Uruguay
Playa de las Delicias

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  • Day 8

    Punta del Este 1

    February 17 in Uruguay ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Gestern in Rio Grande hatten wir zum Abschied wieder einen richtigen Wolkenbruch, aber mit brasilianischer Poncha ließ sich das sehr gut aushalten😃. Und später auch noch ein schöner Sonnenuntergang🌇

  • Day 8

    Punta del Este

    February 17 in Uruguay ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

    Wir liegen auf Reede vor Punta del Este.
    Neben einer Stadtrundfahrt gab es das Rali Museum und Casabueblo (sah aus wie Hundertwasser, nur alles in Weiß).
    Danach noch zu Fuß durch die Stadt, hin zu den FINGERN die aus dem Sand ragen.Read more

  • Day 11

    Cruising to Punta del Este

    January 30 in Uruguay ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    On Thursday 30 Jan we will be in Punta del Este, in Uruguay. Tony decides to try out the 7am onboard activity, Walk a Mile. Heavens knows we (actually Tony) are eating heaps so HAVE to do as many activities as possible. Out of nearly 2,000 passengers only 4 attended with Jalina (“I’m from Serbia”), the cruise fitness director. On deck 3 there is a measured walk around the ship. 3 laps make exactly a mile. It is a new experience to be walking while steaming in towards Punta del Este. Nice to breathe the fresh sea air and be close to the waves. Ursula went to the 7am stretch class.
    The cycling tour organised from the ship was full, so Tony had contacted Alicia from Uruguay Cycle Tours. After many emails and WhatsApp messages she was supposed to meet us 2 hours after the 11am ship arrival. We had to wait for a tender to shore and arrived slightly after 1pm. She had already left, but Tony asked a couple of locals who pointed at some palm trees in the distance. There she was with the tour about to commence.
    Punta del Este is a bit like Brisbane’s Gold Coast. Lots of beaches, nearby high-rise accommodation and sunbathers on the beaches. We saw the local sights, see pics. Our cycling was a little rusty but we all got there. Saw the tall lighthouse, Faro de Punta del Este, which is over 150 years old. There is a beachside sculpture, The Hand, which took only 7 days to build. Built by Chilean artist Mario Irrazábal it has lasted in fine condition since 1982. Fibreglass over a metal frame. Biggest problem is cleaning off the graffiti.
    On the tender trip back to Oosterdam Tony’s attention was drawn to a number of yachts racing in the bay not far away. It’s a Thursday, so what’s on?
    After dinner tonight we saw the British group, the Flyrights, in the World Stage theatre. Lively, funny and good musicians. They played a wide variety of excellent songs.
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  • Day 7

