Marc's In Heaven

(Local fisherman across the lagoon from our hotel.)

Last night we were rocked to sleep by an incredible storm. It was a glorious thing. I know that sounds odd to most but I loved it. This morning we discovered that there was a cancellation at the hotel so we were able to book another night here, which made me very, very happy. After breakfast we hopped in the car and decided to take a day trip further up the coast. Marc read about a hippie town about an hour an a half away. It was also recommended for us to visit this town by the guy at the hotel so we set off to find Cabo Polonio.

The access "road" to Cabo Polonio is found halfway between KM marker 264 and 265 according to the Lonely Planet. This town, while only possessing a population of 75, has become a popular destination for visitors and is located in a National Park, so the access is clearly marked and they are currently working on constructing a visitor's center on the highway. Since there are no "roads" into town there are only three ways to gain access: a strenuous, long hike without shelter from the hot sun, on horseback (if there are horses available) and by hopping a ride on one of the 4x4 collectivos.

Our timing was perfect, and while there weren't any horses available, we arrived just in time to take a colectivo out to the village. We bought tickets and squeezed our way into seats on the top of the truck and made our way across the dunes to the Atlantic. The ride takes about a half an hour, through the dunes at first until suddenly, you reach the ocean and there, in the distance you can see the village.

Cabo Polonio is a little hippie town at heart. The houses peppering the rolling hills on the tip of this tiny peninsula look like they were constructed by hand - some faring better than others. And they must be, because it's nearly impossible to get vehicles out here. At the "bus stop", which is in the center of "town", people wait, not to sell you junk or coerce you into staying at their hotel as you might think. Instead, they're waiting to greet friends and loved ones coming to visit or returning home from the "real" world. I say this because this village feels like a little hippie fantasy world where attendants of Burning Man come to retire.

The first order of business was to grab lunch and we chose one of the tiny restaurants on the main drag. Since it's the end of the season several restaurants were closed already but the ones that remained open were packed with tourists. Of course we needed a chivito. This time al plato (served on fries).

After lunch we started to wander the town. Besides being famous for it's remoteness and lack of electricity and running water (they use wind to power generators so they have electricity some places during the day) it's also a national park and home to a sea lion colony. The dunes also provide opportunities for sand boarding. Unfortunately it was the first cold day of the trip and not the best day to be dune boarding.

Walking down the beach, just around the bend in the peninsula lies an outcropping of rocks in the water. Here we spied hundreds of sea lions sunning themselves. Some days they actually come to shore, unfortunately not today. We continued up to the lighthouse. To say there's no electricity would be a lie. There is one electrical line that runs back to the main road, but it is only used to power the lighthouse. We climbed to the top to get a better view of the area. The wind was so powerful at the top that we felt like we could be blown off at any moment, pressing ourselves against the cool concrete structure.

Safely back on the ground we just wandered through the town, admiring the homes here. Many people had horses and all sharing multiple wells providing fresh water. Marc had finally found home. Everywhere you turn, you see the sea. The wind blowing the sand across the dunes created a surreal effect over the area.

Marc started devising what we would do if we lived here. We would raise chickens and provide the community with fresh eggs. We could fit right in. I think if I said "Yes" we would move here right then and there. This is Marc' s heaven.

But we had to return to our floating hotel. That's my personal heaven. And another wonderful dinner. No storm tonight, but with the full moon, an equally glorious nightfall.

Rock Me To Sleep

While exploring Colonia we ended up renting a car so we could see more of the country. We didn't have an agenda, debating wether we should drive north into the interior to visit an estancia, or west along the Atlantic coast. In the morning we didn't have a confirmation from an estancia yet, and they're not the kind of places you can just show up, so we decided to head west.

(Cheese shop near Colonia)

Neither of us were thrilled with the breakfast at the hotel. Actually, for what we were paying to spend the night in Colonia we were unimpressed. Instead we opted to grab something once we got on the road, so we hopped in the car and just started driving. The area near Colonia is peppered with dairy farms and cheese is king here. We passed by many roadside cheese stands, finally stopping at one to buy some homemade cheese and salami for the road. Soon after we stopped for a late breakfast at the aptly named "American Bar" to try a "famous" chivito. The Uruguayans are proud of their national sandwich, but we were unsure of what we were ordering so we decided to split one. Bad mistake. Seriously, I think I've found my new favorite sandwich. Oh, Chivito, where have you been all my life?

