Tuesday, April 22, 2014

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.

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