A Jolly Good Trip

As I am sitting in our estancia’s lounge, I am listening to breaking news on the BBC – gunmen opening fire in several areas of Mumbai (Bombay) India, killing at least 78 people, with ongoing gunfire and explosions. Also, a hostage taking situation at the Taj Mahal Hotel (where I used to go for the all-you-can-eat American breakfasts when I was there in ’90). Moments earlier, the situation in Bangkok was broadcast, with news that the airport was closed and a travel advisory was put into place. This will undoubtedly be affecting many travellers in southeast Asia.

I must admit Fred and I are in a lot less of a predicament – we have just left the beautiful pool we have been enjoying all by ourselves for the past couple of days, and have had to head into the main lodge as the sky has darkened, the winds have become fierce, the power has gone off a few times (hence, I am on battery in case it zaps my laptop) and the rains have started. The owner has just told us a small tornado touched down ½ hour away, heading in our direction. I guess it’s not a surprise since we have been in 35 degree C heat the past few days and they haven’t had rain here for a long time.

To back up just a bit, from the town of Colonia, we headed north enjoying the scenic route along the river. It wasn’t long before we realized that our rental car had NO air conditioning. We took it for granted that all new cars automatically came with air-con. We momentarily forgot, I guess, that we are in South America. Despite the unbearable heat inside the car, with windows opened all the way, we continued forward. After four and a half hours, we came upon a sign “Estancia Touristica” along the side of the highway. We headed down the gravel road for 5 km before arriving at Estancia La Paz. (“estancia” is the spanish word for farm).

The tree-lined entrance way opened up into beautiful, colonial era buildings surrounded by fields of charolais cattle and criollo horses. We kept our fingers crossed that they had room for us and were relieved to meet the owner/manager, Anne Wyaux. We were given a tour of the property and a very comfortable, private room (with bath and breakfast for $88/night). There is an old water well with the incscription 1883 on it across from the entrance to our room.

Inside the communal lounge area of the lodge (complete with satellite tv, fireplace, playing cards, etc), a coffee table book of Estancias in Uruguay caught my attention. The following article is taken directly from “Antiguas Estancias del Uruguay” Edicion Javier Irureta Goyena Gomensoro, 1996, about the property in which we were staying:

“The English immigrant Richard Bannister Hughes founded in 1856 the farm La Paz, where he found the ideal environment to develop his rural activity. His business instinct led him to take advantage of the depression that affected the countryside. After the Great Civil War (1839 – 1851) the number of bovines in the country had greatly diminished. Several landowners had to sell their estate, thus causing more than a 50% slump in the price of the land. Hughes bought the fields of La Paz, considered to be among the best in the department of Paysandu. In these fields grazed the first Durham animals that were brought to Uruguay from England by the Hughes brothers to be further crossed with the existing cattle in the country.

These fields were also pioneers concerning the process of wire fencing that started in the decade of 1860.

Bannister Hughes died in 1875. In 1953, another immigrant, Pierre Wyaux (Belgian), bought the farm L Paz from Hughes’ descendants, and reconstructed the original house from 1863, keeping its colonial style.

La Paz has at present 1800 hectares with approximately 3000 bovines. It also has a Charolais cattle-breeding farm with breeding animals brought from France. Wheat plantations are rotated with grazings that feed cattle, which undergoes several crossings in search of the hybrid strength, such as Charolais/Aberdeen Angus, Charolais/Hereford, and some Zebu crossings.

This sophisticated farm employs 24 people and is complemented with agrotourism, which combines the use of natural resources with the beauty and history of the place.” End of article.

Apart from one couple who came late the first evening and left early the next morning, Fred and I had the property to ourselves. We enjoyed the refreshing swimming pool, games of tennis (Fred beat me 5 – 2), and delicious, gourmet meals (pricey at $15/meal, each). Our wine of choice was Don Pascual’s Tannat 2007 from the Juanico Region of Uruguay. Other services available that we didn’t use included a hot tub, sauna, workout room, and massage. We also enjoyed a scenic ride through their grass fields, cattle pastures, and along the pine bush amongst the roaming charolais cattle. Alongside the road, we saw a dead armadillo which are common in the area, but usually come out at night. We also saw many interesting birds at the estancia, including hummingbirds, larakeets, green parrots, scissor-tail birds, egrets, and red-headed cardinals.

The land here is predominantly flat with some rolling hills. The fields of wheat are ripe and are being combined with the latest of equipment. While we were at the pool yesterday, there was a flurry of activity as all the farm employees jumped on tractors with water tanks hooked up behind them to put out a fire on the adjoining farmer’s property, only about a half a mile away. We also saw the flashing red lights of a small fire truck which also responded to the scene. Apparently, the cause of fire was a spark from a piece of machinery, however, it wouldn’t surprise me if it was from a farmer’s cigarette. It seems everyone smokes here, and we even saw our horse guide throw down his cigarette butt when he was through (it did look like he smoked it right to the tip though so may have extinguished itself out – but still . . . ) In the surrounding eucalyptus forests, there are signs indicating the danger levels for fire, which when we past, were pointing to the highest level.

