URUGUAY '24   INFO & DIARY  1

 GENERAL INFO (Jump to Diary)
The Oriental Republic of Uruguay is an unitary presidential constitutional republic, found in-between Argentina, Brazil and the South Atlantic Ocean. It covers 176.215 square kilometres, and it is the home of 3.427.000 citizens, of which 58% are Christians and 41% have another god/gods.
The currency is Uruguayan peso, worse 0,24 Danish Krone and €0,03. The GDP is US$58.123 billion.

The climate is made up by a temperate zone, with relatively mild and fairly uniform nationwide zone. Seasonal variations are pronounced, but extremes in temperature are rare.
Here are many species of armadillos, the Giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla and the Southern tamandua Tamandua tetradactyl, Paraguaian hairy dwarf porcupine Coendou spinosus, Brazilian guinea pig Cavia aperea, Lowland paca Cuniculus paca, some tuco-tucos; rodents, a lot of bats, quite some cats, two fox species, the Maned wolf Chrysocyon brachyurus, which I would love to see, Giant otter; Pteronura brasiliensis and a few other others, some pigs, some deer and some opossums.
The flora is rich too, with 2500 species. Approximately 80% of Uruguay is prairie, with grasses predominating. I will not be looking for anything in particular, just the Temperate Grassland biome in general. That said, I would like to see some of the caudiciforms: Abobra tenuifolia, Anredera cordifolia, Apodanthera sagittifolia, Aristolochia fimbriata, Carica quercifolia, Chenopodium multifidum, Cochliasanthus caracalla, Dorstenia brasiliensis, Habranthus gracilifolius, Habranthus robustus, Habranthus tubispathus, Ipomoea digitata, Ipomoea platensis, Macfadyena unguis-cat, Oxalis articulata, Pereskia sacharosa, Phytolacca dioica, Sinningia sellovii, Sinningia macrostachya, Sinningia tubiflora, Talinum paniculatum and Zephyranthes candida. And some of the cacti of which here are at least 55 species, counting everything from tall Cereus to minute Fraileas.

DIARY
11/4 2024. I plan to see a better part of this small country, using old towns and alike for waypoints, while I enjoy the nature in-between. I have brought three kilos of luggage for this tour, as I will pass thought quite different climates on this; my last South America tour. I got all from flip-flops over umbrella to a down jacket. The forecast say four days of rain and 20C, then sun and 26C for the last days in Uruguay.
An evening flight from Copenhagen to Madrid.

12. The flight was delayed in Copenhagen, but I manages to shift terminal in 15 minutes, in the huge Madrid Airport. Can only be done by a real athletic person - but I somehow made it too. I shift seat, allowing me to lay down during the 12 hour night flight. Only interrupted by several servings from the surprisingly interesting menu-card.

I arrival in Montevideo at eight, and get breakfast, while I wait in the airport for the car, as immigration was way more swift than expected. When they eventually pick me up in front of arrival, I can't get the car, as my credit card don't hold $3000. After an hour, I get to pay a third full insurance, and thereby a smaller deposit. It might be a problem in the future as well, as they tend to hold the deposit for weeks or even months. And I have five cars lined up in South America on this tour.

I get a nice Hyundai, and head 200 kilometres towards Colonia Del Sacramento. The first part is cross the capital; Montevideo, the long way. It is actually a pretty capital, with loads of trees and other greenery.

Then I reach Highway 1. Most parts is a four lane toll road, with hardly any traffic. The car have a gismo to pay, and it is smooth - till I return it. The landscape is surprisingly alike the Danish countryside, and I don't get tempted to stop a single time. The better part is huge fields with maize, corn, potatoes, beans and grass for the dairy cattle. Here are a few horses too, and I see a single horse-wagon.

I find a huge mall, and stock a bit of water and biscuits for the car, along with some supper. Just like Denmark, you scan your own shopping, and pay by card. The prices are not that far from Danish either. Uruguay is, after all, the most modern and well working country in South America.

The 22C and full sun make it a great experience, but the sun vanish as I approach Colonia Del Sacramento.

I park outside my hotel, and walk the 100 meters down to the old colonial harbour town. It is found right at the river-mouth of Rio de la Plata, which at this time of year, resample a rich chocolate-milk.

It is really a cosy area, and it knows it. Here are guided tours for South American tourists, and loads of really overpriced cafes, souvenirs and restaurants. I do most of the alleys and the waterfront, while the sun make a few appearances. However, most is without, and that make the photos against the bright sky rather bad.

I make a single latte-break, and have to pay US$4. I have tried several ATM, so far unsuccessful. I finally limit my attempt to 3000 pesos. The local bank charges 239 pesos, equals $6, and my bank $4,50. That make the $80 in pesos rather expensive. Actually 26% more expensive, as if I pay with card.

I see a few plants like silk-trees, Oxalis and Cycas  and hear a lot of parakeets. A tour around the slightly newer main street does reveal a few more motives, but the sun have gone, and I head back to the hotel. I try the code 1234 at the gate, and it works. It is only three o'clock, but it have, somehow, been a long day.

