. In the end, Uruguay provided us with a steady diet of empanadas, endless "buenas vistas" and kept us entertained throughout our stay. However, we are still curious about what people do between the hours of 12:00 - 4:00 p.m. "Nuh-sing´s happening!"   

   

Ceiba Tree

We arrived in Concordia, Argentina with little fanfare. The twelve hours spent here produced a photo of a tree and ample frustration in the bus terminal. Our attempts to get to Iguazu were thwarted by overflowing buses. In the end we were not able to connect the dots and make it to our previously planned destination in the north. Unable to see ourselves passing Navidad waiting for a bus we shelved our plans for Iguazu and expedited our visit to Córdoba. 

Gaucho country

Backpacker

After plenty of sun and sand we set our sights on the less travelled route towards the north. A city named Chuy, which is shared by Uruguay and Brazil served as our starting point. We slid under the wire and spent the day on the Porto Alegre side of the border. During our brief stay we managed to fit in an authentic Brazilian barbecue. The buffet itself was not particularly special other than having wild boar and probably too many chicken hearts on the menu. Obrigado!

Maldita matera

We left Chuy early the next morning and found ourselves spending a good chunk of our day in Treinta y Tres awaiting an onward bus. After a couple of missed opportunities earlier in our travels it was here that we finally got our hands on the perfect matera. With our new acquisition we can now sip yerba maté to our heart´s content.

The triple threat

After spending a night in Melo and devouring some chivito we were on the move again. This time at the early hour of 6:45 a.m. Tacuarembó was our next stop and we were now in the heart of Gaucho country. Pants tucked into knee high boots and berets galore. Not the pause for photos type of crew but the real McCoy. Here the plaza had a different version of Artigas, along with two other important figures in Uruguayan history, Lavalleja and Rivera.

Ruta Sureste

La Paloma

Solarium. Parque Santa Teresa

Our tour of Uruguay´s Atlantic coast continued with stops in La Paloma, Punta del Diablo and the Santa Teresa National Park. With each stop it was very evident that high season was around the corner. Many people were fixing up their shops or adding a fresh coat of paint to their signs and restaurants. Many places only open for a few months of the year so closed doors were a common theme in several of the villages.

Sombrarium. Parque Santa Teresa

We took an early bus to make the most out of our visit to Santa Teresa. We landed about 5 km short of our mark and had some early ground to make up on foot. Once in the park, we stumbled upon an impressive solarium and a "sombrarium" or a cooler temperature, shaded indoor garden. The grounds and venues within the park are taken care of by military personnel.

Some of the exotic plants in the area

A few more steps down the trail and we found a bird sanctuary and a few other native animals roaming around the nearby terrain. We passed through a busy campground and then arrived at some more closed doors. We had packed some of our own provisions so we stopped and recharged before hiking down to the beach to one of two whale watching lookout points that have been built along the coast. The stop didn´t turn up any whale sightings due to the time of year, but the cool breeze was good enough after a long hike under the sun.

La Fortaleza de Santa Teresa

After much ado we arrived at La Forteleza de Santa Teresa. Old forts never seem to disappoint and this was no exception. Built on high ground a few kilometers from the ocean meant four unique views of the surrounding terrain. Incoming enemy troops were likely to be spotted if advancing by land or water.    

Aniversario 250

We had planned a stop at the fort all along but it was dumb luck that we arrived during the 250 year anniversary celebration. The activities included an orchestra, traditional dance, plenty of antique exhibits and the firing of cannons.

Cabo Polonio

Cabo Polonio

Explorando las Dunas

We travelled to the isolated fishing village of Cabo Polonio by the only reasonable means available. A thirty minute ride in an old 4x4 truck carried us and our gear over the dunes and into the remote location. After spinning the tires a few times in the overburdened rig we arrived in the small colorful village.

Volando

We holed up in a hostel on the beach. After dropping our bags in our basic shelter we headed out to play in the sand. The continual blasting wind coming off the ocean has formed impressive dunes along the shore and beyond. We spent the afternoon hiking up and sliding down some of the huge mounds of sand.

¿Donde está mi gallo?

"Libertad o Muerte" reads the flag on the beach in front of the hostel. Certainly the culture at Cabo is a stark contrast to the nearby commercialized Punta. Shacks are seemingly made of random materials that were available at the time of construction, nightlife is lived by candlelight and televisions are non-existent.

