Uruguay

Love Uruguay! We took the ferry over from Buenos Aires to Colonia de Sacremento on Sunday morning and went through immigration before we left so that when we stepped off the boat in Uruguay we were clear. Colonia is the exact opposite of BA. Granted it was Sunday, but it was dead quiet and just gorgeous. Our B&B was on a street by the ocean (river, technically, but it looks like an ocean) and very nice. The town is very small and very old, so all the streets are cobblestone and everyone drives slowly -- in fact the whole pace of life is slow. Like Mendoza, the streets are all lined with a canopy of trees, but here there were plenty on the ground already so it really felt like fall. The main drag is set on a downward slope so you can see the ocean from any point on it, and if you look down to your right or left on any street you can see the ocean, as well. Many of the streets are too old to drive on, so there are tons of outdoor cafes and restaurants. Our dinner place was on an old plaza and there was a huge drum parade (not organized like you are imagining-- it´s a bunch of people dancing in front just free dancing, followed by a very rag-tag group of about 20 drummers who had gathered) that came by and stopped in the plaza and had a drum circle (and lit a fire) before moving on with a crowd behind them that follows to keep listening.
The next morning we went out for a horse ride in the country (through all types of field growing several different types of crops-- just gorgeous) and that was great. I have never had that much space just to run on a horse, and the guide and I had races-- it really was incredible. I´ve ridden in a lot of different places, but I have never felt such a flat out sprint before! Whoohoo!!!
Then we moved on to Punta del Diablo (I wanted to go just for its name), and we swung through Montevideo on the way (and I have nothing to report from there, it was pretty ugly and dirty, with not much to see or do).
Punta del Diablo on the other hand was fabulous! It´s a tiny little fishing town, all dirt roads right on the ocean. We just relaxed there, sat on the beach (watched a fantastic sunrise) and had a few meals with some incredible views.
Back in Colonia on our way back to Buenos Aires, I went for another horse ride with just myself and the lady leading it and we went through the beautiful fields and then down to the beach to watch the sunset. It was great because you can only reach the beach by horse or foot, so it was deserted and we could just race up and down the beach forever. We had a little fire and then rode back under the full moon. The ride back was possibly the best part. My horse´s name was Luna (appropriately so) and she was super comfortable, so we just trotted all the way back (about an hour or so) and I felt like I was in a rocking chair. The moon rising was so yellow it was almost orange, the temperature was perfect, and then all around us in the fields were just thousands of lightening bugs and the occasional bat and lots of owls. What an incredible evening!