Uruguay-Part 3

Day 3- 'Filter' coffee. Cereal. Chocolate thingy for me (a regional chocolate biscuit, sandwiched with dolce de leche filling-Alfajor).

Today's Fort day. Too tired on Saturday (after the drive), saw loads on Sunday, today's the day.
Or not.
Seems while the chappie (army fella) on the security gate believes the fort opens at midday on a Monday, it may be that he failed to take into account the May Day public holiday, as the turtle was shut.

Oh, I should probably explain, the fort is in designed in the shape of a pointy nosed turtle.
Why? Who cares?! It's a Turtle.
Sure, the UK's got Castles, but it ain't got amphibious creatures to defend it's borders (for a sea fairing nation, shouldn't we?) Uruguay does! (yes, I know, they're not amphibious...but then, where's the joke?).

Having arrived at 11:45, we'd already driven around the remaining areas of the National park that we'd not seen the day before. These new sites included; a rather windy beach (complete with surfers, one of whom wore pink and had a matching board-very dapper), a startlingly large spider crossing our path (we could see the nippy little bleeder from the car)- Clarissa took a photo as I'd chosen to remain in the car and 'keep-an-eye-on-it' and once again, the zoo...'hola'.

Did you know that trees in Uruguay have beards?
No? Neither did I, but I took a few photos to prove it.

We gave up on the fort, given that we were leaving the next day and being British, I'd seen more defensive structures by the age of eight than most other nationalities do in a lifetime. The only other tourist attraction nearby...Laguna Negra (The Black Lagoon!). Eerily sounding, though not looking. We drove a pot-holed road for a few kilometres before arriving at the watery expanse. A broken jetty, a sinking boat, an abandoned cafe and a blindingly marvellous panorama greeted us.

Having decided the night before to build a fire (though not having any wood, this would prove troublesome), we collected a few logs from the side of the road (I kicked 'em a few times to encourage any arachnid dwellers to dwell elsewhere- there weren't any home) and made for Punta del Diablo and our spacious hut.

Kindling is essential in building a fire (just thought I'd let you know) and given that the straw/stick roof of the young boys playhouse had begun to shed (shed/playhouse- ha ha) we saw no harm in burning the already fallen elements...though we were stealthy in our gathering techniques- choosing to wait until the owners of said property were not in sight.

Clarissa lit our lunchtime fire, we enjoyed the blaze and later headed off to the beach, walking length of it.
Still a breezy day, but somehow calm. There was a rather feisty crab, pincers at the ready...again, Clarissa took the photo.

Beers for lunch. Beers again for dinner (holiday!).
We popped into the supermercado again, 'beer'd up', got food and also bought more wood.
Dirt cheap!
Dirt. Dirty. Wood...I give up.

An evening by the fire. Nice.

Day 4- The Road Home


Packed, Tidied, Coffee'd, said good by to 'Pest' and away we went.

Barely on the road ten minutes, we were stopped by the fuzz. Nothing nefarious though.
Seems there's a horse race on and we're to go slowly until the competitors are passed. A fella on horseback (convenient), dressed as a jockey duly passed by...slowly. I guess it must have be an endurance race.

Not far past the police cordoned area, we stopped again. This time to pick up a dread-locked traveller and his backpack. Turns out he's called Mark (possibly Marc), he's from Barcelona, an Architecture student, studying for a year in Porto Alegre, likes football and long story short, joined us on our return leg home.

More time in 'Duty-freeland' followed.

The Brasilian immigration extended my visa (sweet!-this had been a worry, but sorted at least temporarily now).

More Capybara and even a few, very large Caiman (such a thrill to see them in the wild) sunbathing.
We stopped again. This time to wrench tall, hairy grasses from the undergrowth on the side of the road- a surprise present for Clarissa's mum.

6 hours of travelling and eventually, home.

A superb Birthday present!

Muito Obrigado, Clarissa xxx.