Apr 23: Colonia waterfront

Apr 23: old USCG surf rescue boat, now Uruguays

Apr 23: lighthouse at Colonia

Apr 23: Colonia, Uruguay

This town was created by the Portuguese to lay claim to what is now Uruguay, by establishing a city directly across from Spain's Buenos Aires. Within a few years Spain took Colonia. Even England possessed it for a year.

Apr 23: shore path

Apr 23: famous art in Punta Este

Apr 23: famous art in Punta Este

Apr 23: Trump Towers

Apr 23: putting another up in Punta Este

Apr 23: Fancy architecture

Apr 23: olive trees...and occasional vineyard

Apr 23: VW bus

Apr 23: Uruguay similar to Northern California

Apr 21: solar power, water and Direct TV!

Apr 21: lighthouse

Apr 21: hippie dippie!

Apr 21: looking into the southerly winds

Apr 21: cabins looking south into the prevailing winds

Apr 21: seaside

Apr 21: white cottages

A lot of the people make a living renting their beautiful view cottages out.

Apr 21: beach front property

A home doubling for a restaurant.

Apr 21: trekking to Polonio

Another way to Polonio is walking the 7km. It is a delicate balance of trying to find firm sand vs catching these nasty burrs from the grass.

I ended up trekking back out in the evening with no flashlight or moonlight. The whiteness of the sand was pretty much my navigation.

Apr 21: transportation across the dunes to Polonio

The National Park Service has a business transporting tourists to the town across 7km of sand dunes.

Apr 21: Cape Polonio

Given Punta Este was dead and I really wanted to see Cabo Polonio instead, I drove another 180km along the coast to Polonio. Cape Polonio is just about the complete opposite to Punta Este. It is this little hippie surfer town built next to a lighthouse. There is no power after 6pm as the electricity is used for the lighthouse. There is no paved road within 7km of the place.

Apr 21: the 'window' of where I slept

All it was is some netting fitted around a make shift frame. The hostal person told me that it wasn't perfect so to expect some mosquitos coming in. You can see mosquito carcasses on either side of the window that I killed. Unfortunately most had my blood in them

Apr 21: my hostal 'suite'

I was given some sheets to make the bed myself. Meanwhile I had to get up several nights to kill mosquitos that were getting in the room.

Apr 21: empty new beach front suite

Apr 21: Punta Este

I took a rental car from Montevideo to Punta Este 150 km up the coast. Punta Este is a seasonal upper class Miami Beach. It thrives as a big time party town for four months out of the year. The rest of the time it is literally a ghost town. When I arrived at the hostal I stayed at, I was told they stayed open an extra day waiting for me because I booked the place a week ago online. I was one of three people in the hostal last night! It was hard to find any place open last night in this massive city by the water. When I asked the hostal operator how people could afford these opulent places and yet not live there, she said nornal people don't. She said most of the buildings of Punta Este serves as a money laundering place for organized  crime. Most of the year those same luxurious pent houses are empty. Trump towers is here. Movie stars are often seen on the beaches.

Apr 21: Montevideo cityscape

Apr 21: the American Embassy with a nice waterfront view

Apr 21: looking off the rambla, a shoreline bird hunting

Apr 21: the rambla Montevideo

The city is really beautiful and more easy going than Buenos Aires. I think it is ranked the highest of livable cities in Latin America. The demographics are similar to Buenos Aires. The rambla is a gorgeous long walk all the way along the city waterfront, a long way for Montevideo!

Apr 21: opening where fires were made for ship navigation

Apr 21: along the rambla in Montevideo

I took a one hour ferry over to Colonia on Easter Sunday morning. From there, I took a 2.5 hour bus ride to Montevideo. It was strange to watch people with their children pearched on the side of the interstate watching the cars go by and sipoing mate. I take it to be a family event tradition here and in parts of Argentina, to go find a nice piece of grass along the shoulder of the freeway, much like going to the park back in the US.

Apr 20: Uruguay flag

It is the same color blue and white colors with the sun symbol as Argentina, just in different locations.

Apt 20: Uruguay!

Where '80s music is popular all the time and where people carry their thermos and mate gourde everwhere sipping away

Apr 20: on the boat to Colonia Uruguay

Apr 20: Buenos Aires bird

Apr 20: bird in park Buenos Aires

Apr 20: Buenos Aires city scape

Apr 18: Argentinan Coast Guard!

This week in South America is All Saints Week or Easter week. Most of the days this week are holidays. I walked in the local park and the place was well attended!

Apr 18: the ferry from BA to Colonial in Uruguay

Apr 16: Boca Juniors v San Lorenzo

Apr 16: ESPN filming the game

Apr 16: action on the field

Apr 16: the "12th man" for Boca

If Boca had 12 men because of their fans, they still couldn't win after San Lorenzo loss two of theirs to penalties (red cards). Final score: 0-0

Apr 16: cheerleaders at a soccer game

Apr 16: the tubes...

...to protect the players from fans pelting them with things

Apr 16: I think I will pull for Boca...

the fans can get crazy here. Some guy was killed here in the stadium six months ago.

Apr 16: Boca Juniors v SanLorenzo

The Boca Juniors are like the Chicago Cubs. They are the most loved team in Argentina with over 60% of Argentinans claiming this team as theirs. On the other hand, San Lorenzo is also an established team in Argentina. Their claim to fame is that it is Pope Francis's favorite team.