So as you all know my last blog post was week 5 or something like that and I'm definitely not in week five of my trip so we're just ditching that whole idea and jumping right into the good stuff!
A few months ago we made a VERY last minute decision to travel to a coastal town called Cabo Polonio. The little hippie town is located about 4 hours up the coast in a part of Uruguay called Rocha, where some of the most beautiful beaches UY has to offer are located. Round trip only cost us about 30 USD making it well worth the trip. Once we arrived to the actual park we took a large safari-esque bus to the coast. I almost felt like I was in Africa as we trekked through the sand-filled woods. We arrived just after sun down giving us the opportunity to see the sunset while being taken into town.
We originally had planned to camp in a tent with sleeping bags buuuut we quickly found out that wasn't an option, especially as it was the weekend of Carnaval and it was more busy than usual. This left us to search for a hostel to stay in which was harder than expected but luckily we came across one hostel with exactly 3 beds left over.
After booking our hostel for Friday night, we walked around to see what we could get booked for the next night. Our last (and cheapest) resort was paying for hammocks to sleep in the next night so that's what we did. Once we knew we had a place to sleep both nights we grabbed some amazing empanadas from a local restaurant and started our first night in Cabo. We made friends with some people in our hostel and then went out to what I think is probably the only boliche (bar/dance club) in the little village. After a long day, I decided it was probably best to head back to the hostel a little early to get some sleep for an adventurous next day.
The next day brought lots of adventure and wind. We took about a 2-3 hour hike to a nearby mountain/hill near a town called Valizas. It was an extremely beautiful day out, there was barely a cloud in the sky. The wind was painful at times but overall it was a great hike. By the time we got back to the hostel we were all extremely tired and hungry. We went to the local supermarket and rounded up a pretty solid pasta dish that was only 500 pesos for 5 people (about 15 US dollars). After that we relaxed around the fire and shared a few cervezas (beers). I had every intention of staying up and hanging out but after a day of hiking I was soon sound asleep, taking a "nap" in the hammocks. Somewhere along the line it got extremely cold (55ish degrees) and I relocated to a bench on the back patio. I think I had every piece of clothing that I brought that weekend wrapped around me AND I was squeezed in a sleeping bag.
Sunday morning rolls around and I wake up to something black and furry curled up on my head. At first I panicked but then I realized it was just a cuddly little cat who wanted to steal some of my warmth. Not long after we woke up, we had to move out so that the hostel had the space for more guests to come in. We ended up spending all day at the beach and meeting a few people from Argentina and Cuba who showed us some great music and dances. Sunday ended up being a really random and spontaneous day but it's a day I'll remember forever. I had the opportunity to get to know a great woman from Argentina, who I really connected with. She opened my eyes to a lot of characteristics the US has as a nation, how we are viewed by other countries and so much more. Long story short after our day of talking and adventures I ended up with a tattoo that only cost me $20 (yes 20!!! USD & for those who are concerned, it's all well and healed and I'm healthy I watched him clean everything and pull out a new packaged needle). I ended up getting it at the hostel we stayed at on Friday from an amazing tattoo artist named Gabriel from Brazil, at the time I could barely speak Spanish and he didn't speak any english so it was hard to communicate much but we still connected over the experience and few Spanish words.
The vibes and energy that Cabo Polonio gave off were like no other. It is an amazing place to escape and disconnect for a little while and anyone who has the opportunity to visit Uruguay should go. The entire town is operated off of solar energy and on top of that all hostels/stores recycle and use compost. It was inspiring how little the people here lived off of and still how happy they were. I am so happy I have a little piece of it with me wherever I go.
Thanks for reading!
LeAnne
Next up: Tourist's Guide to Buenos Aires
