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| Sunset from Colonia setting over Buenos Aires |
Juan and I decided it was time to see the ocean, so we took a diversion from Argentina and made our way by the Buquebus rapid ferry to Colonia del Sacramento. Although Colonia is actually on the Rio del Plata, it's our gateway to the beach towns that line the Uruguayan coast along the Atlantic. This has to be the prettiest town I've ever seen. A large portion of the town is actually a UNESCO world heritage site and there are strict zoning laws here. Antique street lamps, cobblestone roads, and a picturesque light house make for a quaint atmosphere. On our first day Juan and I camped out on the top of the lighthouse for about an hour and a half waiting for the sunset...it was worth it. 
Kelly and I rented bikes in Colonia and checked out a crumbling colloseum-type stadium that was once home to bull-fighting. The nearby beach was also fun, and the asado BBQ's being prepared along the tree-shaded park behind us filled us with envy. Back in town we stumbled by a Reggae competition with some "great music 'mon' " and an excellent view of the sunset. 
Piriapolis was our next stop, and although the town itself wasn't the prettiest, the ocean bay surrounded by hills and distant mountains surely made up for it. The main road runs along the coast, so it's super convenient to go to the beach and grab a bite to eat. Hostal Piriapolis had a relaxing patio and clean everything. With it being 2 blocks from the ocean it wasn't hard to stay here 5 days. Fresh seafood was a highlight, and here we tried our first paella, some delicious calamari and a local fish called Lenguado.
Carnaval has been in full swing during this first week of March and Juan didn't want to miss the opportunity to see it. There are many aspects to Carnaval including stage performances of live music, comedy and dance, parades with women dressed in immaculate costumes and marching bands, and full blown street parties. We took part in everything except the all night street party. On Juan's urging we decided to check out Carnaval happenings in a nearby town (about 20 minutes by bus) called Capuera. We caught a 9:30pm bus, knowing that the last bus back to Piriapolis was at 1:00am. We got dropped off on the side of the road and scanned the landscape for possible Carnaval happenings...nothing. We found a little convenience store and asked for directions. Good news: we were at the right place. Bad news: we had a bit of a walk ahead of us. Juan and I walked down the main, dimly lit, road through town....and we walked and walked and walked. Finally after about 40 minutes we found it. Bright lights (finally), big stage, a large parrilla set up with chorizo cooking, a bar full of beer, and most of the towns' people came into view. Although I couldn't understand the language well, the Carnaval performances were hilarious and very fun. The plays always seem to have a very animated host, mostly male actors, and always at least one appearance of a man dressed in drag. Great costumes and fun theatrical performances kept us entertained until midnight. It was kind of like Cinderella at the ball, we were having a good time but if we didn't get back to the highway and catch our bus it might as well turn into a pumpkin. The way back was a little eerie...leaving the lights and big crowds for the dark road. At one point Juan went off the main road to relieve himself, leaving me waiting. I don't think it took more than 5 seconds before some guy drove up in a car to see if I would like to spend some time with him. Yikes! Luckily Juan was walking back at that point. We made it back to the highway before 1am and safely caught our bus back to Piriapolis. It was a great experience checking out such a small unknown town and their celebrations...it reminded me what travel is all about: getting off the beaten path, experiencing a little of the local culture and having fun.
On Saturday March 5 we went to Maldonado specifically to check out their Carnaval parade. I'd seen some clips on travel shows about Carnaval in general, and this was a little closer to what I had expected - large marching drum bands and elaborate colourful costumes. But I didn't expect to see sooo many kids, not just performing but watching the parade too. Kids probably from age 7 and up, the boys in the marching bands and the girls dressed up and dancing to samba. It was funny and cute to see younger kids from the crowd getting into the action right in the middle of everything, some just running around doing circles burning off energy from drinking mate and eating caramelized popcorn, and others going right up to the dancing performers for a quick little dance as they went by. It was a very family-oriented affair. Kelly and I arrived a bit early and got first row seats!, so the energy of the drums just rippled through our bodies, and we got close-up views of all the beautiful outfits. We had to plan really well and adjust our plans quite a bit, but making it to Carnaval was definitely worth it.
There's not much to do in Maldonado, so we were off the next day to Punta del Este, known as a playground for the rich and famous. We stayed at Hostel 1949, just a block from the beach with a nice little bar and a reputation for parties. We were a little apprehensive about Punta as it is played up as being pretentious and expensive, but we figured we had to see what all the fuss was about. In the end we had a good time and saw our first sea lions! Unfortunately the two we saw were on their own and maybe not doing as good. Next time I hope to see a happy healthy colony...maybe in Cabo Polonio. 
We hit the beach and Juan had his first surf lesson of the trip. I'm not much into the water sports, but unfortunately even if I was the Atlantic waters are too cold for my blood....so no swimming for Kelly. At least I can soak up the endless rays on the beach.
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| The Hand in the Sand in Punta del Este |
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| Sirens at the tip of Punta's penninsula |
Hasta Luego,
Juan and Kelly