One morning, we noticed the tail of an iguana on the lawn by the tennis court. Apparently, when iguanas feel threatened, they “drop” their tail so their prey goes after their tail and not them. This 18 inch piece of meat was later seen being eaten by another iguana later that afternoon (see above photos).

After three peaceful, relaxing days, Fred and I have decided to move on. I have read about an authentic gaucho ranch 30 km outside of Tacuarembo in northern Uruguay where we hope to experience the real gaucho life. We figure it will take us another 5 hot hours in the car, but we hope it will be worth it 🙂

Lisa n Fred

Uruguay is now country #6 on our travels and we spent our first night in the historical district of Colonia Del Sacramento. We had our accommodation already booked at Hostel Viajero ($40 for a private room, with bath and satellite tv) and had no problem following the signs as we carried our backpacks from the ferry terminal. We were pleasantly surprised with the 31 degree C heat and sunny skies after visiting the patagonia area with its cooler temperatures and high winds.

Uruguay is the size of North Dakota and has a population of @ 3.5 million, and 80% are descendents of European immigrants. Approximately 90% of its citizens reside in urban areas, which are located mostly along the Rio Uruguay or the Atlantic Coast. For those of you who remember the 1993 film, Alive, about a team of young rugby players who in 1972, survived an air crash and over two months of subzero temperatures in the Andes mountains, they were from Uruguay.

Since Fred and I had read an article in the Globe and Mail Travel section a couple of years ago about the beaches in Uruguay, specifically Punta Del Diablo, we set off the next morning in seek of sun, sand, and surf.

Our first 2.5 hour bus ride took us to the capital city, Montevideo (population @ 1.3 million), where we purchased another ticket for a 4.5 hour bus ride to Punta Del Diablo (in English, “Devil’s Point). Most tourists head to the much closer, Punta Del Este, but after seeing postcards of the city on the beach with skyscrapers, luxury hotels and restaurants, etc., we opted for the fishing village with a population of 700.

On arrival, we followed several hand-crafted, wooden signs to Hostel del Diablo Tranquilo. Since it was now 6 p.m., and quite a hike along the sandy roads, we were relieved when manager “Heidi from Minnesota” had a private “suite” room with bath and fireplace (for $60). It had a spectacular view and balcony overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. This is THE hostel to stay at in Punta del Diablo and it seems like they control the market. Even though it was not high season (Dec – March), all 53 beds were occupied. Their services included wi-fi, 4 computers with internet for the guests to use free of charge, free breakfast, book exchange, games, surf boards, communal fireplace and hammocks. The young owner, Brian, from the U.S., invested half a million into the hostel, as well as a 3-story restaurant with an extensive deck right on the beach. Even the restaurant was full after 9 p.m at night. The selection of wines were limited to those bearing a label from Uruguay but we did enjoy a bottle of 60% Merlot and 40% Tannat.

Our finest meals, however, were enjoyed at Ernesto’s (El Viejo y la Mer), or, The Old Man and the Sea. A very quaint, authentic restaurant serving excellent seafood, chicken, and steak, with a very limited, but good, selection of wines. We settled on a bottle of Merlot from Argentina ($15 because it is “imported”). Even this restaurant was filled to capacity after 9 p.m. (all 6 or 7 tables).

We spent 5 days/4 nights in Diablo. Unfortunately, the hostel was booked the last night so we had to repack and find another accommodation. Luckily, we found another guest house, right on the beach, for $60 including breakfast (La Posada). Our second story view was spectacular, however, the fierce Atlantic winds would not allow us to fully enjoy the balcony. We did meet an American guy, from Alaska, who rented a cabin for just over $10/night, complete with bathroom and kitchen. There are Se Aquila signs (For Rent) on most places in Diablo, but unless you go around knocking on doors and are able to speak Spanish, they are not so easy to rent.

Our stay in Diablo was cut short by the weather. Although it was sunny each day, the wind got progressively worse, to the point that after 5 p.m., I was wearing my winter coat. Apparently, this is what the Atlantic coast is like in the springtime for the most part (similar to the weather we had in Puerto Madryn/Peninsula Valdes). We had a couple of two hour walks along the beach in each direction, as well as a terrific 4 hour horseback ride to Santa Teresa National Park (controlled by the army). Although our guide spoke very limited English, he took us through some spectacular sceneryi ncluding sand dunes, eucalyptus forests, botanical gardens and a colonial-built greenhouse with flora growing from around the world, as well as a lagoon area teeming with bird life.

