Punta del Este had been described to us as the Ibiza of South America. However, just like Ibiza, it leads a double life, coming alive in the heat of the summer but hibernating in the winter once the temperatures drop and the tourists disappear. Our visit coincided with the Autumn months and so although we found all the signs of a great city, there was literally nobody around to enjoy it. Every other shop was shut and the majority of hotels were closed for refurbishments.
Thankfully, we were largely distracted from this deserted ghost town by the beautiful beaches along either side of the peninsular. With the sun shining down on us at twenty degrees, had we been at home we'd have called it bikini weather. However, we've come to realise that we've completely climatised and braved the beaches only after throwing on every layer of clothing we could find. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our picnic days and our first views of the Uruguayan seaside.
Keen to return to some kind of civilisation though, we quickly moved on up the coast to Punta del Diablo. Ironically, this area was even quieter than the last but it's only built to accommodate a tiny community so it felt far less desolate. The small town centre is situated along the main road (which also happens be the only road) and consists of one convenience store, a bus stop and an ATM which stocks cash for just two months of the year. On one side is the beach with beautifully soft white sand and rough waves, whilst on the other side is acres and acres of endless green space.
The locals have built their homes amidst the fields, seemingly wherever and however they fancy. Mismatched and higgledy-piggledy, these buildings vary from small shacks to pristine villas; some built with old bricks, others with thatched roofs and all coated in a brightly coloured paint which clashes with its neighbour's. The whole area looks as though it's been designed by a child but it certainly gives the place some character.
One afternoon we caught a bus out to the Santa Theresa National Park, just a few kilometres away. It's absolutely massive and took us over four hours to complete the entire loop. Along our way we encountered all kinds of animals including peacocks, deer, monkeys and some sort of pig which none of us could name. The only other human we saw was a Spanish lady near the fortress who spoke no English and so asking her for directions very nearly got us lost. Luckily, we made it back to the bus stop just before sunset. We didn't fancy roaming around in the wild after dark.
Our last three hours in Uruguay were spent abandoned on the side of the road at the Brazilian border whilst we waited for a bus which didn't show up until midnight. It was slightly surreal but having just spent ten days in Uruguay, I really wouldn't have expected it to be any other way. We kept ourselves busy, setting an American off on a rant about politics and playing leapfrog until it was time to leave. There are a bits I've loved and bits I could have missed but I'm so glad we experienced this strange little country.
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