URUGUAY - Country 37 (again), this time with the bikes!
Friday, Nov 2: At around 5pm, we reached the border between Colon (AR) and Paysandu
(UR). Passport/Carnet stamping only took about 20 minutes, and everyone was very helpful.
We decided to forgo the large city of Paysandu, instead choosing to head some 60kms north
for the thermal springs at Guaviyu. A woman from the Uruguay Tourist Association at the
border asked if we were looking for camping spots or maybe a $35 bungalow. I told her the
$4 campground would be just fine J
The sun was dropping quickly in the west as we pulled up to the thermal springs resort.
The area was lush with green grass and trees. We consulted the GPS to confirm from which
direction the sun would rise, and chose a suitable patch of green to the west of a group
of trees (so as to get maximum shade in the morning). Its been about 7 months since
we last pitched our tent, but unlike the several hours it took to pack the bikes that
morning, getting into the routine of setting up camp took only a few minutes
Surprisingly, we immediately fell into our individual tasks/duties.
I dont know what it is, but I have come to really enjoy camp cooking. Put me in a
home with a proper kitchen, and Ill cook on rare occasions. Put me in the outdoors
with our little MSR stove, and some sparse ingredients, and Ill want to prepare
every meal. Remember, we used to live in NYC where you could have everything from Chinese
to Indian to Cuban to Italian food delivered hot to your door, in less then 20 minutes,
for $10-20! Few of our friends in NYC actually cook meals. You can buy a buttered
bagel/roll and cuppa (coffee) for $1 on the way to work, and a sandwich for lunch would
run you about $5. Did I tell you the local pet shop delivered cat food and kitty litter to
our door every 2 weeks, no extra charge! Say what you will about big city living, it is
extremely convenient!
Which is why I think its kind of
. I dont know. I just love cooking
when were camping. Theres something very comforting in stirring incessantly,
trying not to burn our food from the intense quarter-sized flame. It takes a careful
balance of enough, but not too much, heat. Not only will I cook the meal, Ill even
offer to clean the dishes! (Mom would never believe this!). One thing I have gotten much
better with this trip is that I help out much more with the domestics.
The point is simply that darkness descended upon us as the meal was lovingly prepared,
and woffed down like we hadnt eaten in days. It was only vegetable ravioli with
pesto sauce (jar), fresh tomato slices, and a pinch of salt and pepper, accompanied by a
$2 liter of a locally brewed cervesa. But feasting under the blanket of clear night, with
zillions of stars peering down on us, the meal simply tasted divine. Unfortunately, the
mosquitoes also required their dinner supplement, and our efforts to coat ourselves in
deete spray did little to suppress the attacks throughout the night Hey, we all
gotta eat! Fortunately for ME, they prefer the taste of Erin J
Saturday, Nov 3: Our fitful night of sleep was finally interrupted by a whirring
followed by a thump. Without opening my eyes, I knew some boys were kicking a soccer ball
around outside the tent, though the sound was so clear I thought they were playing inside
our tent. About 45 minutes later, more rustling from outside signified the arrival of more
campers it was only 8am! A visit to the baņo brought back more memories, this time
of tiny porcelain pits India and Nepal. The difference being that the latter doesnt
use paper afterwards, and so have a tap/spigot nearby which can be used to help balance
oneself. There is a cutout in the wall to hold toilet paper here, but none provided.
Enough potty talk, everything worked out fine J
We spent the day lounging in the hammock, reading, soaking in the sun (mild sunburn),
enjoying the meditative comfort of the thermal pools, and watching the locals sipping
their mates. Many people stopped by our tent to practice their English, returning later to
introduce members of their extended families. As the day progressed, so did the number of
campers. Silvio, an elder policeman on holiday, who by the smell of his breath had also
enjoyed a few cervesas, literally gave me the T-shirt of his back. By 5pm, families and
young partiers alike surrounded our tent, escaping from BA or parts of Uruguay for the
holiday weekend. Massive stereo systems litter the earth, pumping out Latin tunes that we
dont understand, but are otherwise quite pleasing. The volume has been reasonable
most of the day, but now as darkness once again wraps around us, and the consumption of
cervesas starts to take its effect, the volume is rapidly rising. Should be an interesting
night!
5:15am, Sunday morning: The stereo was kicking! Im talking full-on bass and
volume control way past maximum. None of the other campers made a peep, so we figured this
was acceptable and kept our mouths shut. At 7:15 we crept out of the tent. The DJ next
door gave me a big smile and 2 thumbs up, I rolled my eyes, shook my head, and turned away
giving him the ol, no, I dont think youre very cool, you pr***! A
few minutes later, about a dozen campers from next door came for a visit. It disturbed our
young DJ that he was not getting any attention, so he cranked up his stereo so loud that
the sound actually cracked. No one acknowledged him, and even he couldnt take the
ear-piercing sound. A few minutes later, the police showed up and escorted him away
where were they at 5am?
I wanted to stay off the main roads, filled with diesel spewing cambiones, and opted
for a road on the map, but not on the GPS. It was a great twisting gravel track, complete
with several slippery water crossings, running west east through huge cattle/sheep
stations of northern Uruguay. In 100kms, we passed one car and one scooter. The only
downside was when we reached the border at Rivera, I was covered in dust (Erin led the
whole way). The border at Rivera was in the town, and very efficient. 20 minutes later, we
rode down the road into Brazil. There was no sign or anything the city is literally
split into 2 halves, and we had to ask if we had crossed into Brazil.
My thoughts on Uruguay: Extremely friendly people....