3,700 km - 3,870 km
Punta del Este
We had already had our time to enjoy and relax in Uruguay (with and without parents), now it was the hour of departure. I wanted to spend some time along the Uruguayan coast before heading in to Brazil and toward world renown waterfalls of Iguazú. Capo Polonio was the day´s destination, the most special place in Uruguay.
I was a little bit nervous after having been out of the game for some time now. We adopted a slow pace to get the things prepped and loaded on the bike before departure. We thanked and bid farewell to our host and family friends before we cruised out of the parking lot, with 100% focus on balancing the tall bike! ... :S
We cruised by the coastal towns happy to be on wheels again, inhaling the fresh breeze from the ocean, leaving all the worries behind, with just the road ahead of us! We decided to ride more inland since we were unsure whether the ferries were running. The road was great, but we faced yet again the hilly landscape where we had to gear down to keep the speed up and after passing the highest point, accelerate again. It would not have been too bad if it were not for the strong headwind we battled against.
When we arrived to refuel, I also had to sit down to eat, drink and recover! There was no doubt, I was exhausted! And a little concerned, we had only driven for some hundred kms. At the gas station the flags seemed like they were about to come off the pole, and we later witnessed a few trees blown to the ground.
But it didn´t take us long before we were out on the coast again, and much less before we parked the bike and off-loaded the bike for the day.
Capo Polonio is a small..."village" would be exaggerating, more like a gathering of huts around a lighthouse. But, there are no running water, nor electricity (these days there are some available to restaurants in the summer). People get by with home-fixes, sun panels etc. Moreover, there are no roads leading there, so loaded all our stuff on a big 4x4 that took us through the forest and over the sand dunes.
A bumpy ride to say the least!
When you make the shore, you can see the lighthouse surrounded by small white "huts"! It is a good feeling to be by the ocean, in such a small town, living just from the very basics we otherwise take for granted, and praise what we have given up! ...silence, simplicity, and peace!
I still recognized part of the staff after almost three years, although I guess I did not make much of an impression! hehe After having checked in to our hostel we strolled around, breathing in the harmonious atmosphere. I was stoked to be back! It has always been very special to be here!
Only about 30-40 people live here all year around. The summer season is huge, when thousands of people come to enjoy this retreat. But since there are only so many accommodations, the majority has to leave in the evening. I prefer the off season when its more quiet.
At night we went out to one of the bars where they had live music under a brightly shining full moon. It was something very special, and although we wanted to stay until the end, we finally gave in to our fatigue that had caught up with us and we left looking for our beds at the hostel!
The next day we ate breakfast that we had bought the previous day at the antique grocery store; cheese, fruits and bread. Out of the front door we saw the lighthouse, which was the first goal of the day, and we I also wanted to walk around the small "sheds" among the loose animals before leaving this paradise. - The lighthouse was a must, and allowed us to see a panoramic view of ..."everything"!
On the way back...
Watch out for The attack of the ducks! ...! They wanted nothing bad, just curious!
You can also watch sea lions from close up. There should be some in the background!! :D
And when we were ready to leave, we waited for the 4x4 to come and get us! Btw, does not look like much luggage for two? Right?!!
It is a place to chill out, enjoy the isolation from the outside world ...!
El Viejo Lobo, until next time! Stay true and stay open when I come back!
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