Well, we´ve moved on a bit since we last spoke but I shall start from the beginning. We spent three days in Montevideo, taking it easy really, walking around the city and checking out the beaches. The city wasn´t so different than most other cities but the restaurant area around the old port (Mercado de Puerto) was really quite cool and we had two interesting meals there. The first one was at one of the bbq places inside, where all the meat is grill on this big, open wood fired bbq. The photo´s provide a much better description so once I work out how to upload the photo´s you´ll get a better idea!
The second meal, in the same area but outdoors, we thought we would try some seafood as we had spent the day checking out the local beaches. I had grilled cod which was really quite tasty and fresh. Tim ordered calamari, thinking it would be grilled or shallow fried or similar. When it arrived, however, it was actually rubberised squid stewed in tomatoes and green peas. It actually didn´t look that appertising but even though Tim will usually eat anything the sight of all those peas was simply too much!
We spent one day just checking out the beaches that line the coastline and although you could see the potential, when we were there they were a bit like a frothy chocolate milk shake colour. The Lonely Planet also gave some dodgy advice on buses so we spent about 1 hour heading towards the beach but never quite seeing it and after getting off when the bus went no further we walked for a couple of km´s and finally found the beach. By this point there was a really strong onshore wind and so after persevering for some time we found a bus (one that actually went along the beach) and headed back for lunch. For information sake, should you ever be in Montevideo and want to head to the beach take bus 104 not bus 64.
Having had our fill of cities we headed, on the advice of an Irish couple we had met in Colonia we headed off for La Paloma, described as a surfer´s dream. We camped again here for three nights at La Aguada campsite and did very little other than walk along the beach, Tim got a nasty case of burnt belly after we fell asleep in the sun for about 30 minutes. Met a guy, Pete (Gday Mate), from Switzerland, who is travelling around South America on his motorbike and we had dinner with him, which meant for at least one evening we had someone other than each other for company! Depresingly, Pete had probably seen more of Australia than most of us, having cycled the Stuart Highway and also spent time travelling around Australia on is motorbike.
Just before you think it was all relaxation and not much else, Tim was rather pleased to find that there was a motorcross event being held next to the campsite.
We finally left La Paloma on the 15th and headed to Salto (Uruguay) to check out the thermal springs and find a bus to Puerto Iguazu. The springs were a bit of a let down, they were really just a water park. After that it was time to leave and begin what was supposed to be a relatively difficult journey to Puerto Iguazu. We missed the bus and the launch and so spent the afternoon lazing by the river waiting the next boat. Tim made friends with the Customs man, who had lots of fun reading his passport. I think we established that he was the Customs officer when he pointed out the sign to us telling us not to take fruit and veg with us to Argentina! Anyway, it seems like he was a bit like a good luch charm for us. Since meeting him we have been incredibily lucky with taxi´s, buses and visa´s.
Having made the 15 minute boat ride from Uruguay back to Argentina we met a local man who shared a taxi with us and took us to the bus station, refusing to allow us to pay. We then had a really nice ticket lady who got us on the next bus to Iguazu, leaving in about 20 minutes. This, however, involved a taxi ride across town to flag the bus down on the highway. The taxi driver made it his mission to get us there on time and we pulled up as the bus was approaching. It was a bit of a white knuckle ride - they do like their speed bumps over here!
When we were finally settled on the bus we were pleasantly surprised to find that we got a three course meal and wine, coke and whiskey and seats that almost laid flat so we could sleep for most of the 12 hour ride. Very cool.
Just a note, if you are ever wanting to travel from Uruguay to Iguazu, through Argentina and not Brazil, it can be done and is really very easy. Don´t listen to all those stories of people who say it is impossible without going back to Buenos Aires.
So, anyway, now we are in Puerto Iguazu waiting for our Brazillian visa´s (again, really easy despite only hearing stories about how hard it is) having checked in our campground - yes mum, the mosquito repellant was entirely necessary!
We shall sign off for now and will catch up again from ....... now that we have our Brazillian visa´s we may just make the most of it and spend some time there for a while.
Bye for now
Tim and Tracey
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
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