Beach and Carnival in Uruguay

Do not do what I did: walk up to the Buquebus counter asking for a ticket the day you want to leave. The reason is simple, they will rob you blind. It costs US$75 one way for a one hour ferry ride to Colonia de Sacramento. If you book a few days in advance it will cost US$75 return. There was really nothing that would have prevented me from booking a day or two in advance and so I paid for my unwillingness to plan.

Once in Colonia it became evident pretty much right away that Uruguay is more expensive than Buenos Aires. Colonia is a small, quaint UNESCO Heritage town. At first I thought the cost of everything here was steeper because of it's proximity to BA and the UNESCO designation. Having said that, there are 2 hostels that are very reasonably priced and a few empanada and hamburger stands that make eating in restaurants not the only option. Although the town is nice and quiet I really did not feel that more than one day was required to see all it has to offer and get a good feel for the pace of life. So, after just one night here it was off to the beach at Punta del Diablo.

Punta del Diablo has more than one beach on offer. The water is cold but the temperature is very, very refreshing after 10 minutes in the hot, boiling sun. There are no palm trees and therefore no shade on the beaches at all. Most of the Argentinian and Uruguayan families brought their own coolers and umbrellas to the beach. I, on the other hand, just sat out and was grateful that the sky was covered in clouds for a majority of the time. Once it was clear that a sunburn was inevitable even on an overcast day I headed out of the sun and straight to the churro stand for a sweet afternoon snack. The hostel here was not the most comfortable experience in the world. Although it was being cleaned on a regular basis it still felt a bit grungy. The dorms were small and the one fan in the room did nothing for air circulation in the dorm. Also, being a beach location you would expect there to be more than one hammock on offer per floor. But it was not all bad. We encountered a few owls in the sand dunes on our way to the large beach and sitting on a hill at night overlooking the water was a pretty good time. Two nights and a wicked sunburn was enough time spent.

Montevideo is a much smaller city than Buenos Aires but not any less beautiful. The main drag was bustling with shops and people. The port was bustling with boys trying to impress their bikini clad counterparts with daring dives into the river. One look at the brown color of the water and the large formation of white foam (which I imagined to be chemical waste but that's just my imagination) was enough to make me wonder if any of these kids ever had parents who warned them against swimming in the water here.

The main reason for heading to Uruguay around Feb 8 was to see Las Llamadas (the Calls), a two day parade. Uruguay has the longest running carnival in the world. Festivities here last 40 days and the Llamadas are the biggest street party of the entire month. The parade takes place in Sur and Palermo, once known for being the black neighbourhoods of Montevideo. Historically this parade was one started by slaves in the country. The drums were used to call their friends into the streets to celebrate and dance. It quickly became the most coveted party in the country and the slaves' white masters wanted to join in the revelry. To ensure their anonmity was preserved during festivities the white population participating in the event wore (you guessed it) black face.

The parade has multiple stages. Each drum group is preceded by a number of flag bearers who twirl large swaths of cloth. They are followed by old mammas and papas in, what looks like, 18th century costumes dancing their way down the parade route. Behind them are what everyone is waiting for: the half naked women dancers in heels with the feathery tails and headgear. The dancers are accompanied by large groups of drummers (the best part of the parade). Unlike Rio, there are no impressive floats here. The few floats that do exist are small and not very elaborate but here it's all about the music. Although stands and chairs are set up along the parade route it is not necessary to pay for a ticket or a seat. You can just stand or squat near intersections along the route for an up-close and personal view. The street party does not end until the wee hours of the morning.