    Buenos Aires Again

    January 26 in Uruguay ⋅ 🌬 24 °C

    Slightly bumpy flight back to Buenos Aires. We organised Ubers which we met with some difficulty. We are finding that the drivers’ pick-up point is not quite the same as ours. Blame GPS and the app (never Tony’s operation of it). Our next apartment is run by the same hosts and is a couple of km away from the first one. Once there, we were very pleasantly greeted by Juliet. Walked out to a late dinner. We happened upon a really nice restaurant, Bar Iberian, where we all shared a huge classic Spanish potato tortilla. Delicious. Juliet had told us about a 24 hour supermarket nearby where we were able to do the breakfast shopping. They sell alcoholic drinks but only until about 5pm.
    Now (Mon 27 Jan) we have a full day in Buenos Aires. We choose to do a free 3 hour city highlights walk. Of course they expect a tip at the end which we were happy to provide. For 4 people Uber is very convenient and whisks us to Teatro Colón (opera house – perfect acoustics) to start the walk. It rains, hard, with thunder while we are waiting to start. We evaluate alternative activities. The rain dies to a sprinkle. Fingers crossed we go ahead with the tour.
    Vito (“as in The Godfather; same name, different occupation”) is our guide. He’s young, thin and very enthusiastic. We see the WIDEST AVENUE IN THE WORLD: Avenida 9 de Julio. 140m wide. About 20 lanes of traffic. The avenue leads to The Obelisk, which commemorates Argentine independence. To make the obelisk stand out they resumed all buildings beside the avenue then demolished them to provide the current imposing width. The widening stops at the French embassy. They said NO (surprise, surprise), as the embassy land is French soil so the building couldn’t be demolished.
    During the late 19th century there was a feud between the 3 richest ladies (widows of wealthy men) who competed by doing good works. They really wanted titles to go with their wealth and the only way to obtain them was via the Church. Hence the good works. One built a beautiful church. The other build a huge ugly apartment block (similar shape to the Empire State Building) right in front to block it from view. Buenos Aires has lots of parks. Many feature Australian trees. Eucalypts and Moreton Bay figs. Vito (can we believe everything he says?) showed us a huge fig which he told us came from Australia 300 years ago??
    Really nice lunch in the Ricoleto area which is a very wealthy part of Buenos Aires.
    In the evening we found yet another good restaurant. Thanks Internet and Ursula. Maybe they are all good in Buenos Aires. Family run. Our young waiter was top notch (“I’ve been working here for 6 years. That’s my mother and my father.”)
    Next morning (Tue 28 Jan) we can board the ship. This is quite the experience. Lots of passengers. Lots of formalities. In the end it happens reasonably smoothly. Surprisingly to us, after immigration and a bag scan, we are let loose in the ship. We live on Deck 5 starboard side. See pic. Imagine an 800 room hotel with 8 floors of accommodation. Full sized 2 level auditorium (the World Stage), 2 swimming pools, 3 restaurants, countless bars and shops. You need to be aware which direction is forward, then navigation is quite easy.
    We had our first shipboard meal in the Lido buffet. It was quite late, but you can get food until about 4pm. Wide variety of food, from Asian curries to salads. Dinner was a revelation. All passengers can dine at the Vista Dining Room. (Many don’t, and choose the buffet.) The 4 of us had a 3 course sit-down meal. It was like a really good restaurant. 5 or 6 choices for each course. Different menu every night. Will we put on weight?
    Next day (Wed 29 Jan) we are still in Buenos Aires. Decided to do the La Boca two hour walking tour. Tony racked up 5 Uber cancellations attempting to get to the start of the tour. Neither we nor the drivers were able to find the pickup spot. Finally caught a cab (thanks, Trevor). Guide was Juan. He pronounced it like “you are the only ONE”. Once again young (though he did admit to being 37). They all look like boys to us. La Boca is a very lively area with brilliantly coloured housing often made from corrugated iron. Originally the buildings were constructed by immigrants using materials from a 19th/20th century shipyard: iron plates, corrugated zinc sheets, timber and whatever paint was available. The colour palette came through suggestion from the famous and influential local artist, Benito Quinquela Martin. The result is one of the most colourful precincts of any city! (Thanks, Trevor.)
    The residents are united in being strongly against ‘improvement’ of the area by the wealthy. Original residents were from Genoa so there is still lots of Italian influence.
    Not having any local currency we had planned to withdraw the correct amount for the tour from a local ATM. Juan told us that most ATMs don’t work. Those that do charge 10,000 pesos each use. Maximum withdrawal is 15,000 pesos. Cost for the tour is 13,000 pesos per person. Exchange rate is 653 pesos per Australian dollar (today). Fortunately we had some US dollars which are accepted everywhere here.
    Juan kept punctuating the tour with reminders that Argentina won the recent football world cup. No surprise that he took us to Bombonera stadium. This is officially called Estadio Alberto J. Armando and is home to Diego Maradona’s beloved Boca Juniors. It is often considered the stadium with the most intense, passionate atmosphere in the world. (Thanks, Wikipedia for this bit.)
    Tony had found Café Proa in his research. It is on the top floor above the library here in La Boca. Modern space with extensive views. No other customers. Really nice café con leche.
    We Ubered back to the ship just in time for Rob to watch Evita (very topical) on-board in the World Stage.
    We enjoyed our first departure this evening between drinks and dinner. Tony and Ursula visited the Sea View Deck on Deck 9 near the pool for the Departure drinks function. Lots of sun. Lots of people. Departure was slightly marred by the fact that we moved out from the wharf, then remained stationary for an hour or so before departing from Buenos Aires.
    We have really enjoyed the time here. It certainly is a great city!
    After another delicious dinner we watched the Pampas Devils Gauchos in the theatre. The show featured tango and lots of lively music and skilful bolas work. A real taste of Argentina.
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  • Day 30