South American fur seals

Cabo Polonio is home to the largest colony of South American fur seals. For this reason it has recently been given national park status. Sadly, all of our trips up or down the beach meant weaving around the decaying remains of several seal carcasses that had washed up on the beach. The grim scene and putrid stench is part of the cycle of life during mating season when competing males get into vicious battles. 

Punta del Este

Llegando a Punta

After five days in the capital we were eager to begin our tour of Uruguay´s Atlantic coast. Our first stops were the small city of Maldonado and the nearby tourist mecca of Punta del Este. Rugged coastline, rocky points and numerous huge sandy beaches make Punta Uruguay´s biggest international tourist destination.    

Monumento al Ahogado

The most famous landmark in Punta del Este is the sculpture of the giant hand located on Brava Beach. It is a monument to the drowned and a warning to swimmers. Although we arrived in time to beat the high season, it was still impossible to have a moment to ourselves for a clear shot.

Catwalk to Playa Brava

We were fortunate to land in Punta just prior to the peak season. We enjoyed the prime summer weather and sparsely populated sandy beaches. After walking for miles along the beach we abandoned the original, ridiculous plan of exploring the entire shoreline on foot and returned to the city centre for lunch. Cindy ended up with a suspicious milanesa due to the debatable nature of the meat source and I had a hamburger which arrived with an egg instead of a bun. I didn´t complain because I hadn´t seen an egg since our arrival. A typical Uruguayan breakfast is a piece of bread and a cup of yerba maté and quite commonly only the latter.  

   

El faro de Punta

After a full day of walking and several detours we finally arrived at the lighthouse of Punta del Este. Finding and visiting the lighthouse at each of our coastal stops has became a tradition of ours. This magnificent structure stands 45 meters tall.     

Montevideo

Peñarol vs Liverpool

One of the major highlights of our stay in Montevideo was getting to see a division 1 futbol game. Complete with a healthy riot police squadron and the common debauchery you see in the stands. Loud chanting and the burning of flares carried on for the duration of the game. The match was a rain soaked, sloppy affair for much of the first half with the teams trading chances despite pooling water in several areas of the pitch. Peñarol broke the deadlock at the 42nd minute mark and the partisan crowd went wild. Cindy and I happily spent the half time break under some cover snacking on some terrible stadium food. Despite our best efforts to stay dry, the final leg of our journey to the stadium was running through a park in the midst of a downpour. Needless to say, we were thoroughly soaked before our arrival.  We had donned plastic bags for the game and they helped immensely with shedding the water that our own saturated rain gear could not. With no sign of a break in the clouds we trudged back into the unfavorable conditions for the second half. No assigned seating meant we could creep closer to the field for a different vantage point. The rain lessened and the execution on the field of play improved. Peñarol was now controlling the action and they struck again. There was no way back for Liverpool. They had conceded two goals and after a marginal challenge they were reduced to ten men. The offending player was quickly ushered down the tunnel as fans descended from their seats to taunt and gesture menacingly at the rival. The match ended with Peñarol threatening to add to their tally but the final score was 2-0. 

Museo de Futbol

Here Cindy captured me potting one at Uruguay´s museum of soccer. Shortly after I hoisted a world cup.  

Marina

Montevideo is where the Rio de la Plata meets the Atlantic ocean. It is easy to confuse the river for ocean due to the fact that it´s tremendous width meets the horizon. The mixing of fresh and salt water creates a unique amalgamation of colors.  

Buquebus

Cindy and I spent a day touring various points of interest in Montevideo by bus. We were free to disembark and venture into several different zones at each distinct bus stop.

Plaza Independencia

The stunning Plaza de Independencia is a gateway from Montevideo´s main center to the old city. Home to tall palm trees and incredible neoclassical architecture. A common theme in most Uruguayan towns and cities is to have a monument of General José Artigas erected in their central plazas. Montevideo is no different. However there is only one mausoleum for the General and it lies beneath this plaza.  

Ciudadela

Ciudad vieja or Ciudadela is the zone that makes up the western point of Montevideo. Old buildings line the cold streets. The more dilapidated avenues create a strange atmosphere and left us with an isolated feeling.  

Colonia del Sacramento

Calle típica de Colonia

Mi borrachita

After arriving in Colonia and finding a suitable hostel we wandered down to the waterfront. Dos Puertos restaurant is where our hunger landed us. Unfortunately, it wasn´t a very good place to eat. However, we did manage to quench our thirst with some good Uruguayan brews.   