(The Magic Chivito)

The chivito can be prepared in several ways but it's basically a sandwich made with a thinly pounded steak (usually filet mignon) well-seasoned with salt, bacon, ham (not "or" we're talking "and" here), lettuce, tomato, onions, aioli, cheese and an egg served either on a hard roll or french fries. Yes, you heard me correctly, FRENCH FRIES! Optional ingredients include pickles, cabbage, olives and peppers. Holy Shit! (Sorry, Mom) I want to marry this sandwich. Of course, the quality of the steak is key here. And Uruguayans, like their Argentinian neighbors, are proud of their beef.

(Punta del Este)

Back on the road, both of us were struck by the beauty of the Uruguayan landscape. It's simple, yet breathtaking. Even in the rain, like today with the sky spitting dow upon us in random spurts. The Uruguayan countryside is richly green with rolling hills, dotted with small farms that break up the wide-open spaces. It's reminiscent of the Icelandic landscape. Everywhere we turned was another gorgeous vista. And the purple-grey stormy sky only enhanced the beauty.

(The famous hand in Punte del Este)

We bypassed the capitol, Montevideo, and headed straight to Punta del Este (the Riviera of South America), reaching it in time for lunch. I was unimpressed by Punta and the aging high-rises littering the peninsula. I've never been to South Beach, but Marc said it reminded him of that. After an overpriced, but tasty and fresh seafood lunch we continued up the coast, passing through Jose Ignacio, which upon first glance, looked like nothing more than a sleepy little nothing of a town. Just past, the road ended at a lagoon where the bridge was washed out. Thankfully, there was a small car ferry equipped to take four cars at a time across to the other side. The ferry was operated by a small motor boat that runs alongside moving the ferry from shore to shore.

(Laguna Garzon Eco Lodge)

Once on the other side, we spied a small ecolodge on the lagoon, with eight rooms floating on the water. There was a rope guarding the entrance, so we thought it might be closed, but we saw someone sitting in the office on the other side of the dock. Thankfully, a local family stopped at the same time and called for the guy working there. He turned them away but I couldn't grasp the gust of their conversation in my limited Spanish because they were talking so fast, so I asked in my broken Spanish if they were closed. He explained that this was their last week of the season and they would be closing after Sunday and were fully booked for the weekend, but they had space tonight only. We jumped at the chance.

This place was perfect. It actually had only recently opened, so it was brand new, and their restaurant (which was already closed for the season) was headed by a famous Uruguayan chef. He showed us to our room, which was essentially a fancy docked houseboat. The whole room gently swayed with the movement of the water underneath us. I was in heaven. The awesome guy who worked there recommended a restaurant back on the other side of the lagoon in Jose Ignacio. He made us a reservation and gave us a local cell phone, explaining that the ferry stops running at 11 PM and if we miss the last one we should call them with the cell, leave our car on that side of the lagoon and they will pick us up in their boat. How awesome is that?

We settled in and watched the amazing sunset over the lagoon, from our porch, sipping beer. A storm was in the distance creating a gorgeous pink and purple show through the grey storm clouds. This might be my favorite hotel ever.

(Octopus Causita)

(Smoked Salmon w/ Poached Egg)

Dinner was another wonderful surprise. Turns out Jose Ignacio is the Malibu of Uruguay. It's where all the super rich and famous go to hide out when they're in Punta del Este. And dinner proved it. By 10 PM the entire place was was packed with young and beautiful people. I started my meal with a play on the traditional Peruvian causa, with a octopus causita that was so tender and delicious. Marc had a smoked salmon with a poached egg that was another surprising treat.

(Fish a la Plancha)

(Langostino Curry)

Our entrees consisted of a whole fresh lagoon fish a la plancha and a langostino curry to die for... really. I'm ready to move here.

We made the last ferry back, just barely, and back in the room a fantastic storm rolled in, complete with an amazing lightning show that would put the Midwest to shame. I love this place. It's special. I let the storm rock me to sleep.