    Vom Land i Ferieort

    May 12, 2024 in Uruguay ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    D Nacht im Hostel isch sehr ruhig gsi u mir si bezite uf zum Punta del Este no chli aluege.
    Leider isch recht wüest Wätter, drum simer eifach chli uf dr Peninsula spaziert. Z Punta del Este isch dr südlechst Punkt vo Uruguay u me merkt richtig dases e Ferieort isch. Es het sehr viel Hotels, Feriewohnige u Restaurants. Im Moment louft nid viel, da mir neb dr Saison dert si.
    Bim Hafe unde heimer sogar no Seelöie gseh u mir hei üs dert es zitli chönne vertörle, wiu mir gseh die ja nid gad au Tag.

    Gäge Mittag simer witergfahre u hei no e Halt gmacht in Chihuahua am Strand, eifach wiu dä Ort so heisst. ;)

    När simer witer uf Montevideo id Houptstadt. Oh hie regnets wie verruckt u drum hei mer im Hostel icheckt u si när ines Kafi. Dert heimer üsi witerreis plant u gmerkt, wie schlecht mir plant hei. D Fähre geit nämlech scho e Tag früecher aus mer gmeint hei. Drum müesse mer morn scho wieder uschecke u chöi Montevideo nume am morge aluege. Immerhin hei mers no rechtzitig gmerkt.
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  • Day 8

    Punta del Este

    February 12, 2024 in Uruguay ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    Nachdem wir den Tag gestern nochmal ausführlich zum Sonnenbaden genutzt haben, wurde es am Abend Zeit Punta del Diablo hinter uns zu lassen 😢. Eines Tages kommen wir wieder!
    Unser nächstes Ziel war Punta del Este, die Stadt der Reichen und Schönen. In vielen Blogs wird sie mit Saint-Tropez oder Monaco verglichen.
    Unsere Meinug über Punta gehen auseinander. Pinar gefällt es ganz gut, ich bin da eher kritisch und das lag nicht nur am schlechten Wetter. Die Einkaufsmeile und der Jachthafen wirken recht versnobt, was habe ich auch anderes erwartet 😅. Außerdem gibt keine schöne Altstadt, dafür viele Hochhäuser.
    Immerhin haben wir am Hafen bekanntschaft mit zwei Seelöwen gemacht 😍. Eigentlich wollten wir auch noch eine Tour nach Isla de Lobos machen, wo weiter 200.000 Artgenossen leben. Die Tour mussten wir aber aufgrund des schlechten Wetters auslassen.

    Dün günü yine güneşlenerek geçirdikten sonra akşam Punta del Diablo'yu arkamızda bırakma vakti gelmişti 😢. Bir gün geri döneceğiz!
    Bir sonraki durağımız zenginlerin ve güzellerin şehri Punta del Este oldu. Birçok blog burayı Saint-Tropez veya Monako ile karşılaştırıyor.
    Punta hakkındaki görüşlerimiz farklı. Pınar oldukça beğendi, ben oldukça eleştirelim ve bunun nedeni sadece kötü hava değildi. Alışveriş mili ve marina oldukça züppe görünüyor, ama başka ne bekliyordum ki 😅. Ayrıca güzel bir eski şehir merkezi de yok, ancak çok sayıda yüksek bina var.
    En azından limanda iki deniz aslanı ile tanıştık 😍. Aslında aynı türden 200.000 kişinin daha yaşadığı Isla de Lobos'a bir tur düzenlemek istiyorduk. Ancak kötü hava koşulları nedeniyle turu atlamak zorunda kaldık.
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  • Day 131