Rio de la Plata

The historic centre of Colonia is located on a point that juts into the water and is surrounded on three sides by the Río de la Plata. The Portuguese founded Colonia in 1680 to smuggle goods across the river into Buenos Aires. 

El faro

The lighthouse is an interesting blend of construction techniques and offers a nice view of the old city and of course overlooks the Río de la Plata.

Museo Portugues

We vised the Portuguese museum along with several others. Cindy captured this beautiful photo through a gate to the courtyard.

Canon

This cannon is one of several that was used to defend the city. The Spanish captured this smuggling port in 1762 and held it until 1777.

Típica casa Española

The constrast between the Portuguese and Spanish buildings from one corner to the next highlights the intriguing history of the two colonies that had the greatest impact on the history of Colonia.

Hugo, Justin y Cindy

We met Hugo from Quebec at El Español hostel and went out into a deluge to visit several of the museums on our second day. One multi-pass gave us entrance into a half dozen small museums scattered about the town site. The rain relented for about an hour but then it continued to pour heavily, flooding the streets until the following day.

Fray Bentos, Uru.

Placa vieja de Fray Bentos

Rio Uruguay

Cindy and I used a canoe with a small outboard engine to do some exploring on the Rio Uruguay. From Uruguay territory to the Argentinian side, the river stretches 20 km wide. We navigated upstream and downstream from the cabaña, visiting the beach of Las Cañas and exploring the banks towards the nearby town of Fray Bentos.  

Playa y cabaña

Here is a view of our home base and river transportation from the water. 

Terneros

We occasionally helped with daily calf feedings. Other work included fencing, painting, cutting and clearing brush with a machete, collecting firewood, and cleaning the beach. We spent the few rainy days helping to repair Niek´s catamaran. 

Celebración

Niek´s brother Tom, and sister-in-law Annameaka, who are also his neighbors, invited us for a Uruguyan style barbecue. Our hosts were very kind and treated us to a variety of drinks and a feast that included asado (lamb), roast chicken and a delicious quinoa salad. 

Vista increíble

Uruguay

Panama skies

The transition from Mexico to Uruguay went smoothly. Our thirty-six hours in transit included two planes, three buses and a stop in Panama City, which offered us a nice view of the canal from the air.  

Nuestro hogar

We´ve been hiding out on the banks of the Rio Uruguay in a cabaña. It is a rustic accommodation but peaceful and quiet. It is a great place to relax and escape the sun. We enjoyed direct access to the beach and a beautiful view from the balcony.

Playa Punta Diamante

Just prior to arriving in Uruguay we organized a help exchange. The basic arrangement is to trade work for room and board. We enjoyed many hours of work and play at the beach. We took frequent swims to cool off during the day.  

Atardecer

We often enjoyed the sunset with a beer and some visiting at the end of our work day. 

    

Festejos!

Festejando después del examen recepcional

We all went out for happy hour after Cindy´s thesis defense. It was a much deserved moment of relaxation and celebration after a lot of work. After a few drinks and dancing, Sr. Andrés took us out for some delicious Moreliana style hamburgers on the way home.  

Hermanitas. Erika y Cindy

Cindy, her sister Erika, and myself often spent time together around Morelia. Taking photos, eating gaspachos and drinking cheladas were some of our favorite pastimes. Erika also invited us out to help celebrate some friends birthday´s which usually meant live bands, 2 x 1 cervezas and of course plenty of salsa dance.  

Restaurante Amazonias

Cindy chose to celebrate her graduation with a dinner at Amazonias. The restaurant is an all you can eat Brazilian style barbecue so she naturally had my full support. We did our best to make our trip worthwhile by eating a wide variety of mouthwatering cuts. Sausage, chicken and every cut of beef imaginable made the list of options a lengthy one. 

Sr. Andrés después un shot de agua ardiente

We were offered at least a dozen different selections before gladly accepting multiple rounds of our favorites. The rib-eye was particularly delicious. Along with the copious amount of meat, we also made sure to get our vitamins via large slabs of baked pineapple garnished with cinnamon. Cindy´s father enjoyed "a shot" of Pitú after his meal. No, the glass next to the bottle is not for orange juice.  

Impanema pizza buffet

November 19. Pizza by the slice was delivered to our table. They had an impressive assortment with more than fifty options. From basic to exotic, they had many styles from several different countries. I failed to achieve my goal of thirty pieces, but I can say that I made it most of the way there.     

Pizza dulce

I didn´t save any room for dessert so I really had to force the last few pieces down to round out my gluttonous display.