#39 A little bit of Uruguayan history - Mercedes to Montevideo

Thirsty for new stamps in our passport we headed out of Buenos Aires straight for the Uruguayan border, a trip that would have been much faster had we caught the boat that crosses from B.A. to Colonia del Sacramento (we must have missed the last discount tickets by a mere few hours). My preconception of Uruguay was of a country with many similarities to New Zealand: both have populations of around 4 million inhabitants with 1/3 choosing the capital city as their home; the economies of both are largely reliant on the agricultural sector, and the populations of both flock to the ocean during their summer holidays.

The drive into Uruguay on the Argentinian side was different to anything we have seen before. Much of it was wetlands and rivers over which huge bridges had been constructed. It was nice to experience something new but it was also stinking hot on the bike. Fortunately for us Argentina and Uruguay have resolved their fight over an ecologically damaging (according to Argentina) paper mill Uruguay constructed in Frey Bentos meaning we were able to cross the border a few hundred kilometres earlier than expected. And then with much excitement, a bit of a wait at the border, and a customs official who told us to fill out the bike's temporary import certificate ourselves, we were in a new country.

Buildings in Montevideo

As it happens missing the ferry meant a lovely night spent in the riverside town of Mercedes. The passport stamp was something of a disappointment but our first stop in Uruguay was a charming find: it was buzzing with families enjoying the warm, summer nights, some swimming and fishing by the water and others just lazing in their deck chairs, sipping mate while watching others walk (and ride) by. I have never seen so many people riding mopeds in my life! Bikes seemed to outnumber cars 3:1 and we spotted more than one family all riding the one bike. That's Dad driving while holding the baby, Mum behind holding kid number two, with another child squashed in the centre. And very rarely were any wearing helmets.

We pitched the tent in a ludicrously cheap but busy campsite, took a dip in the Rio Negro before dinner and bed. Before riding on the following day we had the most indulgent breakfast I have ever experienced: creamed coffee, sugary orange juice, waffles with chocolate sauce and dulce-de-leche, cheese and ham toasties, extra toast with jam, and a couple of biscuits for good measure. All with a view of the well-presented town square in the shadow of a statute of Uruguay's liberator and a beautiful old church. A pleasant, if somewhat sickly, start to the day.

A slight detour (the usual cause: having not yet located a Uruguayan map) meant rather than riding alongside the Rio del Plata down to Colonia we got our first taste of the rolling farmlands of Uruguay. It was definately drier than New Zealand - not surprising given the heat. It being a Sunday not many cars were about, only the odd kid cruising along helmetless on his bike. There were idyllic scenes as we rode alongside the corn crops and cows, when scores of sparrows would fly from the powerlines as we drew closer.

And then to Colonia, as it's more commonly known. One could certainly see why it attracts the hourdes of tourists on day or overnight trips from Buenos Aires. Founded by the Portuguese in 1680 it is Uruguay's oldest town and the remains and restorations of residences, churches, and fortifications are located in the Barrio Historico (historical neighbourhood). We joined the snap happy and cycled the sites on bikes borrowed from our hostel. An afternoon was enough and we took off the next day but not before stopping  at a bull ring just outside of town. Unfortunately it was surrounded by barbed wire, and scaffolding suggested it wasn't exactly safe which is a pity because it would make for a great Arena.

Reece wasn't too interested in the bull ring.

Next stop the Capital,  Montevideo. Being by the sea and promoted by Lonely Planet as one of the prettiest capital cities in South America I thought it may share some of the characteristics of Auckland but truth be told the best thing about Montevideo was the hostel we found: Posada del Sur. A real find for a bargain price (the whole time we were there I was convinced I must have heard the price wrong and we would be stung by a massive bill at the end). With only 3 rooms and 1 dorm, a kitchen complete with dining table and colourful coffee mugs it felt like a shared house rather than a hostel. The homely wooden interior was the perfect setting for catching up on blogs as it was too hot to do much else. Just as well we intended to visit the beach the following day.

The view from the hostel's terrace where we ate our dinner.