URUGUAY THE GATEWAY TO A DREAM

Since our trip to Greenland and the Arctic, we have harboured a dream to go to the other side of the globe where, instead of villages, communities, bears and unique wildlife we would be in a pristine environment where nature abounds and penguins, icebergs, seals, glaciers and rocky beaches are unparalleled. Our dream was realised in November when we flew over the Andes into Uruguay to start our journey.

Montevideo, the capital and largest city of Uruguay, offers a unique and charming atmosphere. The well-preserved old town in the Ciudad Vieja exudes a sense of history, while the rest of the city and its beachside cafe culture create a laid-back and distinctive experience. We stayed in La Rambla – a suburb by the bay and found it was easy to walk to shops and restaurants and a short cab ride took us to the City Centre.

Making the most of our time here before we joined our ship for the cruise, we opted to do a half day City Tour which gave us an insight into the history of the region and life today. The city revolves around the Plaza de la Independencia, once home to a Spanish citadel. The plaza leads to Ciudad Vieja with art deco buildings, colonial homes and landmarks. I loved the intricate doorways of some buildings and beautiful flower baskets hanging in the windows. We wandered around outdoor market stalls filled with handmade souvenirs as well as art and later went to a huge market where everything was on sale from food to clothing and handbags. Cannabis beer was intriguing – and No – I didn’t try it!

We went on a day trip to Punta del Este known as the ‘Surfers’ of the country. This is about an hour and a half’s drive from Montevideo. I wanted to go because a cousin recently visited as part of the Round The World Clipper Yacht Race. It looked an interesting town with the reputation of being the resort for many of Latin America’s jet set with high end shops, fabulous restaurants and apparently a brilliant night life. What we found was actually a quiet seaside town with lots of empty apartment blocks and closed up stores. This may have been because it was November and presumably out of season but it didn’t detract from the charm. The most famous landmark is La Mano – The Hand – which is a sculpture depicting five human fingers partially emerging from the sand.

On the way to Punta, there was a stop at Piriapolis known for its belle époque–style buildings and the harbor. The visit included going up to Cerro San Antonio, a hill with a small whitewashed chapel and a lookout point plus a coffee shop and souvenirs. The Chapel was charming and would not have looked out of place in the Greek Islands!

Another intriguing stop was at Casapueblo in Punta Ballena about 8 miles from Punta del Este. This was the home of well known artist Carlos Páez Vilaró. As well as being a painter, he was known as a sculptor, potter, muralist, writer and composer. His work was unknown to me but I quickly became a fan. The building is of whitewashed cement and stucco and has no straight lines. It has thirteen floors and many terraces all of which look over the Atlantic Ocean. It evolved over many years and was the gallery as well as the home of the painter. Now it incorporates a hotel, museum and gallery as well as a coffee shop. The one poignant piece of history to me was that it is also a tribute to  Carlos Miguel, the artist’s son, who was one of the sixteen survivors of the Uruguayan flight which crashed in the Andes in 1972. That story is told in detail and the artist himself mounted many search and rescue efforts before they were found two and a half months after the crash.

 

Two days later it was finally time to pack up and make our way to the port to join our small luxury ship, Ponant’s Le Lyrial, to cruise to South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula. We felt refreshed and ready for another adventure after our stopover where we found the locals were friendly and welcoming, the city oozed charm and history, and we relished being by the ocean and yet close to city vibes. We will return one day!