At five, I head back out in the town, just as the drizzle starts. I get a hamburgesa vegetaiana with crispy papas and a café latte, and it is really delicious, and for only €7. Real cheap in this tourist trap. Well, the tourist don't come her; it is for the locals.
I spend the evening trying to figure out why one GPS is completely silence and the other one is real hard to hear. I find five places to change it, all claiming: I should hear them loud and clear. Turns out, max volume is mute?! Highlights of the day in new window.

13. Breakfast should be real great, but only served after eight. Well, I think I have the time today. Especially, as it seems like not only today, but the next three or four days are grey ones, dominated by rain. I guess the El Nino year is messing my plans up. In that case, Paraguay will be nice and dry... The breakfast is a sample of what the local pandaria can offer along with coffee, and real tasty.

I spend the morning figuring out; how to be able to apply the sufficient credit for the following cars - and how much. At least, the following countries are not that demanding. Then I apply sprinkler fluid and mount the GPS a better place. I just use a big magnet and a screw or monkey-snot.

It had rained light during the night, and it seems to continue. It sure make the exploring less interesting, and the photos way less attractive. But here I am, I'll see it all anyway, and the temperature is around 20C. It does stop raining on the way out of town, but the sun is absent all day.

Again, I am baffled about how this landscape looks like central Zealand. Actually more, than central Zealand looks like northern Zealand. Here start to be a few large herds of sheep, mingling with the cow fields. I can't really talk myself into botanising in the soaked blanket of grass and herbs. Besides from the crops mentioned yesterday, I pass a single wine field.

Here are no villages at all, and the few farms are huge. So are the machinery they are using. Harvesters with twin front wheels do take up quite some road! At least, little activity is seen at the fields, as harvest time is next month.
As I don't botanises, as intended, I reach Carmelo real early this Saturday morning. The shops are not open yet, but I use the dry period to explore the little town. My guide book had it as a cosy little tourist trap, but apparently, I'm the first it have caught. Hardly any cafés, not a single souvenir but real tranquil. Some streets are asphalt, some cobblestone.

I park at one square and church, and follow the main street to the next set. I see a few real old cars with old farmers behind the wheel, and four horse wagons. I had planned to do a stroll along the mighty Uruguay River, but it have flooded the sides, and the walk gets a bit short. I can see Argentina on the other side, although covered in mist.

However, it does have this Amazon-vibe about it, with the trees, sticking out of the water. I zigzag back through town, and leave as the first shops starts to open. I am heading for yet another old town, and by the UNESCO Road once more. I start to think it is the only sealed road. All the minor, leading out from it, are unsealed and terminates at a huge farm.

I pass through a forest, mainly Australian Eucalyptus, but huge. In-between them, I spot some fancy houses with tennis courts, golf and alike. I stop at one of the many river-crossings, and find a few interesting plants and a lot of mosquitoes. The huge trees are covered in stick-shaped epiphytic cacti: Rhipsalis. Here are some Solonaceae, Convulvaceae, Passifloraceae and some, I haven't seen before.

Next stop is at some tall Cereus cacti. They look wild, but unspoiled nature is not really a thing around this fertile country. I swing into the first town I see; Palmitas. It have nothing, making me stop - like a café or old houses.

As I head on, the rain pick-up. Then I reach the old colonial town of Mercedes. I pass my new home on the way, and get the keys to a lovely apartment. The area is not fancy, but this huge private home surely is. Plenty of nice plants and so well maintained buildings.

I head downtown, and once more, my guidebook got it wrong: As far as I can tell, I'm the first tourist here ever! Well, it is a cosy town, with green squares, old churches and houses, several pedestrian streets and even cafes. I get a latte at the first, while I wait for the rain to stop. The cobblestone streets are rivers by now.

It actually do stop, and I make several loops around the usual parks, churches and the surprisingly wide Rio Negro. Again, I find some great Amazon motives along the river. On the other side of the road, some real fancy and huge houses are found.

As expected, the photos are quite alike those from Carmelo. Here are several Panderias, some selling bred, others fancy cakes. However, I find a little tacos place, and as I won't have meat, I get three huge ones, real tasty.

Back in the street, I find a lot of Bromeliads on the old trees in the park, and the flowering cotton-trees still amasses me. I do several loops, but feel I have seen it all at two o'clock. I got way better time here, than I had expected.

In an effort to see some wild nature, I head towards Fray Bentos, a border town at Rio Uruguay. I take the toll road out, and had actually expected a bit more town. It has a large park down at the ferry terminals, offering a view to Argentina.

I turn around, and find a network of gravel roads - or actually clay and sand roads, connecting the big farms in a huge area. I stop several times, but only find a few interesting plants.

One is a real nasty serrated Agavaceae, another are a Passiflora, a Apiaceae, a Asteraceae, a Solanaceae, a Apocynaceae and then some which I'm not familiar with. Some are covering a real beautiful pond, and is a floating fern.

Another stroll along a flooded forest, where some parts are covered in the floating fern; Salvinia natans. Again, I am not really impressed, but I still enjoy the trip.
Back at dusk, and start deleting photos and write down the impressions from the day, before I cook a light meal for my self.
Highlights.

From the eastern part of Uruguay, I now cross over the northern in Diary 2.