    Punta del Este 🇺🇾

    November 30, 2023 in Uruguay

    Nächster Stopp: Punta del Este 🇺🇾
    Für uns ging es wieder mit dem Bus weiter von Montevideo nach Punta del Este - endlich ab zum Strand! Punta del Este loegt auf einer schmalen Halbinsel im Südosten Uruguays. Während an der Westküste das Wasser ruhig ist, gibt es auf der anderen Seite eigentlich immer Wellen - perfekt zum Surfen. Da es in Punta del Este keine wirklichen Sehenswürdigkeiten außer "La Mano", eine riesige Hand die aus dem Sand ragt, zu besichtigen gab, hieß es für uns entspannen und das Meer genießen. Natürlich haben wir uns direkt am Anfang einen ordentlichen Sonnenbrand eingefangen 😅 zum Glück hat am nächsten Tag die ganze Zeit geregnet, sodass wir uns etwas davon erholen konnten. Man merkte in Punta del Este, dass die Saison noch nicht begonnen hat. Die Hotelpreise waren relativ niedrig und die Restaurant einigermaßen leer und auf den Straßen war noch nicht so viel los. Über Silvester ist Punta del Este wohl der Place to be in Uruguay, wobei einfache Hotelzimmer bis zu 600€ pro Nacht kosten - nach oben hin natürlich keine Grenzen.Read more

  • Day 23

    Punta del Este /ウルグアイ(プンタ ・デル・エステ(1)

    January 23, 2020 in Uruguay ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    I visited Punta del Este, Uruguay. The city is the highest-class resort area in South America. In the town many rich and famous South Americans have their summer or "weekend" villas. The town is quite attractive, and you can see many amazing Beverly Hills-type mansions all over.
    ウルグアイのプンタ・デル・エステを観光しました。プンタ・デル・エステ(スペイン語で[東の岬]という意味)は南米で最高級のリゾート地です。この街には多くの南米の大金持ちさんとか有名人が別荘を持っています。とても綺麗な街であちらこちらにビバリーヒルズと同様な凄い豪邸が見えます。
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  • Day 5–6

    First swim 👙🩲

    February 25 in Uruguay ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Summary:
    Today, we left Montevideo to take our first swim in Punta del Este and enjoy the beautiful beaches and warm water here. ☺️
    In the evening, we had a great dinner and relaxed with cocktails at one of the casinos. 🍹 After losing $30, we decided to call it a day. 😅💸

    Highlight:
    Of course the first swim of Chris and another bottle of a great Uruguayan wine. 🍷

    Interesting fact:
    Punta is known for being the best place to retire. You can find great casinos but the lifestyle is a bit more expensive than in the other cities in Uruguay.
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  • Day 218

    Ein bisschen Tropensturm

    December 13, 2024 in Uruguay ⋅ 🌬 24 °C

    59km
    266hm

    Morgens mussten wir uns entscheiden, ob wir weiterfahren. Ein Tropensturm mit viel Regen war für das Wochenende angekündigt. Martín hatte uns angeboten, länger zu bleiben, aber im Garten campen bei viel Regen wollten wir auch nicht. Also machten wir uns auf den Weg. Die Strecke war weniger schön als gestern, da wir nach wenigen Kilometern auf die vielbefahrene Hauptstraße nach Punta del Este mussten. Auch hier war alles zugebaut. Weniger mit kleinen Häusern, sondern eher mit großen Apartment-Hochhäusern, mal mehr mal weniger modern. Man hatte uns gesagt, dass Punta del Este die Stadt für die Reichen sei, was man an den Gebäuden oftmals sehen konnte. Schön war es auf jeden Fall nicht.
    Einen kurzen Stopp machten wir am Hafen, um einen Blick auf die Yachten zu werfen. Dabei konnten wir ein paar Seelöwen beobachten, die die Reste vom Fischmarkt naschen durften. Wir ließen es uns auch nicht nehmen, zum letzten Zipfel zu fahren. Hier sieht und spürt man den Unterschied zwischen der geschützten Bucht von Montevideo und Buenos Aires und dem rauhen Atlantik. Auf der Atlantikseite hatten wir keinen Windschutz mehr und es war deutlich kälter. Wir strampelten noch einige Kilometer gegen den Wind, um die hässlichen Hochhäuser hinter uns zu lassen und nahmen uns ein Cabaña in einem ruhigen Örtchen am Atlantik. Gerade noch rechtzeitig vor dem Regen, der am Nachmittag einsetzte und erstmal nicht wieder aufhörte. Eine perfekte Entschuldigung, einfach mal nichts zu tun und uns auszuruhen.
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