Punta Del Este (URU)

My trip continued to Punta del Este after 1-1/2 days in Colonia del Sacramento (more than enough). Buses run regularly to the capital city of Montevideo (2 hours) and then on to Punta (2 hours). The bus station there is right by the sea, and the hostel was only a 5-minute walk away - so it's also very close to the beach.

I used the first afternoon to explore the town. A very touristy main street, many restaurants, souvenir shops, and high-rise buildings remind me of a Southern European seaside resort. What it doesn't have, though, are sea lions and seals in the harbor basin! I had to rub my eyes before I could believe that a sea lion was sunbathing on the promenade?! Welcome to the other end of the world...

So the next day, I spent at the vast beach. Punta del Este is a small peninsula, so you can choose a beach with less wind and waves. Since the high season ended in February, the beaches were quite empty. In the evening, most of the hostel residents went to a club. I did the same with a guy from Cologne that I met there - by the way, parties start in Uruguay around 2 am.

As a result, the hostel was quiet on Sunday, my first rainy day in South America couldn't motivate me to do more.

I had actually planned to go diving, take surfing lessons, or go to Isla de Lobos (the largest seal colony in South America) for the next two days. But because the sea was too calm for surfing and too rough for diving, I spent most of the two days at the beach.

Exception: boat tour to Isla de Lobos! The two-hour tour cost me 20 mosquito bites, a little seasickness, and 50 US dollars, but it was definitely worth it to observe the around 200,000 animals living there and swim with the seals!

On Wednesday morning, I took the bus back to Montevideo. Fun fact: The ticket cost €3, while an ice cream with two scoops in a cup next door cost €4 (???). Overall, the tourist spot was very expensive for South American standards.

From Montevideo, I will go to the Paraguayan capital Asuncion and further into the east of the country, to the city of Ciudad del Este. More details will follow shortly.

Saludos,

Kai