Uruguay

We hadn´t planned on going to Uruguay, but we sure are glad we did.  After Iguazu and a couple of days in Buenos Aires, we found ourselves with some extra time on our hands.  Since Uruguay is known for some amazing beaches, we decided to spoil ourselves with some surf and sand before heading back to cold, rainy winter in Portland.  So we hopped a ferry across the Rio de la Plata to the port of Montevideo.  A quaint little city, it was the smallest, and sleepiest, of all the South American capitals we´ve visited.  A nice break from the big cities of Argentina, the city´s languid plazas, palm trees, and friendly locals whisper, "Relax, you´re in Montevideo."  The people are content to drink their mate (an infusion of the yerba plant for which they carry a thermos of hot water wherever they go) and eat delicious feina (a pizza bread made from chickpeas).  While lacking in the typical ´touristy´style attractions that characterize other parts of South America, Montevideo can still put on a good show.  We were fortunate enough to catch an informal street exhibition of the tambores, a lively scene of drumming and dancing in anticipation of Carnivale.  Each neighborhood has their own group and the competition is friendly but fierce, as they march through the streets with the barrio dancing, drinking, and socializing along the way.  It was here we met a friendly local, Gustavo, who took us to his artist friend´s beautiful house-turned-hostel where we headed to the roof terrace to drink beer, eat pizza, and watch the festivities from above.  The night was a fantastic experience of both the vibrant culture and warm hospitality of Uruguay.
As much as we liked Montevideo, we came for the beach, so we headed a couple hours east along the coast to the trendy Punta del Este.  The sandy playground of wealthy Uruguayans, porteños from Buenos Aires, and celebrities around the world, Punta del Este is where you come to show off your bod, party, and relax on the shore.  We were only interested in the latter, however, so we spent our time playing in the high surf, reading on the beach, and working on our tans.  Since the end of our trip was around the corner, it was a nice way to unwind and feel like lazy, rich vacationers, rather than exhausted, poor backpackers. 
While we would ultimately end our trip in Buenos Aires (next and final post!), Uruguay was a nice retreat into the carefree, gracious, and laid-back South America we have come to love.

Our hostel in Montevideo was in the Old City, where you could see the ocean from three directions.

Downtown from the boardwalk.

Gotta love the colonial architecture with palm trees.

Pretty trees and plazas.

Tambore show!

Dancing in the street!

The drummers lit fires to tune their drums.

The party continued well into the night.

The quieter side of Punta del Este, where we shared sangria and watched the sunset.

We will miss this!