DAY 41 Punta del Este, Uruguay
Friday February 24. The day started out damp and overcast, about 68ºF, and went up to a feel-like of about 100º.
This is a very upscale city that boasts a wonderful climate and beautiful beaches. Mary went walkabout and I took a tour of the “highlights.” This culminated with a visit to Casapueblo, a fantastic building that is a work of art in itself.
Returning to the ship I saw a group of locals enjoying the beach right next to the pier, and a penguin in the water!
It will take some time and effort to represent Casapueblo in a worthwhile picture, but one other local landmark was fun to draw. The Hand is a sculpture consisting of the fingertips of a giant hand reaching out of the sand. It represents the legend of a single survivor of a hurricane here. She was buried on the beach by the storm, and all rescuers saw of her was her hand trying to reach the surface.
It’s a real draw. People line up to have their photo taken there. In the middle of all this commotion, my eye caught a dog, ignoring all the human hubbub, taking a nap in the shade of the pinky.
While tourists lined up to have their photo taken by the fingers of The Hand, a dog took his nap in the shade of the pinky
DAY 42 Buenos Aires, Argentina
On our first day in Buenos Aires we took the ship’s “Gaucho” tour to see a ranch with a demonstration of horsemanship and an Argentinian barbecue. Very touristy, but the music and folk dancing were quite good. I especially enjoyed our smiling waiter and the singer/accordianist.
That evening we rushed to see the cruise’s special show for us ’round the world guests. It was an extravagant pageant depicting a (romanticized) history of tango. Very entertaining, highly polished, except for me, when I tried dancing with one of the performers.
DAY 43
Sunday. Our last day in Buenos Aires was, like our first, sunny and hot. I really wanted to see La Boca, the neighborhood that Mary has talked about so much. We donned our Panama hats and walked there despite warnings of “bad neighborhoods.” No big deal at all.
The area has changed from a poor neighborhood of corrugated metal houses, painted in whimsical colors, to a tourist destination. There’s a long wall welcoming visitors, decorated like a Red Grooms “Ruckus” installation, with lots of color and cartoonish characters, some painted, and others 3D, sticking out of windows or standing on balconies. There are a few iconic spots which you’ll see in the pictures on line, and only glimpses of what the neighborhood looked like when Mary was first there.
DAY 44 Montevideo, Uruguay
Monday February 26. The day was sunny and warm. This is a pleasant city, without the bustle of Buenos Aires. Airy, clean, with a lot of trees and parks. We took a long walk to the market at the agricultural center, where we found a great wine store. We ended up lugging three bottles back apiece (total more than 19,000 steps). At the market we also tried the “chivitos,” which the cruise’s little introduction raved about. It’s a hamburger bun with a slice of minute steak, bacon, and various other stuff. Don’t bother.
While we didn’t think the city was particularly photogenic, we spotted this charming wedding.