On the way back from the park, we trotted along the beach and stopped to see one of the several washed up penguins. Apparently, they get caught in a bad current, we were told, and that’s what kills them. In September and October you are able to see whales along this beach, but they have moved south towards Patagonia.

Our 4 hour ride ($35 each) was definitely our highlight at Punta del Diablo. The horses are the local “Criollo” breed which he explained first came from Spain (a mixture of Andalusian and Arab). Mine was a 12 year old grey/white pinto with a fresh vampire bite on his hip from the night before, and Fred’s was an 8 year old buckskin. When I asked the guide what the horses’ names were, he said they didn’t have any (reminding me of Neil Young’s song, “A Horse With No Name”).

“On the first part of the journey
I was looking at all the life
There were plants and birds and rocks and things
There was sand and hills and rings
The first thing I met was a fly with a buzz
And the sky with no clouds
The heat was hot and the ground was dry
But the air was full of sound

I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
‘Cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain
La, la … “
Even though it is springtime, they had not had any rain in 10 days.

Had we been fortunate to have hot weather and calm seas (like it is supposedly December – March), we would have then visited the very remote village of “Cabo Polonia” – a half hour or so west of Punta Del Diablo. In season, there are sea lions on shore and the village has no electricity – just candles and generators between specific hours. Similar to Diablo, there is a hostel (although not of the same calibre), cabins to rent, and a sprinkling of local restaurants. However, Fred and I wanted to return to the warmth and decided to return for a night in Colonia, then rent a car and venture off in search of tourist ranches called Estancias.

We spent another day travelling by bus the 7 hours back to Colonia and finally arrived at 7 p.m. Since we had only decided the day before to head back to Colonia, we did not have any accommodation pre-booked. Arriving on a Saturday in this tourist town met with challenges. I stayed with the luggage at an outdoor cafe (enjoying a 1L bottle of Pilsen), while Fred walked all around the historical district with map in hand. About ¾ of an hour later, and asking 30 – 40 hostels, hotels, and inns, Fred was only able to come up with Hotel Royal, just down the street, at a whopping $90 (we had to pay the triple rate, even though there was just two of us, because the room had 3 beds). Given it was the last available room in the town, we took it for the night. This “3 Star” Hotel was the worst accommodation we had to date. The room smell of cigarette smoke and looked like it hadn’t been remodelled in 30 years.
Deciding to spend another night in Colonia, we immediately went out and booked a nicer accommodation at El Viajero Suites ($65 with bath and tv). A big step up from the Royal, with wi-fi. We booked an economy car from Thrifty first thing in the morning, and since we had booked it for 5 days, they gave us a 6th free (worked out to be $37/day). It was a brand new compact car with only 200 km on it. We drove to the beach area (on the River de la Plata) and we were surprised how far out you could walk and still only be knee deep in the brown coloured (but apparently clean) water. We enjoyed a Heinekein at a riverside bar and headed back at sunset to go for dinner.

In Fred’s and my opinion, Colonia Del Sacramento is the nicest city/small city (@ 21, 714) we have been in so far (in South America) – and rightfully so, a protected by UNESCO . Moreso than Buenos Aires, Cusco, Mendoza, and Copacabana (Bolivia). We love its wide, mature tree-lined, cobblestone streets, parks and gardens, and slow pace of life. There are very few vehicles driving around the historical district but do include tourists driving around in rented golf carts, dune buggies, and motor scooters. They obviously do not have helmet laws, nor age limit requirements on motor scooters (we saw a boy about 12 driving down the road on a motor scooter). Plus, it is common to rent bicycles since the area is relatively flat and the roads are very good, with a long, wide boardwalk along the river. It feels a lot more European (well, it was founded originally by the Spanish and Portuguese) and you feel safe walking along the streets at night. There are lots and lots of quality restaurants, reasonably priced (@ $30-40 with a bottle of wine), with outdoor seating by candlelight, at night.

*** news report from BBC *** a young person in Latin American is 30 more times likely to be murdered than in Europe. (Fred is watching BBC while I am writing this blog). According to our Rough Guide, along with our own experiences, Uruguayans are among Latin America’s friendliest peoples.

Monday morning we headed off early (well, 8:45) to go riding ($20 each for 2 hours). We had a very good ride on, once again, horses with no names (just named by their colour). Our guide didn’t speak any English, so we just took in all the sights. Half of our ride was spent riding through the wealthy residential area (always an advantage being on horseback to look over their flowering shrub fences and into their gardens) and the other half was spent riding on the beach alongside the river. It was really neat riding beside the racetrack and watching the jockeys training their horses (quality looking quarter horses! a.k.a. “quarta de milla”).

After our ride, it was back to the room to shower, pack up, and move on. Destination(s) unknown. Stay tuned!

Lisa n Fred

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To view photos, copy and paste this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31246690@N05/sets/72157608663741375/ Happy Trails, Lisa n Fred

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